This post was written by a combination of Five Talents staff and marathon runners.
Months of anticipation, long weekend runs and carb loading had brought us here - the start line of the inaugural Five Talents Impact Marathon! Against the beautiful backdrop of the worryingly steep tea plantations, the time had finally come! Running through Kericho with the locals cheering us on (or joining in) and monkeys raiding our water/banana stations was an incredible experience! One of our runners, Mahoo, wrote to us afterwards:
‘As a novice runner, the Kenya Impact Marathon provided a challenging, but undoubtedly memorable experience. The camaraderie, the laughs, the nerve-racking bus journeys, the never-ending spinach supply, the breath-taking sights over the Rift Valley – all helped to make the week one that I will never forget.
We were so warmly welcomed by the team in Kericho. Seeing the projects and hearing from Trust Group members really cemented my desire to cross the finish line, and support some really great work. I am very proud to say that I ran in the inaugural Five Talents Impact Marathon.’
But the running was just one part of this adventure. We were delighted to take everyone to visit our savings groups in rural Kericho and see for themselves how Five Talents’ work transforms local communities. Several of the team had never experienced anything like this and were genuinely inspired; Jamie reflected:
‘I found the event so tough - keeping going for 6 hours was in itself a gruelling endurance effort, let alone the totally new terrain and environment. Kenya just takes you in - a week passed so quickly, with a whole lot of standout experiences. Meeting a new savings group and hearing about their plans, and running alongside elite Kenyan athletes rank amongst the best of my time out there.’
Similarly, Margaret summed it up: ‘I felt privileged and humbled to be given such an amazing welcome... It was an unforgettable life changing experience. I’m still waking every morning in Kenya.’
It was unforgettable for us too. Spending the week in Kenya with so many of our amazing supporters, visiting our fledgling Kericho programme and running the race of a lifetime was definitely a highlight in our year. We brought back some incredible memories and photos, made new friends and raised over £40,000 - so next year we plan to do it all again!
If you or anyone you know would like to join the adventure of a lifetime, register your interest here.
