Jelimo eyes comeback at Kaptagat's 4th Cycling challenge

The accomplished cyclist heads into Saturday's race determined to write another memorable chapter in her Kaptagat story after winning the women's title in 2025. 

Her triumph came a year after settling for third place in 2024, a result that only fueled her determination to return stronger.

Jelimo, however, says the Kaptagat Cycling Challenge is about far more than crossing the finish line first. "I was so emotional as I crossed the finish line, hearing my family shouting. I was also happy because this challenge is not just a race. It is an impact race, to remember the Kaptagat Forest and to plant trees for our environment."

That spirit of purpose continues to define one of Kenya's most unique cycling events, where every pedal stroke champions the restoration of one of the country's most critical ecosystems.

This year's challenge, themed "Restore, Sustain and Transform," coincides with a decade of conservation achievements under the Kaptagat Integrated Conservation Programme (Kaptagat-ICP). The landmark event is set for Saturday and will kick off at Kaptagat Farm Resort.

Cyclists from Kenya and neighbouring countries will battle over the demanding 80-kilometre course across elite, para-cycling, junior, veteran and team categories, with winners taking home Ksh 200,000.

Yet beyond the prize money and podium celebrations lies a bigger victory.

The race has become a powerful platform for protecting the Kaptagat Forest ecosystem, a vital section of the Cherangani Hills Water Tower that sustains millions of people through rivers feeding the Lake Victoria and Lake Turkana basins. 

Stretching across more than 120,000 hectares of protected forest and an extensive buffer zone, the ecosystem is crucial for biodiversity, water security and climate resilience.

Since its establishment in 2017 by Dr. Chris Kiptoo, CBS, Patron, Kaptagat Integrated Conservation Programme, and Principal Secretary, The National Treasury, the conservation programme has transformed tree planting into a community-driven movement that links environmental protection with improved livelihoods through initiatives under the pillars of Pesa Mfukoni, Kawi Safi Nyumbani, Maji Nyumbani and Mazingira Safi.

"The Kaptagat Cycling Challenge is far more than a race. It is a celebration of purpose where sport, forest restoration and community livelihoods come together in one extraordinary experience. Every kilometer covered contributes to restoring the Kaptagat Forest, empowers the people who call it home, and inspires cyclists from across the country to give back to nature while experiencing one of the world's premier high-altitude training environments in the world,” says Dr Kiptoo.

As the peloton rolls through the breathtaking high-altitude forest, the battle for victory will unfold alongside a shared mission to restore one of Kenya's most important water towers.