Over 500 athletes bracing for the lucrative Betika Kericho Cross Country Run

Peter Mwaniki crosses the finish line at the Uasin Gishu Half Marathon that took place in Eldoret on Sunday, 13 August 2023. Betika Na Community will be hosting another Half Marathon this Sunday in Eldoret. [Courtesy]

The fifth leg of Betika athletics series heads to Kericho this Sunday with over 500 athletes dreaming for glory in the lucrative race.

The 12km race, dubbed Betika Kericho Cross Country Run, will see top ten finishers in both men and women categories share the Sh 1,350,000 purse money that is on offer.

The winners in each category will bag Sh250,000. Runners up will each walk home Sh150,000 richer as third place finishers pocket Sh100,000 each.

Sh 75,000 and Sh50,000 are reserved for fourth and fifth place categories on both sides while sixth to tenth place finishers will each receive Sh 10,000 for their efforts.

One of the participants to watch will be the 68-year-old Pricilla Biwott. Biwott has taken part in all the Betika athletics series where her enduring spirit, determination and passion for sports has always propelled her to the finish line despite her age.

Her presence in Kericho will symbolise the inclusivity and diversity that the gaming firm promotes within the athletic fraternity.

"We are thrilled to be hosting the race this weekend. We are glad with the registration process. The turnout is massive. We are happy that the race has attracted a sizable number of elite athletes who will be battling it out for top honors," Mutua Mutava, Betika's Deputy Managing Director and Group Chief Finance Officer, told Standard Sports.

"This event which marks the fifth leg of our athletics series confirms our involvement in sports and commitment to identify and nurture grassroots talents within the various Kenyan communities.

"We strongly believe that through these engagements, we are supporting the next pool of athletics stars who will be the face of Kenya globally in the near future," Mutava stated.

Athletes of all ages are invited to take part in the Kericho Cross Country Run that is scheduled to take place this Sunday, 15th October 2023 at Kericho Teachers' Training College through the Betika Na Community initiative. [Courtesy]

The Kericho event comes after four successful athletics series held in Iten (cross-country) and Kericho (cross country) in May and October last year respectively and in Iten (road race) and Eldoret (half marathon) in May and August in that order this year.

The athletics events are organized under Betika Na Community initiative which acts as a platform for local athletes to showcase their skills and at the same time win various lucrative prizes to improve their livelihoods. The initiative also helps athletes to gather resources to help them compete internationally.

Apart from athletics, Betika also supports football with Kenyan Premier League side AFC Leopards SC safely under their stable. Also, their commitment to nurturing talent and promoting sportsmanship cuts across different sports including volleyball, boxing, motorsports, golf and taekwondo.