Tropic Air 10to4 2024 Round-Up

(Posted 28th March 2024)

WELL DONE EVERYONE!

ANOTHER FABULOUS TROPIC AIR 10TO4 MOUNTAIN BIKE CHALLENGE!!

We can hardly believe that it’s six weeks since we were all having fun on the mountain! Conferences, annual leave and other commitments mean that we’re a little late in sharing our 2024 10to4 round-up, but better late than never……

HATS OFF TO 2024 10TO4 RIDERS!

ONCE AGAIN, MOUNT KENYA TRUST SAYS A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE AMAZING PEOPLE WHO HAVE HELPED TO RAISE VITAL FUNDS TO KEEP OUR WORK GOING FOR ANOTHER YEAR

It was wonderful to see old friends and new faces having a blast while supporting conservation over the 10to4 weekend – we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!

Now we’ve done the sums, we’re humbled to discover that competitors and event supporters gave us a whopping KSh 12.5m to play with, and even after deducting all the expenses associated with the event we had over KSh 9m left, which is an incredible

$70,000
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THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

If you haven’t already done so, please don’t forget to collect any sponsorship pledged by family and friends and transfer it using the details on the back of the MKT sponsorship form. We haven’t awarded the prize for the most sponsorship collected yet – it could be YOU!

With the money raised, Mount Kenya Trust can plant more trees, teach more children, support more ranger patrols, mend more fences, stop more illegal activities, provide more healthcare, reach more donors, fight more fires, offer more training, apply for more grants, work with more people, and generally do …

…. and this year’s winners!

2024 Rider Sponsorship Programme

A couple of those pictured above would not have been on the podium if it weren’t for a few generous competitors. With donations from them, we were able to offer a 75% discount on Race Fees for young Kenyan riders who would otherwise not have been able to afford to enter. Well done to Cate Kariuki (3rd Classic female), Antonino Kimathi (Slide), Farstalia Makena (5th girl Slide), Wycliffe Mutembei (Slide) and Gladys Nyawira (2nd Slide female), who did their sponsors proud!

(L-R) Sponsored riders Farstalia Makena, Wycliffe Mutembei and Antonino Kimathi, all from Hampton School, Nanyuki, ready for the off on Saturday morning!

We will be running the Rider Sponsorship Programme again next year so if you’d like to contribute or have someone to nominate, please do get in touch.

FEEDBACK PLEASE

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Last year, in response to conversations with competitors we launched what has become a new favourite – The Wild – and in 2024, by popular demand, we reviewed the minimum age for all adult Races and introduced the Saturday afternoon car collection service.

We really value your feedback because we want to make the annual Tropic Air 10to4 Mountain Bike Challenge the best weekend on the calendar, so please do let us know what you think. We pick up lots of useful comments on the WhatsApp group chat, and hope riders find that helpful too. But if you have something to say – good or bad – now that the event is over for the year, please do reply to this email.

For 2025, we’re already looking into ways we might revive the team challenge, and investigating how to improve the timing system for Saturday’s races. But if there’s anything else, let us know!

Big Shout Out!

Thank you first to our amazing hosts, Kisima Farm, Mount Kenya National Reserve, Ol Donyo Farm, Ngare Ndare Forest Reserve, and Borana Conservancy.

Rangers from KWS, KFS, Mount Kenya Trust, Ngare Ndare Forest Trust, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, and Borana Conservancy were on the route to keep an eye out for everyone en route with security from Kisima, Marania and Ol Donyo.

We also thank our loyal corporate sponsors and partners, as well as the new friends who have come on board this year. There are not words to thank Tropic Air who is not only our headline sponsor, but also provides aerial support for the entire weekend and beyond. The Tropic Air team is there for MKT whenever we need them, and behind the scenes, with no thought for publicity or gratitude, they do so much for conservation in the area.

This year we also welcome back Dormans as Platinum Plus Sponsor, and extend heartfelt thanks to Tropical Heat as the new sponsor of the Mini10to4, and to Braeburn Schools for once again supporting the children’s play area at BRV.

Thanks also go to The Abayomi and to the Safari Simbaz for making sure the the Mini 10to4 ran smoothly and safely, it’s always a pleasure to work with you all!

Another special thank you to our many water stop hosts and sponsors who helped us make 10to4 a single-use plastic free event once again; to Nanyuki Cottage Hospital for their excellent medical support which, thankfully, wasn’t too stretched this year; to Kenya Tents Ltd. who stepped in at the last minute to provide essential shelter for Race Control, the Information Point, and equipment storage; and to Ramco, who supplied 100 free event tee-shirts for route marshalls.

With over 40 supporters and partners to thank we can’t name each one individually but over the weekend and beyond their presence was all over our social media, in our digital programme, on our website, on the podium banner and, in some cases, on site. We are ever thankful to each and every one of them for their belief in this event and for getting involved in supporting the mountain.

As always, the final thank yous go out to the many volunteer route markers, starters, timers, result crunchers, camp managers, registration assistants, and runners who gave their time so generously. There’s no way we could have managed without their help – there are lots of them and we hope they know who they are and how much they’re appreciated. Thanks to our set-up teams, rangers and late night bike-droppers, to briefers, sweepers and medical coordinators, and to tent-erecters, rubbish-collectors and course inspectors – hugely well done to everyone, hope you had a great weekend too!