Amazing Maasai Marathon

- Amazing Maasai Ultra Marathon enters its 3rd year, offering the opportunity to run with the Maasai through the remote communities of Mt. Kenya Region. - Run 21km, 42km, or the ultra 75km on 28 September 2013. - Fundraising for Maasai girls’ education: the 2012 event raised 36,000 USD for scholarships, changing the lives of girls who couldn’t otherwise go to school. - Early-bird race + travel packages on www.amazingmaasaiultra.org until 1 May. Nairobi (5 March 2013) – Registrations are now open for Year 3 of the Amazing Maasai Ultra marathon, to be held in Laikipia North on 28 September. Runners from across Europe, Asia and the US are set to gather again in the foothills of Mt. Kenya for this unique running challenge and to experience life in the African bush. The 6-night race package option includes game drives, walking safaris, traditional Maasai village tours & performances. Weekend packages are also available. Credit : Amazing Maasai Ultra “The run takes place in a very remote area, far off the tourist trails”, explain race directors Sarah Edson and Molly Fitzpatrick. Vast African vistas are the backdrop and a very special Maasai community is your host – it is truly a week of cultural, personal, and environmental exploration. “Last year we had a wide range of participants, including a team from the British Army, a Canadian TV crew, and even a 13-year old running the marathon to raise money for cancer research. What makes the race so unique though, is the participation of the local runners, who have such natural talent – it’s incredible to witness them all in action.” says Edson. Patrolled by wildlife scouts The race in the Laikipia North area is challenging. Runners need to acclimatize to an elevation of 1,800m. The course follows unsealed roads and paths in the bush terrain, with long hills, flat bush lands, and rolling countryside. Edson explains: “Since there is wildlife in the area, the course is patrolled by highly-experienced professional scouts, who track the animals and their movements and ensure the complete safety of our runners.” Besides the 75km ultra marathon and the 42km marathon distance, runners and walkers can also sign-up for a 21km half marathon. It is possible also to join for the race for just the weekend package. Adventure-seeking runners can make use of the reduced early-bird package prices until 1 May on www.amazingmaasaiultra.org. High school scholarships for Maasai girls All proceeds of the event are used to fund scholarships for local Maasai girls through the Amazing Maasai Girls Project, a non-profit US organization founded by the event organizers. “In the past two years, we have been able to raise 60,000 USD and are now financing 4-year high school scholarships for 30 bright girls who would not be able to afford school otherwise. We are aiming to continue our efforts this year, to give more girls a secondary education and empower them to be independent young women with their own voices”, outlines Molly Fitzpatrick.

