Safaricom Plc said Emmanuel Ng’eno and Mbesa Kalondu won the men’s and women’s 21km races at the third edition of the Safaricom CEO Run held on Saturday at Karura Forest in Nairobi, as the telco steps up activity around conservation fundraising ahead of the Lewa Safari Marathon slated for June 27 at Lewa Conservancy in Isiolo County.

In a press release dated June 13, 2026, Safaricom said Ng’eno won the men’s 21km half-marathon in 1:24:47, ahead of Khamza Ahmed (1:40:59) and Antony Mwasaru (1:50:02). In the women’s race, Safaricom said Kalondu finished first in 2:08:11, with Shashu Damaris second (2:08:15) and Zion Versity third (2:09:35).

Safaricom said the Karura event attracted more than 500 participants, including staff, customers, running communities and corporate teams, and was organised in partnership with conservation charity Tusk to support fundraising for Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.

Kenyan corporates have increasingly used sporting events to mobilise brand communities and fundraise for social and environmental programmes, with runs and marathons becoming a recurring platform for corporate partnerships. For Safaricom, the CEO Run sits within a longer-running association with the Lewa Safari Marathon, which channels proceeds into conservation and community development initiatives at Lewa.

Ng’eno, the men’s winner, linked his participation to the event’s conservation purpose. “This is a special win for me, especially as it was my first time participating in the Safaricom CEO Run. While the course was challenging, it was rewarding to be part of an event that brings people together in support of a meaningful cause,” said Emmanuel Ng’eno, according to the press release.

Safaricom’s Group Chief People Officer Florence Nyokabi said participation remained strong in the third year at Karura Forest. “Today’s event was a great success, with more than 500 participants taking part. This is our third year hosting the race at Karura Forest, and I would like to thank all our staff, partners and friends who turned out in large numbers to support this noble cause,” said Florence Nyokabi, Group Chief People Officer at Safaricom Plc.

Safaricom said the event had four categories: 21km, 15km, 10km and a 5km fun walk. It reported that Adam Ahmed and Violet Okoti won the 15km race in 1:08:29 and 1:34:36 respectively, while Joshua Mucha and Hudlyn Hagoi won the 10km in 40:27 and 1:02:51. Joe Mwaniki and Mikhala Barasa won the men’s and women’s 5km races, Safaricom said.

Lewa Conservancy’s Chief Programmes and Partnerships Officer John Kinoti said the Karura race supports momentum for the main marathon. “This event plays an important role in building momentum for the Lewa Safari Marathon while highlighting the impact of conservation efforts,” said John Kinoti, Chief Programmes and Partnerships Officer at Lewa Conservancy, adding that preparations were nearly complete and the conservancy was looking forward to welcoming over 1,400 participants on June 27.

Beyond the immediate sporting calendar, the CEO Run provides a snapshot of how Kenya’s largest listed telecom continues to connect staff engagement and partner participation to its environmental and community agenda, while also maintaining visibility around flagship CSR-linked events that attract corporate teams from institutions such as KCB, Huawei and Amref, as cited by Safaricom.

Safaricom said it has supported the Lewa Safari Marathon since inception and earlier in 2026 announced a KES 10 million contribution (KES 10 million) towards the 26th edition. It also said the 2026 Lewa Safari Marathon is expected to host 1,500 participants across the 42km full marathon, 21km half marathon, 10km race and 5km children’s race.