By KPC Sports Correspondent
The fifth edition of the Barngetuny Mountain Run will serve as Kenya’s selection event for the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, organisers have announced.
The announcement was made during the launch of the 2026 Magical Kenya Mountain and Trail Series in Nairobi.
The Barngetuny Mountain Run will co-headline the opening leg of the series alongside the Taptengelei Cultural Festival and Trails Expedition.
The three-day event will take place from January 15 to 18 in Nandi County and is expected to attract thousands of runners and adventure tourism enthusiasts.
Speaking during the launch, Cabinet Secretary for Gender, Culture and Children Services Hanna Cheptumo called on tourism and athletics stakeholders to integrate cultural programming into competitive sports as a strategy for sustainable community development.
She said the Nandi programme demonstrates how adventure tourism can be strengthened when anchored in authentic cultural experiences.
“The three-day affair in Nandi County exemplifies how culture, sports and adventure tourism can be woven together to create holistic experiences that appeal to diverse audiences while delivering tangible community benefits,” Cheptumo said.
The Cabinet Secretary said cultural festivals should be viewed as economic platforms that support artisans, cultural practitioners and vendors, while also preserving intangible heritage.
She added that athletics in regions such as Nandi is closely linked to cultural identity and social structures that have historically nurtured discipline and excellence among young people.
More than 3,000 runners are expected to participate in the Barngetuny Mountain Run, with organisers projecting over 10,000 spectators.
Kenya Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer June Chepkemei said the Magical Kenya Mountain and Trail Series has evolved into a vehicle for community economic empowerment through heritage-based tourism.
“What we have built through this series is a platform where communities are not passive hosts but active participants whose cultural assets and athletic excellence become drivers of economic opportunity,” Chepkemei said.
Activities will begin on January 15 with mountain trail expeditions involving bicycles and off-road vehicles, traversing tea plantations, valleys and farmlands across Nandi and Uasin Gishu counties.
The Taptengelei Cultural Festival will be held on January 16, featuring traditional Kalenjin foods such as mursik, indigenous vegetables and millet, alongside demonstrations of traditional farming methods, cultural regalia, music and indigenous education systems.
The series will culminate on January 17 with the Tinderet Barngetuny Mountain Run.
Tinderet Member of Parliament Julius Melly said the event promotes economic growth while positioning the Rift Valley as a destination for cultural, sporting and adventure tourism.
Mountain running athlete Valentine Jepkoech, who finished fifth in last year’s edition, said the extended course in this year’s race will present a tougher test for competitors.
“I am aiming for position one. The extended course with more obstacles will attract international athletes who want to challenge Kenyan runners,” Jepkoech said.
The Magical Kenya Mountain and Trail Series is organised in collaboration with Athletics Kenya and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) as part of the Kenya Tourism Board’s broader strategy to integrate adventure tourism, cultural heritage and sustainability under the Magical Kenya Adventure Brand.