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CurrentNairobi Marathon organisers hope to beat last year’s mark
From 7,500 participants in 2003 to 15,000 last year, the Nairobi Marathon promises to surpass the mark as the Sunday race draws near. The marathon has grown in leaps and bounds and this year’s seems not to be any different. “This is a huge achievement and it’s one event that the whole country has come to be associated with over the years,” said Standard Chartered corporate affairs Manager, Ann Kabugi. “Over the years, the numbers of registered runners has been on the rise. This shouldn’t be different for the weekend race. We are hoping to break the 15,000 mark,” noted Kabugi. “As usual, we want to give all willing participants the chance to be part of this great event. We are registering runners at all Standard Chartered Bank branches countrywide as well as in leading supermarkets and shopping malls,” adviced Kabugi. At the same time, Kenya’s Paralympic gold medallist Henry Wanyoike was joined by Kenyan Greatest Race on Earth team runners Philemon Yarasia, John Kelai and Emma Muthoni on a visit to the Thika School for the Blind to help raise awareness for Seeing is Believing, the official partner for the 2008/09 GROE. Seeing is Believing (SiB), which tackles avoidable blindness, has been named as the official partner for GROE for the first time. A partnership between Standard Chartered and the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), SiB has raised $17 million to date and aims to invest a further $20 million by 2014 into 20 underprivileged urban areas to help 20 million people. Henry Wanyoike said: “Having gone blind virtually overnight, I know from personal experience how tough it is growing up being visually impaired. I am goodwill ambassador for Seeing is Believing and the Christian Blind Mission (CBM). Seeing is Believing is the official partner of The Greatest Race on Earth 2008/09. The Money fron the Nairobi-Marathon will be given to CBM-projects in Kenya” The GROE, will start its fifth series with the Nairobi Marathon on Sunday with Kenya’s men’s and women’s teams looking to defend the titles they have won for the last four years. The gruelling running challenge, sponsored by Standard Chartered and has one of the richest prize funds in world athletics of $1 million, is the ultimate test of teamwork and endurance. Teams of four runners each compete in one of the four marathons, with the winning team being the one with the quickest cumulative time. Bronze for Henry, Silver for his friend Francis Kenya bagged its first medals at the Beijing Paralympics Games when Francis Karanja Thuo and Henry Wanyoike the goodwill ambassador for Seeing is Believing and Christian Blind Mission grabbed silver and bronze in the T-11 class 5,000 metres final. Congratulation and God Luck, Henry and Francis! Kenya's Paralympics team leaves for Beijing A team of 13 competitors and five running guides will leave august 28th for Beijing ahead of the kick off of the Paralympic games to be held from September 7th in China. The contingent consists of star studded athletes among them 2004 paralympics 10,000 and 5,000m gold medallist and world record holder Henry Wanyoike, the 2002 paralympic games Javelin gold medallist Mary Nakhumicha among others. Sports assistant minister Wavinya Ndetti assured the squad of government's support and urged them to strive to do the country proud. The team which will leave the country courtesy of Qatar Airways will be led by Chief De mission Jairus Mogallo. Qatar Airways sales manager Agnes Kamatu while speaking during the presentation of the air tickets and kits to the team at Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani said that the carrier will continue supporting sports in the country. The team was urged to emulate the Kenyan contingent currently in Beijing which is striving to put Kenya on the global sporting map.
The Kenya national paralympic team for the Beijing Olympics is happy that it has enough time to train before the games next month. The athletes, who are in Eldoret with their coach Herina Malit for training, said this will ensure adequate preparation before the games. The team is being managed by the Department of Sports because a court case has torn the Paralympic body into two factions, one run by Douglas Sidialo and Ronald Milare. "Now we have almost a month to train. The team is upbeat and I am sure that when we are through with training, they will bag more medals," said Malit. Henry Wanyoike arrived on 22nd of Juli in the Kipchoge Keino High Performance Training Centre where the team has pitched camp. He was in China for a TV- event before. During the Beijing Games, the team will participate in the 400m, 800m and 1500m, 5,000m to 10,000m races as well as marathon. Henry will do 5 K, 10 K and the Marathon. The coach said the athletes were happy with the training in Eldoret whose weather she described as superb. "Although we think the heavy rains pounding Eldoret will sometimes disrupt our training sessions, the good thing is that we have ample time to conduct training," she said. Malit said the first week will be used in conditioning the athletes before they train in their respective disciplines. The paralympic team will change the place at the end of the month. The will go to the national training area in Nairobi-Kasarani near the big stadium until the journey to China. After the games Henry will visit the Christian Blind Mission in Germany and if possible, he will take part on a 10K run in Berlin on 12th of october.
