Kenyans dominate Kigali Peace Run contests graced by British legend Mo Farah
By Kiprono Ericson, May 31, 2022
Kenyan athletes dominated the men and women categories in full marathon during the 17th edition of Kigali Peace International marathon on Sunday in Kigali Rwanda.
Wilfred Kigen won the 42km full Marathon run in men category after clocking 2:16:36 ahead of Johnstone Kibet Maiyo(2:17:41) and George Nyamori Onyancha(2:17:47).
Margaret Agai won full marathon in women category in 2:35:23 as Rebecca Korir was second in 2:36:09 and Bornes Kitur closed the podium places in 2:36:29.Shadrack Kimining also won the Half Marathon in men’s category after clocking 1:04:30.
Kigen is best remembered for pacing Dennis Kimetto when he broke the world record at the 2014 Berlin Marathon with 2:02.57 and becoming the first man to run under 2:03.Kigali International Peace Marathon, an annual athletics event, was launched in 2005 as an amateur race aimed at using sports in the healing and reconciliation process following the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Over the last 28 years, the marathon has grown to become one of the most prestigious athletics meet in East Africa, and is held as a precursor to the country’s Liberation Day on 4th July every year.
As a demonstration of its growing global profile, this year’s edition received the highly respected Association of International Marathons (AIM) certification.
Besides Kenya, the Sunday’s marathon attracted elite and amateur athletes from Ethiopia, Britain, Canada, DR Congo, Kenya, Canada, South Africa, USA, Israel, Switzerland, Italy and Poland among others.Among the star attractions at the race where First Lady Margaret Kenyatta flagged off the full marathon and later presented awards to winners in the various categories, was legendary British runner Mo Farah.
First Lady Margaret Kenyatta’s participation in Sunday’s Kigali International Peace Marathon marks the third time that the Kenyan and Rwandese First Ladies ran together starting with the March 2016 Beyond Zero Half Marathon in Nairobi.
Over the last six years, First Lady Margaret Kenyatta has set a global record by successfully participating in competitive road races in Nairobi and London as well as training runs in Japan, Ethiopia and various parts of Kenya.
Full marathon gold medalists, both men and women, pocketed cash prizes of Rwf 4 million (Ksh 453,000) while the silver and bronze winners earned Rwf 2.5 million (Ksh 283,000) and Rwf 2 million (Ksh 227,000) respectively.
In the half marathon, gold medalists got Rwf 2.5m (Ksh283,000) while silver and bronze winners took home Rwf 2m (Ksh 227,000) and 1.5m (Ksh170,000) respectively.
The race was graced by several dignitaries, among them the President of Africa Athletics Confederation Hammad Malboum and President of Djibouti Athletics Federation Said Hassan, the First Lady was accompanied by Chief of Staff in her office Constance Gakonyo and Acting Kenya’s High Commissioner to Rwanda Philip Githiora.