Safaricom has announced that it is offering support to Eliud Kipchoge as he seeks to make history by running a full marathon under 2 hours in Vienna.
The partnership will see Kipchoge becoming M-PESA’s brand ambassador, where he will champion the service’s capability of empowering Kenyans to send and receive money both in the country and across the world. The company has also rebranded, over a period of seven days to Eliud 1:59 to commemorate the upcoming challenge.
The company will also provide a free YouTube bundle on the day of Kipchoge’s race which is scheduled for Saturday 12th October. From 8 AM to 4 PM, all Safaricom customers can stream the race live on their phones at no cost. The bundle can be accessed by dialling *159# upon which a customer will receive a free YouTube bundle, allowing them to stream the entire race at no cost.
“We are honoured to renew our commitment with Eliud Kipchoge and to support him as he races against time. As part of our support, we will be empowering any Kenyan across the country to stream the challenge for free, wherever they are, with the advantage of our strong network and wide coverage. For every Kenyan, Kipchoge is a reflection of our resilience and determination as he has taken on challenge after challenge,” said Michael Joseph, CEO, Safaricom.
To rally Kenyans in their support for Kipchoge, Safaricom will enable all its customers to send free messages voicing their support for the athlete during the race by sending a text to 159. The messages will be displayed live on broadcast TV feeds during the race.
Kipchoge’s partnership with Safaricom dates back to 2017 when the company launched its Twaweza brand campaign with the marathoner taking the role of brand ambassador.
The INEOS 1:59 Challenge is Eliud Kipchoge’s historic attempt to make history and become the first person ever to run a marathon in under two hours. It is scheduled to take place on Saturday 12th October in Vienna, Austria. The event will be broadcast on TV in more than 200 territories across the world and streamed globally on YouTube and on ineos159challenge.com.