Absa Bank Kenya names Eliud Kipchoge its Official World Tour Financial Partner

Absa Bank Kenya Plc has signed Eliud Kipchoge, the two-time Olympic marathon champion, as its Official World Tour Financial Partner, the Kenyan news website Kenya Today and the technology news site TechMoran reported on 13 October.

The Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) reported on 14 October that the signing took place at a ceremony in Nairobi. Kenya Today reported that the bank did not disclose the financial terms or specific commercial targets.

According to Kenya Today, the partnership will include customer experiences, leadership conversations, digital storytelling, wellness initiatives and community programmes for customers, entrepreneurs and businesses across Absa's Pan-African footprint. Kenya Today and TechMoran both reported that Absa Group operates in 12 African countries.

"Eliud Kipchoge's achievements extend beyond sport. He embodies possibility beyond limits," Yusuf Omari, managing director and chief executive of Absa Bank Kenya, said, as quoted by KBC.

"Success is never achieved alone," Kipchoge said, as quoted by KBC. The broadcaster reported that he said he was proud to call Absa his partner and to have its support as he runs seven marathons on seven continents, and that he was a long-time Absa customer whose trust in the bank went back many years. Kenya Today reported that he said his relationship with the bank predated the deal.

Kipchoge, 41, plans to compete in seven marathons on seven continents over the next two years, KBC reported. He has run three of them. He finished 16th at the Cape Town Marathon in South Africa on 24 May and 12th at the Porto Alegre Marathon in Brazil, KBC reported. He won the Melbourne Marathon in Australia on 11 October, his third race of the tour, according to KBC and Al Jazeera. Kenya Today and TechMoran reported that he won in Melbourne in a course record of 2:09:10, his first marathon win since 2023.

The tour has a fundraising target of US$1 million for the Eliud Kipchoge Foundation, KBC reported. The broadcaster said the foundation aims to give all children in the world access to knowledge and education.