79 international runners challenged 190 Maasai athletes over 75km, 42km and 21km in the Amazing Maasai Ultra. More than $36,000 USD raised for Maasai girls’ secondary education. Early bird travel packages for 2013, with 6-night program including Maasai village tour and game drives, will be available from December 1, 2012 on www.amazingmaasaiultra.org. Kenya (October 25, 2012) – 79 international runners last month joined 190 Maasai, the world’s most naturally talented endurance athletes, for Year 2 of Kenya’s first and only ultra-marathon. Stretching 75km across north-west Kenya’s open bush tracks, past grazing camels and zebras, and through Maasai villages standing at an altitude of 2,000m, The Amazing Maasai Ultra is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for runners of all standards looking for a unique African adventure. In a dress and barefoot: raw running talent Credit : Nicha ArkIn accurate reflection of the event’s name, amazing achievements were seen from its runners this year. Kairuki Daniel blazed into first place in the hilly, high-altitude 42km marathon with a stunning time of 2:25:31, while Victor Wachira Miano completed the 75km ultra marathon in the record time of 4:57:07. The winner of the 21km race was Maasai local Lotarakwai Kekurusi, who stormed in at 1:15:24, and 15-year old Samina Lekilit, who ran in a dress and barefoot, won the women’s half marathon in just 1:43:00. Amongst the international runners, 13-year-old American Winter Vinecki placed third in the women’s marathon, a fantastic achievement undertaken to help spread awareness of prostate cancer, which took her father’s life, and raise funds for its research. For the international runners, the challenge was not to keep pace with their lighting fast Kenyan counterparts, but to complete this demanding, hilly course in the African wilderness during the 12-hours of daylight available before the cut-off time. Military-trained scouts from Kenya Wildlife Service tracked local wildlife throughout the race, ensuring the complete safety of runners. As they acclimatized to the altitude in the days before the race, international runners visited local schools and Maasai villages, danced with Maasai warriors and experienced a game drive and guided safari walks. Amazing Girls Project Credit : Paul ArkThe charity run raised $36,000 USD for the Amazing Maasai Girls Project, founded by the race directors to support Maasai girls’ education. “The girls who receive our 4-year scholarships from the charity will be selected over the next three months, with criterea based on their primary school exam results, a written application and interview. They will then start high school in January 2013“, explained race directors, Molly Fitzpatrick and Sarah Edson. Last year, $25,000 USD was raised from the race, which covered scholarships for 20 bright but disadvantaged girls from the area of the race. “In many of the Maasai villages here, girls are forced to get married at a very early age – sometimes as young as 13 or 14. We want to give more girls the chance to get a secondary education, empowering them to find employment and independence as adults”, said Edson. The third annual Amazing Maasai Ultra is scheduled to take place in the last week of September 2013. Early bird travel packages from December 1, 2012 on www.amazingmaasaiultra.org.

Credit : Amazing Maasai Ultra Only a few spots are left for the 2nd Assured Alliance Amazing Maasai Ultra marathon (Sat. September 29, 2012) Adventure-seeking runners challenge the local Maasai in a 21km, 42km and 75km ultra distance race across the high-altitude plains of Kenya Favourable prices for the six-night travel package, including game drive, guided walking safari, Maasai village tours and more, until July 31 on www.amazingmaasaiultra.org. All proceeds of the event go directly to support education projects for Maasai girls. Last year’s event raised enough to sponsor 20 Maasai girls through high-school. Nairobi (July 5, 2012) – In just less than three months, on Saturday September 29, adventure-seeking runners from across Europe, Asia and the States will take on the world’s most naturally gifted endurance athletes, running with the Maasai in the second edition of the Assured Alliance Amazing Maasai Ultra. The whole event is truly remarkable: in Kenya’s only ultra-marathon, the fastest runners take home prize live cows and goats. The race course is set in Maasai community lands not far from mighty Mount Kenya. In the days before the marathon, during Race Week (September 24-30th), international participants enjoy game drives and walking safaris, visit Maasai villages and explore the unique local culture. “The Assured Alliance Amazing Maasai Ultra is not only a race. It brings cultures together; it is a whole week of exploration and adventure. All of this makes it a once-in-a-lifetime experience”, say race directors Sarah Edson and Molly Fitzpatrick. Only few spots left: register now! Only few spots are left for the six-night “Safari + Race” package. International runners can register on the race website www.amazingmaasaiultra.org. There are the 21km, 42km, and 75km ultra distance options, but all races are physically challenging. Participants need to adjust to the altitude of 1,600 meters above sea level, while the course itself follows trails and open dirt roads, up sloping hills and through flat bush lands. For expats and tourists in East Africa, it is also possible to join just for the weekend of the race (2 nights, September 28-29th). High school scholarships for Maasai girls All proceeds of the event go directly to funding scholarships for local Maasai girls through the Amazing Maasai Girls Project, a non-profit organization registered in the USA and founded by the event organizers. “Last year, we were able to raise 25,000 USD and are now financing 4-year high school scholarships for 20 bright girls who would not be able to afford school otherwise. This year’s goal is to raise even more, to press ahead and get more girls into high school”, outlines Molly Fitzpatrick.