The categories of the run shall be: - * You can sponsor in kind or cash. Contact Gideon on + 254 721 249 468, 20 206 5936 or Wanyoike on 722 269 664, 20 3535 616 Your donations can be channeled through Henry Wanyoike Foundation kindly refer to the home page - donation Or here: sponsoring Henry Wanyoike "RUN FOR HOPE"
After beeing ambassador for SEEING IS BELIEVING and Christian Blind Mission Henry Wanyoike has been chosen as a paralympic ambassador by the International Paralympic Committee. This was announced by the IPC at the launch of its Paralympian Ambassador Programme recently. The aim of this programme is to create a roster of top past and present paralympic athletes to act as ambassadors of the paralympic movement, in order to be role models for young people with and without disability and act as awareness and communication tools for the movement to enhance and increase its public profile. Eleven paralympic athletes from all over the world have been chosen so far: Verena Bentele (GER, Nordic Skiing) Hou Bin (CHN, Athletics) Cheri Blauwet (USA, Athletics) Kirsten Bruhn (GER, Swimming) Muffy Davis (USA, Alpine Skiing) Michael Teuber (GER, Cycling) Tanni Grey-Thompson (GBR, Athletics) Ernst Van Dyk (RSA, Athletics) Esther Vergeer (NED, Wheelchair Tennis) Chris Waddell (USA, Alpine Skiing) Henry Wanyoike (KEN, Athletics). All paralympian ambassadors have competed in at least one Summer or Winter Paralympic Games, have won at least one medal, represent the paralympic spirit and values, have been recommended by their respective National Paralympic Committee as a positive role model and have a clean record with regards to anti-doping and/or any other offences. As ambassadors, these top athletes will be asked to represent the movement in various activities including motivational speeches at corporate gatherings or events of IPC partners, participation in awareness campaigns, including print, television or electronic, visit to IPC development or education programmes, presence at IPC events as well as media appearance. During a two-days seminar, held at the IPC headquarters in Bonn, Germany, from February 7 to 8, the ambassadors will get to know each other, receive more information about the movement as well as test their interview skills during a media training. The sponsoring of the Naivasha Halfmarathon, 10k wheelchair men and women, 5k joggers (above 40 yrs men and women and the 5k boys & girls (below 12 yrs) is for the building of the Disability Resource and Information Centre in Naivasha.
John Nwangi (Coordinator), Henry Wanyoike, Tosphat Icemenia (Director), Stephan Tuw (Chairman). All are proud about the event and what they are doing. All African Games: Gold and Silver for Henry Wanyoike Juli 14th, blind runner Henry Wanyioke, with his guide Joseph Kibunja struggling to keep up, grabbed gold with a calculated run in the Paralympic 5,000m T11 in a time of 15.52.50 late on Saturday evening to successfully defend his Abuja title. He was followed home by compatriot Francis Thuo who finished with 15:52.72. Juli 15th, Samuel Muchai led a Kenyan medal sweep in the race for the totally blind in 4:15.16 as Henry Wanyoike added silver in 4:22.01. Francis Thuo completed the haul in 4:22.51.
