Athletics enthusiast have a reason to smile after leading television channel K24 announced that they will be broadcasting this year’s edition of the Nandi Road Race live on June 27.

The race yesterday also received a major financial boost after online betting firm Mozzart and the Communication Authority of Kenya (CAK) invested Sh3m and Sh1m in the event respectively.

The funds will be channeled towards operational costs and part of it given out as prize money.

Event chairman, Fred Kiptanui, extolled the two organisations for their massive support and urged local athletes to make the event a big success by registering in large numbers.

“Registration will be entirely free of charge. We understand a large number of budding athletes would find it difficult to raise money if we decided to ask for any entry fee,” said Kiptanui.

Sports stakeholders

He sent a passionate plea to all sports stakeholders in the country to grace the event to be hosted at Kapsabet, a place famous for producing the best talent in the country.

“We are proud to say Nandi has always been at the forefront of producing some of the most celebrated Kenyan athletes from time immemorial.

That’s why we saw it appropriate to host this event there to encourage more athletes from the area to come up,” said Kiptanui.

“The event will officially kick off on Saturday when we will be planting trees at Kapsabet Boys High School, which you know is one of the country’s top academic institutions,” he said.

Event vice chairman, Hoseah Sanga, said they thought it wise to use the nationwide attention the event would attract to sensitise the country about the importance of conserving the environment.

 “Water is becoming a scarce commodity and the forests are reducing in size.

The event has been in existent for the past decade but we promise to make this edition the best,” said Sanga.