The fourth edition of the Iten International Marathon took place in Elgeyo Marakwet County on Sunday, 30 November 2025, attracting hundreds of participants across various categories, tasked to create and raise environmental awareness in honour of more than 40 lives lost in a recent tragic Elgeyo Marakwet landslide.
The race, which attracted close to a thousand participants, saw top runners awarded cash prizes, with the overall winner receiving Sh1 million, the second-place finisher Sh750,000, and the third-place athlete smiling all the way to the bank with Sh500,000.
The 42 km marathon race saw men's race podium finishers at the Iten International Marathon, led by Simon Njuguna, taking position one, followed by Edwin Tuitoek and Denis Kibiwot consecutively.
In the men's 10 km race, the winners received their awards, with James Kipkoech leading and Jacob Krop and Amos Langat following consecutively.
The 42 km women's race was won by Flomena Cheyech, Susy Chebet, and Irene Jeruto in that order.
The men’s 10km race was held at the top by James Kipkoech (1st), Jacob Krop (2nd), and Amos Langat (3rd).
In the 10km women's race, the winners were Joy Cheptoyek, Judy Chepngetich, and Nancy Jepkemei in that order.
Elgeyo Marakwet Governor and the host and patron of the race, Wesley Rotich, affirmed the county’s commitment to safeguarding athletics across the board and increasing grassroots sports development to unearth the lost talents.
He said that the county has an ongoing effort to expose coaches to international training and build a strong foundation for the next generation of athletes.
''In Iten, we've got talents. When I took over as the County CEO, we took our coaches to France for training, and we started a program of training in every primary school that should have a coach. We shall do wonders in this Elgeyo Marakwet," he said.
Rotich added, "In January, we're starting grassroots competition, and for all successful candidates, we will take the talents to camps. We want to be intentional. The ongoing sports academy construction is a plus for our athletes, and once it is done, we shall do more."
The governor paid tribute to the victims of the landslide.
Rotich was firm on doping: "Doping is not allowed, not only in Iten but also in the whole of Elgeyo Marakwet. We shall crack the whip, and we remain strict; we can't let Iten be a destructive point. We will not allow this to happen, and Iten and Elgeyo Marakwet at large will remain natural."
One of the athletes who passed through the Iten International Marathon said, "My fellow athletes, there is no shortcut in this life. Tomorrow is your day. Work hard, and you will win. We refrain from doping, and if you're caught, that's the end of your career. You are absolute legends! The grit and grace you showed on that course were incredible."
Marakwet West MP Timothy Toroitich praised the initiative, arguing that the marathon creates opportunities to discover hidden talent.
Toroitich added that soon they will come up with an amendment in the Constituency Development Fund kit to incorporate a law that allows the kit to allocate funds for establishing training camps for athletes.
"We have agreed because there is an issue with our CDF kit, and we will soon make sure that the CDF Act is amended when we are trying to put the act in the constitution so that this will incorporate a space to put more funds specifically to give us allowance in assisting the training camps," Toroitich said.
Kenya's weak anti-doping laws also alarmed Toroitich.
"In Kenya, we want to outlaw doping. Similar to Ethiopia, we wish to complicate matters. In Ethiopia, doping is prohibited, as is aiding doping," Toroitich commented.
"Our rural and interior athletes who are unaware of doping are subjected to drugs, ultimately losing their talents and having their careers destroyed."
Senator William Kisang of Elgeyo Marakwet and Woman Representative Caroline Ng'elechei were also in attendance to promote local talent and support the event.
