Kwambai Defends Lewa Safari Marathon Title
Kwambai Defends Lewa Safari Marathon Title
Mercy Kwambai and Samson Lemayan won the 25th edition of the Lewa Safari Marathon, held at the Lewa Conservancy in Meru County.
Kwambai, a 36-year-old mother of two, clocked 2:47:17 in the women’s 42km race. She successfully defended her title for a second consecutive year. Evaline Lagat came second with a time of 3:02:31, while Monica Watetu finished third in 3:20:21.
“It is exciting to defend my title for the second year. The course was hot and tough, with challenging hilly terrain. However, thanks to good preparation and training, I managed to win the race,” said Kwambai. “This is my third time participating in this event. My first was in 2022, where I finished second in the half marathon. I use this race to prepare for other competitions, and I’m glad for the positive impact it creates in the community.”
Kwambai Defends Lewa Safari Marathon Title
In the men’s race, Samson Lemayan from Maralal took the top spot with a time of 2:28:35. John Musee followed closely at 2:29:18, and Joseph Kariuki secured third place at 2:29:36.
“I first joined this marathon in 2018 but didn’t perform well then. Today, I’m proud to win. It’s inspiring to see how the marathon has grown and how it impacts the community,” said Lemayan. He also thanked organizers and sponsors like Safaricom for making the event a success.
Winners in Other Categories and Prize Awards
Michael Kamau won the 21km men’s race in 1:06:37. Justine Lelitan and Simon Saidimu finished second and third in 1:07:48 and 1:08:07, respectively.
In the 21km women’s race, Mary Waithera finished first in 1:18:27. Pauline Ngigi clocked 1:28:21, and Susan Wanjiru followed at 1:29:04.
In the 10km corporate race, Reuben Ng’ang’a won the men’s category. Sara Van Der Laan claimed victory in the women’s category.
Winners of the 42km and 21km races each received KES 150,000. First runners-up earned KES 80,000, while second runners-up walked away with KES 60,000.
Kwambai Defends Lewa Safari Marathon Title
Reflections from Partners and Organizers
“Thank you to all the winners and participants of this year’s Lewa Safari Marathon. As one of the key partners, we are proud of the impact the marathon has made over the past 25 years,” said Dr. Peter Ndegwa, Safaricom PLC CEO. “We remain committed to this initiative, which supports wildlife conservation while transforming lives.”
This year’s marathon attracted over 1,400 local and international participants. Since its launch, the marathon has raised more than $9 million for wildlife conservation.
Mike Watson, CEO of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, added, “As we face unprecedented threats to our planet, we must act to protect wildlife and habitats. Today’s participants challenged themselves, connected with nature, and made a lasting impact on communities and wildlife across northern Kenya.”
The event received sponsorship from Safaricom and Huawei. Other sponsors included Access Bank, ICEA Lion, Highlands, AMREF, Elewana, Safarilink, GardaWorld, Tropical Heat, and African Originals.
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