The National Olympics Committee of Kenya (NOCK) has stepped up preparations for the inaugural Sabaki Estuary Wetsand Marathon, scheduled to take place on November 28, as organizers seek to combine sports, environmental conservation, and tourism promotion.
Former NOCK President and World Marathon champion Paul Tergat led a delegation of senior officials to the Sabaki Estuary for the launch of the Sabaki Estuary Wetsand Marathon Awareness Walk, official marathon flag-off, community clean-up exercise, and mangrove restoration initiative.
Organized by the Progress Welfare Association of Malindi (PWAM), the marathon aims to raise awareness about plastic pollution, restore coastal ecosystems, and inspire collective environmental action.
Marathon Route to Showcase Coastal Attractions
The race will begin at the sand dunes along the golden beaches of Mamburui, near the point where the Sabaki Estuary meets the Indian Ocean. Participants will then run through scenic coastal landscapes stretching toward the Malindi Marine National Park and Reserve.
The event is expected to attract athletes, conservationists, tourists, and environmental advocates from across the country and beyond.
Stakeholders Join Environmental Conservation Efforts
Hundreds of stakeholders participated in the clean-up exercise, including conservation groups, hoteliers, business leaders, school children, county and national government officials, the Kenya Wildlife Service, police officers, members of the judiciary, and representatives from Casino Malindi.
The clean-up exercise covered the stretch from Malindi Roundabout to Casino Malindi before participants moved to the estuary, where they planted 1,000 mangrove seedlings and conducted a large-scale environmental clean-up.
Following the conservation activities, Tergat, accompanied by Athletics Kenya Coast Region Secretary and Race Director Felix Ngalla and NOCK First Deputy President Barnaba Korir, officially flagged off the marathon.
Tergat Calls for Collective Action to Protect the Environment
Speaking during the event, Tergat emphasized the importance of conservation and environmental stewardship.
“I come from sports. Today we are not competing for medals or positions but the key thing we are competing here is that all of us including the community planting these mangrove trees is to preserve our nature for future and cleaning the beaches we are not cleaning for ourselves but for future generations,” he said.
He urged Kenyans to support the initiative, noting that participants would emerge as champions by contributing to a cleaner and healthier environment.
NOCK Backs Sports Tourism Initiative
Barnaba Korir praised PWAM for organizing the marathon, saying the event has the potential to boost both sports development and tourism in the coastal region.
“This is something the National Olympics Committee is interested in, in nurturing the talents, supporting the event to promote the tourism and sports activities in this region,” he said.
Meanwhile, Race Director Felix Ngalla said organizers would intensify marketing efforts to attract as many participants as possible ahead of the November 28 event.
