President Uhuru Kenyatta confirmed plans to compete in the 2020 Beyond Zero Half Marathon following a challenge from Deputy William Ruto during the 2019 event.
The announcement came at the conclusion of the fifth edition of the marathon held at Nyayo National Stadium, where Kenyatta joked about competing in distances ranging from 5km to 10km. "I will compete next year. I would have preferred the 2km, but maybe five or even 10. Let us see if my brother William will defeat me," he said, prompting laughter from attendees.
Deputy President Ruto had earlier issued the challenge, noting the presidency's participation in the 21km race while emphasizing the need for representation in shorter distances. "We didn’t have a representative in the 5km and 2km, and I want to thank you for agreeing to consider representing the presidency in the remaining two races," Ruto stated.
Kenyatta also outlined government plans to prioritize sports funding, including support for national teams and athlete preparations through a newly established sports fund. Meanwhile, David Bett and Brilliam Kipkoech won the men’s and women’s 21km races, each receiving Sh250,000 in prize money. Vincent Ngetich and Monica Ngige claimed victory in the 10km race, earning Sh75,000 each.