HENRY WANYOIKE HOPE FOR THE FUTURE RUN
"Henry Wanyoike Hope for the Future Run" was held on 26 th May 2007 as one of the activities of the month of May, which is dubbed as the month of hope. This is the month that Henry Wanyoike celebrates his birthdays, one is commoration of the day he lost sight on 1 st May and also his birthday on 10 th May. Henry Wanyoike: "The run was held as the climax of other activities like visiting the orphans, helping the needy like paying the hospital bill for a young girl aged 12 years Ann Muthoni who was at the hospital for nine months and planting trees at Kirieta forest part of Aberdares forest where over 10,000 trees were planted as part of one billion trees campaign spearheaded by UNEP. The Foundation was able to present a cheque of kshs 460,000 for a borehole project for Machakos Technical Institute For The Blind. We visited at least six schools giving motivational talks. Out of this event the director of Smart Media Institute Ms Gathoni Wamucomba offered four scholarships for the needy youth for mass communication courses." The run main objective was for Henry Wanyoike through Henry Wanyoike Foundation to give a motivational talk on Hope to the youth and community at large to remain steadfast and also bring the community in an inter generation integration where old, young and disabled take part in an event with a common goal. The run achieved its goals and also surpassed the numbers that was expected by the foundation. We had targeted two thousand participants but we had to cope with over eight thousand participants. The youngest was five years old and the oldest participant was 107 years grandmother and 80 years grandfather.
The event was graced by German ambassador Walter J. Lindner who flagged the senior´s race from Wangige and after joined the other distinguished guests at the prize giving ceremony at Kikuyu Township Primary School. Some of other guests were Mr. Nasser - Deputy director United Nations information center, Hon Paul Muite Member of Parliament Kabete, Mr. Martin Bernard - Exectutive director Alive and Kicking organization, Head of Coro Fm (Kenya broadcasting corporation) Jane Mumbi , Deputy commissioner of sports, Athletic Kenya representatives, Douglas Sidialo, chairman of the Kenya National Paralympic committee and many other media personalities from local radio stations and local musicians who entertained the crowd.
Henry Wanyoike: "The German Ambassador promised to run in the next year run as the community expressed that their wish was the event to become an annual event and as Henry Wanyoike Foundation we have taken this noble challenge."
Water for the Blind studends in Machacos |
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The children of the Goodwillschool are pleased about the new kitchen, the fence and the water pipeline. Now it can be cooked at school |
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Henry shows me the 24 cows and a few small calves (entire: 3 male, 3 female) of the “cows4kenya-project” . One cow died. But a calf was supplied by the first phase. The animals were all in a good condition. |
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The Goodwillcows I visited later together with the children. Here also one of the 6 calves had been born. A few cows will soon have a calve. The children had large respect for the cows, then they dared nevertheless to feed the animals. |
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Henry bought 4000 seeds of the Moringa Oleifera tree. It is a true miracle tree.... see GOOGLE or: MORINGA OLEIFERA LAM The trees will be planted with the Thika School for the Blind and with the Machacos Blindschool, where Henry learned knitting and by pupils of other schools. - however those are the next projects... |
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More than 15 men worked, in order to manufacture the ditch of for instance 150m length. A “road” had to be crossed. That particularly cost much sweat. |
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For the fitting of the individual pipes was an locall expert . The adhesive, which it uses, connects also completely wet plastic tubes waterproof. |
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After two days work and wrongly ordered or bought material conversions the tap was attached and it sprayed first cloudy, then sourcefresh water from the cock. Now also all adults had radiating child eyes - as if it concerned a miracle. |
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Also the children were pleased about the cool wet. |
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One of the teachers cooks the tee with the fresh milk of the “Goodwill cows” |
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At the end everything was good: On my last day everything became finished and we had a small celebration with cookies, bread and tee with milk. |
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Now the children cannot move on the campus freely and it exist themselves a danger that they are started by an abandoned donkey truck or a car. In addition no more strangers are using the new toilets built by Henry. With the water the children wash their hands before the meal. |
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In or in front of the kitchen with the cooking place, the tap and the mess kit the children receive to each morning their tee with milk now. In the past there was often the problem that the milk of the Goodwill cows could not be cooked - if nobody ready explained itself. ...and then the children did not get their milk.... that is now past. The two teachers are responsible for the fact that everything functioned - now they are responsable to cook. |
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Henry Wanyoike for Dubai Marathon
Dubai: Henry Wanyoike, the current 5,000 and 10,000-metre Paralympic record holder, is set to return to Dubai for the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon 10km race on January 12, 2007.
