In the village of Iten, Kenya, the Shoe4Africa Leppin 5km women’s race to promote Aids Awareness will be held, in conjunction with a 2km health walk on the 16 December.

The star, Dr. Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards) of the American TV drama E.R. will be starting the event that has to date signed up 2100 entrants. The idea is to inspire the TV couch potatoes to attend the event, to see their idol.  “It is not every day a megastar turns up in a Kenyan village and Anthony (who played Nick Goose in Top Gun) is extremely well known in Kenya,” explained Shoe4Africa’s founder Toby Tanser.

“Paul Tergat, John Ngugi, Moses Kiptanui, and Tanui, Lornah Kiplagat, amongst many others will also be at the event to inspire, and ignite the imagination of the public at the festival.” 
 
The event, the fifth such race in Africa this year - a week later the last race of the year will be held in Karatu, Tanzania - is totally free to enter. All runners and walkers will get a free T shirt, a chance to win many prizes in an extensive raffle, there is over $4500 in prize monies, and a computer will be awarded to the school with the most entrants. AMPATH, The Academic Model for the Prevention and Treatment of HIV/AIDS will be present with a caravan for testing and AIDS information as the race’s primary goal is to promote Aids Awareness through sports. 

The health walk will be started by Kenya’s sole 2004 Olympic 3000m Steeplechase champion Ezekiel Kemboi, who has helped with previous Shoe4Africa events, and the walkers (including over thirty HIV/AIDS positive women) will listen to inspirational speeches from Phyllis Keino, the woman who started the Kip Keino Orphanage and now runs the Lewa Orphanage, and Susan Sirma who won Kenya’s first women’s World Championship track and field medal (1991 bronze, 3000m).

When not organizing races Shoe4Africa Leppin collects used running shoes and sends them to needy African athletes; it was in this fashion Fabiano Joseph (World Half Marathon Champion 2005) and Samson Ramadan (2006 Commonwealth Games Marathon Champion) got their start in athletics, the charity also sponsors athletes for school fees, “As long as the educational institution agrees to add an Aids Awareness program to its curricula,”  said Tanser.
 
By an IAAF Correspondent