Prize money cut for Madoka race but organisers stay upbeat
By Amos Abuga, September 12, 2019
Athletes who will participate in the annual Madoka half-marathon will have to contend with reduced prize money due to uncertainties over sponsorship.
The 14th edition of the marathon will be on October 5, and not the symbolic Mashujaa Day, like previous editions, starting at the Ngerenyi Farmers Trading Centre in Taita Taveta.
Prize money for the highlight 21km race has been slashed from Sh500,000 to Sh300,000 with event coordinator Gerald Mashanga saying the change of date and winners package was necessitated by Athletics Kenya’s calendar as well as uncertainties over sponsorship.
“Last year, we had issues with sponsors therefore it was not easy to pay the winners. In future, we hope to increase the prize money,” said Mashanga during the launch of the event in Nairobi yesterday.
Second and third-placed finishers in the 21km race will pocket Sh150, 000 Sh100,000 respectively with prizes trickling down to 10th place while victory in 10km will attract Sh100,000 as the other podium finishers reap Sh50,000 and Sh30,000.
AK president Jack Tuwei commended the event for its role in discovering and nurturing talent at county level.
“For the time first-ever, we had an athlete from Taita Taveta in Team Kenya in the 2019 African Games.
We are happy because from such races, athletes are born,” said Tuwei in reference to Panuel Mukongo, who was fifth in the half marathon in Rabat, Morocco.
Madoka Half Marathon was inaugurated in 2005 by former Cabinet minister Marsden Madoka. It has attracted major sponsors over the years and yesterday was not different as Kenya Ports Authority (Sh3 million), Safaricom (Sh2 million), Brookside (Sh750,000), KCB (Sh500,000) and KCAA (Sh300,000) joined Grain Bulk Handlers, Kenya Revenue Authority, National Hospital Insurance Fund, National Oil, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority and the Taita Taveta county government in supporting this year’s race.
“This event has given us a lot of encouragement. The people of Taita and the entire Coast region are excited about it,” said Madoka.