Emmanuel Ng’eno crosses the finish line to win the 21km men’s half marathon during the third edition of the Safaricom CEO Run held at Karura Forest, Nairobi/HANDOUT
Emmanuel Ng'eno and Mbesa Kalondu emerged the standout performers at the third edition of the Safaricom CEO Run after winning the men's and women's 21km titles respectively at Karura Forest.
More than 500 runners turned out in a key build-up event to the 2026 Lewa Safari Marathon.
Ng'eno crossed the finish line in 1:24:47 to clinch the men's half marathon title ahead of Khamza Ahmed, who posted 1:40:59 and Antony Mwasaru, who finished third in 1:50:02.
In the women's race, Kalondu clocked 2:08:11 to edge Shashu Damaris, who finished four seconds later in 2:08:15, while Zion Versity completed the podium positions in 2:09:35.
The event, organised by Safaricom in partnership with Tusk, attracted participants from running communities, corporate organisations and conservation partners.
The race served as part of preparations for the Lewa Safari Marathon scheduled for June 27 in Isiolo County.
Ng'eno described the win as special, noting that it was his first appearance at the event.
"This is a special win for me, especially as it was my first time participating in the Safaricom CEO Run. While the course was challenging, it was rewarding to be part of an event that brings people together in support of a meaningful cause," said Ng'eno.
Adam Ahmed and Violet Okoti claimed the men's and women's 15km crowns after clocking 1:08:29 and 1:34:36 respectively, while Joshua Mucha and Hudlyn Hagoi topped the 10km category in times of 40:27 and 1:02:51.
Joe Mwaniki and Mikhala Barasa completed the list of winners after triumphing in the men's and women's 5km races respectively.
Participants competed across the 21km, 15km, 10km and 5km categories, with corporate teams from organisations including Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Huawei, Amref and KCB joining Safaricom staff and customers in the fundraising initiative.
Safaricom Group Chief People Officer Florence Nyokabi hailed the turnout, saying the growing participation continued to strengthen the event's conservation impact.
"Today's event was a great success, with more than 500 participants taking part. This is our third year hosting the race at Karura Forest and the positive impact we have witnessed over the years continues to inspire us to strengthen our commitment to conservation and community development," said Nyokabi.
Lewa Conservancy Chief Programmes and Partnerships Officer John Kinoti said the race had helped build momentum towards this year's Lewa Safari Marathon.
"This event plays an important role in building momentum for the Lewa Safari Marathon while highlighting the impact of conservation efforts. With preparations nearly complete, we look forward to welcoming over 1,400 participants to Lewa on June 27," said Kinoti.
The annual Safaricom CEO Run raises funds for conservation and community development initiatives at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and also features the Lions of Lewa, a team of Safaricom employees who champion wildlife conservation fundraising efforts.
Earlier this year, Safaricom committed Sh10 million towards the 26th edition of the Lewa Safari Marathon.
It is expected to attract about 1,500 participants competing in the 42km marathon, 21km half marathon, 10km race and 5km children's race at Lewa Conservancy on June 27.
