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Kaptagat Forest Run (2024–2026)

Updated: Jul 23

Kaptagat Forest Run

Sports-Led Environmental Conservation

The Kaptagat Forest Run has rapidly evolved from a regional conservation race into one of Kenya's most innovative sports-for-environment initiatives. Organized as part of the Kaptagat Integrated Conservation Programme (KICP), the event combines competitive running with ecosystem restoration, community development and climate action.

Kaptagat Forest Marathon

Between 2024 and 2026, the event experienced remarkable growth in participation, race offerings, organizational capacity and national recognition. During this period, Golazo Right Here (Golazo Kenya) became the technical event delivery partner, applying international mass participation event management standards while helping position the race as one of Kenya's premier conservation sporting events.

Summary of Past Events


The 2024 Kaptagat Forest Run introduced a 21km Half Marathon, designed to encourage healthy lifestyles while raising awareness of the importance of protecting the Kaptagat Forest ecosystem.

The race formed part of the annual Kaptagat Integrated Conservation Programme, whose broader mission is restoring one of Kenya's most important water towers through community participation, tree planting and sustainable livelihoods.


Key Highlights

  • Launch of the 21km race

  • Conservation awareness as the primary objective

  • Community participation alongside elite athletes

  • Integration into the annual KICP conservation programme

  • Increased visibility of sports as a conservation tool


The event demonstrated that running could become more than competition—it could become a platform for environmental advocacy.


By 2025, the Kaptagat Forest Run had matured into a professionally managed mass participation event.

This marked the beginning of Golazo Right Here's significant operational involvement.

Golazo Kenya provided expertise across nearly every aspect of event delivery, including:


  • Event branding

  • Public relations

  • Race logistics

  • Athlete experience

  • Community engagement

  • Hospitality

  • Sponsor activation

  • Sustainability messaging

  • Race operations

  • Partner coordination


Their approach mirrored international best practices used in large-scale road races while maintaining the event's unique conservation identity.

Instead of presenting the event as simply another road race, Golazo positioned it around the message:


Every kilometre contributes to protecting Kenya's forests.

The professional organization significantly strengthened the event's credibility among sponsors, athletes and media while improving participant experience.


The 2026 edition represented the biggest transformation in the event's history.

Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Kaptagat Integrated Conservation Programme, organizers expanded the race into a full marathon festival under the campaign:



10 to 20: Restore. Sustain. Transform.

Several milestones were achieved.


Introduction of the Marathon

For the first time, the event introduced a 42km Marathon, joining the existing:


  • 21km Half Marathon

  • 10km Race

  • 5km Fun Run


This positioned Kaptagat among Kenya's growing portfolio of destination running events while leveraging the region's reputation as one of the world's premier high-altitude training environments.


Record Participation

The event reached unprecedented demand.


  • 3,000 registration slots sold out.

  • 2,144 runners officially started across all distances.

  • Participants received electronic timing chips, official race shirts and finisher medals.

  • More than 11,000 bottles of water and 3,500 bananas supported athlete welfare.


The event illustrated growing public interest in combining fitness with environmental stewardship.


National Visibility

The 2026 edition attracted senior government leaders, conservation agencies, development partners and corporate sponsors.

The race became one of the flagship activities within the broader KICP celebrations, reinforcing the programme's contribution to Kenya's target of planting 15 billion trees by 2032.


Our Role

Between 2025 and 2026, Golazo Right Here played a central role in transforming the Kaptagat Forest Run into a professionally managed destination event.

Its contribution extended beyond race-day logistics.


Insights from the 3 Years


Golazo helped position the event as a Sports for Conservation platform rather than simply a competitive race.

The focus shifted toward:

  • conservation storytelling

  • community participation

  • destination promotion

  • sustainability

  • corporate partnerships


Golazo supported:

  • Race planning

  • Registration systems

  • Athlete services

  • Branding and signage

  • Media coordination

  • Public relations

  • Operational logistics

  • Hospitality management

  • Partner engagement

  • Volunteer coordination

These improvements enhanced operational efficiency and participant satisfaction while strengthening sponsor confidence.


Looking Ahead

From 2024 to 2026, the Kaptagat Forest Run evolved from a conservation-focused half marathon into a nationally recognized marathon festival with growing international potential.

Supported by the Kaptagat Integrated Conservation Programme and strengthened through the professional event management expertise of Golazo Right Here, the event has established a unique model where sport serves as a catalyst for environmental restoration, community empowerment and sustainable development.

As Kenya continues to invest in conservation and sports tourism, the Kaptagat Forest Run is well positioned to become one of Africa's leading examples of how mass participation sporting events can generate measurable environmental, social and economic impact while inspiring collective action to protect natural ecosystems.


Sources & References

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