By OUR CORRESPONDENT
Betika has partnered with Athletics Kenya (AK) to sponsor the remainder of the 2024/2025 AK Series to a tune of Ksh 15 million in prize money.
This sponsorship covers the remaining legs of the Cross-Country Series and the entire 2024/2025 Track and Field Series all the way to the national championships for both events.
The announcement was made during a joint unveiling ceremony graced by the Betika Group CEO Mutua Mutava, Athletics Kenya President Lt. Gen (Rtd) Jackson Tuwei, and select athletes led by the reigning women’s marathon record holder Ruth Chepngetich in Nairobi on Monday, solidifying the company’s commitment to supporting athletics at all levels.
Following the sponsorship, the 2024/2025 series will now be referred to as the Betika AK Series and will culminate with the National Athletics Championship at Nyayo National Stadium in June next year.
Under the new partnership, the series will highlight a new prize money structure for the top ten finishes in the senior category, the U-20 category, and the 2KM loop during the National Cross-Country Championship.
Winners in the three categories will go home with Ksh150,000 for the senior category, Ksh100,000 for the U-20 category, and Ksh50,000 for the 2 KM Loop.
There will also be cash prizes for the top ten during the remaining Meets across the three categories. Winners in the senior category will receive Ksh 50,000 while those in the U-20 category will get Ksh 30,000 and Ksh 10,000 for the 2km loop.
The new sponsor will headline the “Road to Tokyo” campaign leading to the 2025 World Athletics Championship in Tokyo, a package that will include sponsorship of training camps and trial runs, ensuring athletes receive robust support as they prepare for the world stage.
Speaking at the unveiling, Betika Group CEO Mutua Mutava said: “This partnership is a testament to our continued support for Kenyan athletics. We have been in the athletics space for a while, sponsoring and holding different races and track and field events, and this collaboration gets us immersed fully in the sport.
Athletics has always been a source of pride for our nation, and we are honoured to play a pivotal role in nurturing talent and ensuring our athletes have every resource to excel on the world stage. We are particularly excited to be part of the Road to Tokyo, a journey embodying the dedication and excellence Kenyan athletes are known for. This sponsorship is specifically focused on providing prize money, further supporting our athletes’ hard work and achievements as they strive for greatness on the global stage”.
Further, as part of the partnership, AK will support the existing Betika races to ensure they are of high quality and attract top athletes. In the current AK calendar, three Betika-affiliated races remain including the Betika 15KM Nandi Road Race in Kapsabet set to take place in March 2025, the Betika Iten 15KM in May, and the Betika Uasin Gishu Half Marathon set for August 2025.
Athletics Kenya President Lt. Gen (Rtd) Jackson Tuwei expressed his enthusiasm for the continued partnership with Betika, highlighting the brand’s unwavering commitment to supporting athletics.
“We are excited to deepen our collaboration with Betika, a brand that has consistently demonstrated its dedication to sports and the athletes who make these success stories possible,” he said.
Tuwei added: “Having closely observed Betika’s involvement, especially their sponsorship of the first marathon in Iten in April 2022, we are confident that this partnership will have a lasting impact. As we look ahead to the Tokyo 2025 World Championships, their ongoing support, at every level, has been invaluable, and we are thrilled to see them engage with us at an even greater capacity.”
The partnership launch comes ahead of the next Cross-Country race, scheduled for this weekend on November 30th in Bomet, setting the tone for a series of exciting events under the new collaboration.