Wanyoike, widely regarded as the best visually-impaired runner of all time, was being groomed as one of Kenya's next generation of world-class middle-distance runners when he suffered a stroke in 1995, losing his vision overnight.
Since then, he has established himself as a pioneer in Paralympic athletics, setting the world marathon record for a visually-impaired runner in Hamburg in 2005 and winning either gold or silver in the marathon, half-marathon, 10km road race and in the 10,000, 5,000 and 1,500 metres during his career.
"Henry is a superb athlete and an inspirational character," said Niall McLoughlin, head of corporate affairs, Middle East and Pakistan, Standard Chartered Bank. "We look forward to welcoming him back at the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon - it's a massive endorsement of the event that an athlete of his quality continues to participate in the event."
January's marathon event promises to be the largest to date, with thousands of runners already registered across the three race categories: the 3km Seeing is Believing fun run; the 10km road race in which Wanyoike will participate and the full 42km marathon.
In addition to his own extensive charity work with visually-impaired people in Kenya, Wanyoike is Ambassador of the Christoffel Blind Mission and also a Goodwill Ambassador for Standard Chartered's Seeing is Believing global initiative, which aims to restore the sight of 10 million people worldwide.
www.dubaimarathon.org
African nations dominate Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon and the Greatest Race on Earth
The Greatest Race on Earth (GROE)is halfway run and leading the race to the next leg in Mumbai in January is Kenya whose runners dominated the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon run on December 3rd.In the men's event, defending champion Amos Tirop Matui of Kenya set a new record when he bettered his 2005 Singapore mark by almost a minute, breasting the tape with a time of 2:14.59s. Ethiopia's Ashebir Demissu finished eight seconds back in second spot (2:15.07s) while another Kenyan, Jote Abel Kirui, clinched the last spot on the podium with a time of 2:16.31s.
In the women's race, Salina Kosgei of Kenya dethroned last year's champion, Irina Timofeyeva, rewriting the Russian's record time of 2:34:42s set last year with a new mark of 2:31.53s. Timofeyeva took second place, while another Kenyan, Emily Kimuria, came in third.
Blind runner Henry Wanyoike and Joseph Kibunja (1:20:08 h)then made it a one-two for Kenya in the men's half marathon to demonstrate the gulf between the country and the rest of the world.
Henry gives back
From his journey to Korea, Henry brought some gifts for his former school. Machakos Technical Institut For The Blind is a college that rehabilates the visually impaired and also intergrates with other students who have sight.
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Henry is seen in the picture making a donation of 50 whitecanes, 30 talking watches and magnifying lenses.
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The lady spotted in the picture is the student captain Miss Easther Gathoni, who on behalf of the students who are vissually impaired receives the donation. The students were so happy... They entertained Henry through songs and dance. Henry was a former Student of the college.
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Henry is sitting at the same place where he learned knitting when he got blind in 1995. The college has different technical courses: woodwork, dressmaking, knitting and shoe making among others. It is a government college and Henry says the best in Kenya. |
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The director, Mr. Francis Saya was Henry´s first running-guide. He taeched Henry how to run. Now after ten years, Henry is visiting his director when ever there is a little time. |
Machakos Blind Trade Training Centre
PO Box 112, Machakos 090100, Kenya.
Contact person: Francis Saya
Tel: +254 145 21295
Fax: +254 733 844 614
Activities: This institute trains blind and low vision adults in vocational skills i.e. carpentry, joinery, masonry, leatherwork, tannery and shoe-making, knitting and garment making at certificate level. General rehabilitation for the visually impaired forms another training component which includes: Orientation & Mobility, Braille, skills for independent living. The Institute works closely with N.G.O's.
More you will find in the News-Archive
Book-tap:
Mein langer Lauf ins Licht The fastest blind man in the world tells the amazing story of his life. |
