A look into Mozzart Bet Chemususu Dam Half Marathon's nine-year history

Since its inception back in 2014, the Mozzart Bet Chemususu Dam Half Marathon has grown into a significant annual event with a purpose far beyond the finish line.

The marathon celebrates its ninth edition on Saturday 16 November in Baringo, Eldama Ravine County.

What began as a small local project has grown into a fixture in Kenya’s athletics calendar, merging sport with impactful community outreach.

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Mozzart Sport caught up with the race director Matthew Birir who was in awe of the marathon’s growth.

When Birir stepped off the track in 2008, he was determined to channel his passion and energy into meaningful change. At the same time, the European Union (EU) was exploring options for a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative in the area, aligning perfectly with Birir's vision.

Having made connections in Europe during his athletics career, he seized the opportunity, collaborating with EU representatives to develop a program that would become a transformative community project.

“Initially, it was not a marathon. It was a way of giving back to the community by conserving the environment, sustainable agriculture, and literacy experiences in Mt. Kenya, Kisumu, etc,” he started.

“So, in 2010, the European Union told me that they were willing to give me a grant, but it had to go through a proposal. We formed a committee, and we raised a proposal.

We were supported by the Kenya Forestry Service, NEMA, Ministry of Agriculture, and Ministry of Water. We had nine community members and four government agencies,” he continued.

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The primary focus of the initiative was the conservation of the Chemususu Dam, a vital water source that was threatened by human activities in the surrounding area. Birir and his team were determined to protect it from degradation.

“According to the constitution, the community in terms of management, can manage the forest together with KFS. We looked for consultants and wrote the management plan and proposal. That document was done in one year,” he told Mozzart Sport.

With funding secured, Birir and his team got to work, launching initiatives that would profoundly impact the community.

Over six-month phases, they rolled out programs focused on digital agriculture education, literacy activities, and healthcare, including medical cover for vulnerable residents. The initiative also extended support to local families by covering school fees for underprivileged children, among other community services.

“The EU gave us 21 million to run the program. We did it in quotas of six months each until 2014 when the money was finished. We had officials from the Ministry of Water audit the project at the end of it, and when they were satisfied, we were given certificates of completion and I was the chairman,” he revealed.

The program officially ended in 2014 when EU funding ran out, but Birir and his team felt a strong urge to keep their impactful work alive. That is when they devised a creative solution: the Chemususu Dam Half Marathon.

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“When they left (in 2014), we had to sustain the program, that is why we started the marathon,” he explained.

Over the years, the marathon has helped sustain tree-planting campaigns, raised community awareness of environmental conservation, and offered agricultural training and medical cover among other success stories.

This year, an agricultural training session is set for Thursday 14 November just a day before the marathon.

Looking back, Birir could not be prouder of what the program has achieved over the years.

“So far, we can say that we have surpassed our targets. The projects we started with the EU are still there and we have done more.

The success stories include planting trees, reaching out to people, creating awareness on taking care of the environment, we gave the community a sense of belonging by watching the marathon, agricultural training, medical cover, etc,” he concluded.

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Antony Kipchirchir and Catherine Reline emerged as the champions of the 2023 edition. Kipchirchir claimed the men's title with an impressive time of 1:03.35, while Reline won the women’s race in 1:12.18. They were awarded Ksh250,000 each.