East Trail Sports Series Ltd successfully pre-launched the Kilimambogo Trail Marathon with a vibrant 5K Trail Run and conservation initiative that brought together over 300 participants for a day of entertainment, fitness, environmental stewardship and community engagement.
The day began at Donyo Bridge, where participants, alongside officers from the Kenya Forest Service, Matungulu Constituemcy, conducted a River Athi clean-up and riparian tree planting with indigenous tree seedlings donated by Kenya Forest Service, Machakos County. Seedballs Kenya also supported the initiative by providing indigenous seedballs for ecological restoration.
The conservation exercise aims to establish natural buffer zones against plastic waste and debris while improving water detoxification downstream, enhancing water safety for domestic use, agriculture and aquatic ecosystems.
“People can only protect what the love and our intention is while participants experience nature trails, breathtaking landscapes in the presence of ecological threats then they can appreciate and be part of our cause, said Event Director, Steven Mutinda.
Activities then shifted to Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park, where participants enjoyed energetic warm-up and dance sessions before the 5K Trail Run was officially flagged off. The race was led by Kibo Africa EV Motorcycles as pace vehicles, alongside Rocky Driving School, the event’s road safety partner.
Media partner Star Times supported the Kilimambogo Marathon Prelaunch through extensive media coverage and branding, including the start arc and ground branding, which gave the event strong visibility and professional appeal.
Participants of the Kilimambogo Trail Marathon carrying our riparian tree planting at the Donyo Bridge with officers from Kenya Forest Service , Mataungulu on 18th July, 2026
In the men’s race, Kennedy Mutuku claimed victory after clocking an impressive 14:43, ahead of Caleb Kivindyo in second place and Edward Maina in third.
The women’s category was dominated by Rose Nduta and Rose Muthue of St. John Katulye Senior School, Machakos, who secured first and second positions respectively, while Nyawira completed the podium with a commendable third-place finish.
Following the race, participants and corporate partners gathered at Ol Donyo Sabuk Resort for a networking luncheon and celebration. The afternoon featured music, dance, team-building activities and entertainment facilitated by Sukuma Group and PaRi. Del Monte Kenya refreshed participants with canned pineapple products after the race.
The successful pre-launch marks the beginning of the build-up to the Kilimambogo Trail Marathon, East Trail Sports Series Ltd’s signature annual event on 29th August, 2026 which will feature competitive 10K and 21K trail races across the scenic and challenging trails of Kilimambogo Mountain.
Kenya hosts multiple road races, but the Kilimambogo Trail Marathon has the opportunity to stand out as a premier trail marathon in East Africa owing to its elevation gain of 916M. It favorably competes among recognizable trails such as Tinderet Trails (600M). This is a unique opportunity for trail runners in Kenya to participate in future would be certified trail courses, accumulating points that open chances for invites to global trail marathons.
The event reaffirmed East Trail Sports Series Ltd’s commitment to promoting wellness, talent and sustainable environmental conservation in community-driven outdoor experiences that combine endurance sport with authentic experience.