Catherine Reline from Elgeyo Marakwet and Vincent Ngétich from Nakuru won the 21 Km races in the female and male categories, respectively, during the 2nd edition of the Stanbic Nakuru City Marathon. This is the second time that Reline has won the Stanbic Nakuru City marathon under the female category. The winners were awarded, Kes. 500,000 each, with the 10 KM race winners awarded Kes. 100,000 each.
The event, sponsored by Stanbic Bank in partnership with the Nakuru County Government, drew over 2,900 participants from all over the country and beyond. This is the second time Stanbic Bank has sponsored the race following the successful inaugural Stanbic Nakuru City Marathon held in 2021.
Speaking during the award ceremony, Stanbic Bank Kenya Chief Executive, Mr. Charles Mudiwa, lauded the participants in the marathon and reiterated the bank’s commitment to young people. He said,” What we have seen today speaks to our It Can Be brand purpose. As a bank, we are keen on working with young people and supporting them to develop their talent and achieve their dreams. We are guided by our purpose that Kenya is our home; we drive her growth. In this regard, we believe that working with young people in sports and arts is one way the youth can participate in gainful income-generating activities. This will be key in ensuring our young people are positively engaged while contributing to Kenya’s economy’s growth.”
Her Excellency, Hon. Susan Kihika, the Governor of Nakuru County, appreciated the efforts invested by stakeholders in making the marathon successful.”Now more than ever, partnerships between the public and private sectors will guide the country to its anticipated growth. I want to thank Stanbic Bank and all participants for showing up today and proving that we can all work together to grow all sectors. Sports remains a key docket for Nakuru County, and events such as these let us know that we have a supportive citizenry and reliable partners to work with,” she said.
Investing in sports is one of the key areas under the country’s socio-economic pillars that the bank is keen on growing and developing. Previously, the bank was the title sponsor of the 2018/2019 Eldoret City Marathon and worked with world marathon champion Brigid Kosgei. In addition, in support of rugby, Stanbic Bank has been the kit sponsor for Mwamba RFC and the title sponsor of the National 7s circuit, where the game was played across 7 counties in Kenya.
Brigid Kosgei, the Stanbic Bank Brand Ambassador, said, “As the Stanbic Bank brand ambassador, it gives me immense joy seeing more marathon events happening in our country. As people known for winning internationally, such races play a critical role in identifying and nurturing young talent that will continue flying our flag high for years to come.”
Catherine Reline, the winner of the 21 KM race under the female category shared her hope to participate in next year’s marathon after her second successful run. “I am very happy to have participated in this race again and look forward to attending next year’s as well. These marathons provide an important opportunity for us to compete with our peers locally and internationally.”
Lieutenant General (Rtd) Jackson Tuwei, the President of Athletics Kenya commended Stanbic Bank for their support as the main sponsor of the Stanbic Nakuru City Marathon. He said,” After two successful 21 KM races in Nakuru, we look forward to having this race as a full marathon in the near future. We believe that with Stanbic Bank and Nakuru County as partners, the City can host full marathons attracting additional elite competing athletes into the country.”
Over the years, Stanbic Bank has been on a transformative journey that has provided customers with innovative financial and non-financial solutions. The bank is also investing in the community through the Stanbic Kenya Foundation, which has successfully rolled out a number of Social, Economic, and Environment (SEE) initiatives in line with the bank’s purpose of driving Kenya’s social and economic growth.
