Kenyan first lady Margaret Kenyatta will join Rwandan first lady Jeannette Kagame on a seven kilometer track for a run to raise awareness for peace. The non-competitive lap is part of the 13th edition of the Kigali International Peace Marathon in Rwanda.
An estimated 6,000 athletes, diplomats and peace enthusiasts from various countries are expected to take part in the marathon, according to New Times.
The Kigali marathon is part of a major effort in the country's journey towards peace, healing and reconciliation after the 1994 Rwanda genocide, which saw 800,000 citizens killed within 100 days of ethnic cleansing.
The annual race is the only marathon in the world that promotes peace both in Rwanda and across borders.
The peace marathon takes place within the Kwibuka 23 period, which marks 23 years since the genocide. The period spans from April 7 to July 3 ahead of Rwanda's Liberation Day on July 4.
The winner of the 42 kilometer marathon will take home two million Rwandese francs (about 2,400 U.S. dollars) while the winner of the 21 kilometer race will get one million Rwandese francs (1,200 dollars).
This is the second time that both first ladies will be running together after the Rwandan president's wife joined her Kenyan counterpart for the Beyond Zero Half Marathon in Nairobi on March 6 last year, to raise money for health services.
