In March 2014, nine children from Maisha and 11 mothers and daughters from Oklahoma tightened the laces on their running shoes and participated in the Rift Valley Marathon in Eldoret, Kenya. After running in the marathon, the children became inspired to create a race of their own.
This year, at 7:30 a.m. on July 18, Maisha will host the second annual Run for Life Maisha Marathon.
Several groups of children from Maisha have formed relay teams and will participate in the 13.1 — mile course. Maisha also hopes to attract many outside guests from the surrounding community.
Individuals from all over the globe are encouraged to attend to race against some of the top runners in the world by competing in the half marathon. Four person relay teams can register to run in 3.26 miles each.
Prizes will be given for first, second and third place marathon winners, as well as the relay winner.
In addition to the marathon, smaller competitions like the high jump and long jump will be integrated into the event.
Those who may not enjoy running are still invited to attend the Run for Life Marathon to see local entertainment and hear the Light the Future Choir perform.
A new tour package has been added from those who wish to travel to Kenya for the race. The tour will last from July 15 through July 22 and includes a guided tour of Kisumu, a tour of the Maisha Project in both the Nyalenda slums and the village, a three day safari at Masai Mara Game Park, a pasta party and much more.
The cost is $1,600 per person excluding airfare and race registration. The tour can be booked by contacting Cody Lawson at maishamarathon@gmail.com or our Oklahoma City office by phone at 405-445-3440.
Registration for the race is $100 for an individual and $200 for a four-person relay team ($50 per person) and can be completed online.
Proceeds from the race will go towards building the girls and boys dorms at the Maisha Academy.
For more information and to register for the race, visit http://runforlifemarathon.org/.
