Supamamas’ sixth Women Run brings 1,000 women together for fitness, friendship and a powerful breast cancer awareness message
The Hub Karen turned into a sea of pink on Saturday as nearly 1,000 women laced up, showed up and moved with purpose for the PinkTober Women’s Run 2026, transforming a morning of fitness into a powerful celebration of sisterhood, wellness and breast cancer awareness.
Held at Decathlon, The Hub Karen, the sold-out event marked the sixth edition of Women Runs by Supamamas, a movement that has steadily grown from a simple idea of bringing women together into a vibrant community built around movement, connection and conversations that matter.
There was no pressure to be the fastest runner in the pack. Some participants ran, others walked, danced, laughed and caught up with friends. For many, the real finish line was simply showing up.
And this time, the message behind every kilometre was particularly important.
Coinciding with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the PinkTober edition brought women together to honour survivors, stand with those undergoing treatment, remember those who have lost their lives and recognise the families whose lives have been changed by cancer.
For Benda Kithaka, Executive Director of Kilele Health, the event offered an opportunity to take the cancer conversation beyond hospitals and into everyday spaces where communities live, work and socialise.
“Women need to take charge of their health,” Kithaka said, urging women to understand their risk factors, seek screening and overcome the fear often associated with cancer conversations.
His message was particularly stark against Kenya’s cancer burden, with breast cancer among the leading cancers affecting women in the country and thousands of new cases reported annually.
“The sad bit about breast cancer is that if we wait for the signs and symptoms, it may already have progressed,” he said, emphasising the importance of early detection and treatment.
For Kithaka, The Hub Karen proved more than a picturesque venue. Its accessible setting, sporting facilities and safe routes created an ideal environment for bringing health conversations directly into the community.
“Why not bring services closer to the people?” he asked, highlighting the opportunity to make health awareness and screening part of everyday community life.
The event also carried a deeply personal message from a breast cancer survivor who shared her journey through surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Now undergoing hormone therapy, she has channelled her experience into advocacy and is studying counselling psychology, hoping to support other survivors through the emotional challenges she experienced during treatment.
She believes events such as the PinkTober Run can make a critical difference by giving women information before a diagnosis changes their lives.
“If I had attended such an event and had the information earlier, I would have taken the initiative to go for screening,” she reflected.
That is precisely the spirit behind Supamamas, which began more than 15 years ago as a platform for women to connect, share experiences, and navigate the many dimensions of womanhood, motherhood, work, and wellness.
The first Women’s Only Run was introduced in July 2025, attracting about 400 women and officially flagged off by Hon. Millie Mabona Odhiambo. Since then, the movement has expanded through PinkTober, CelebrateHER, International Women’s Day, and Nairobi Women’s Run editions.
Six runs later, the numbers tell one part of the story. The deeper achievement is the conversation happening beyond the finish line.
At The Hub Karen, women were not simply running for a cause. They were running to make health conversations louder, screening less intimidating and sisterhood a little stronger.
This PinkTober, the message was simple: move your body, know your health, start the conversation, and never wait for October to care.
