His widow Trizah Njeri led family, relatives, friends and scores of athletes in marking the occasion in a gathering where his mother, Anne Wanjiru was conspicuously absent in a sombre celebration that was in sharp contrast with the publicity blitz that greeted the stunning news of his death 12-months ago.

"To this day, we are still affected by his death and I'm grateful to all for being here today to celebrate this day.

"I'm urge you to keep praying and whatever you earn, invest it wisely since you cannot tell the future and those who make it should assist the upcoming runners," Njeri said while addressing the runners at Nyahururu Stadium.

Earlier on, athletes drawn from Nyahururu held a brief prayer meeting led by Pastor Charles Maina of the Nakuru's Faith and Miracle Church and observed a moment of silence in memory of the fallen hero.

His close friend and fellow runner, Daniel Gatheru, who was by his side when he breathed his last at Nyahururu District Hospital following a reported fall from the balcony of his Muthaiga Estate home, said the deep sense of loss had not lessened one year on.

His demise following a reported fall from the balcony of his Muthaiga Estate home in Nyahururu has since elicited all manner of conspiracies with Kenya Police, the unit he served still uncertain whether his death was a suicide, homicide, or accidental.

A commemoration ceremony is set to take place on Tuesday at his graveside at Gatimu village in Nyandarua West District where he was finally laid to rest amid huge downpour over a fortnight after he passed on.

Friends interviewed on the eve of the first anniversary of Wanjiru's demise are still to come to terms with the loss 12 months down the line, describing the twice Chicago Marathon champion as a generous person whose void will be hard to fill.

His recognised widow, Trizah Njeri, who has borne the brunt of the bitter tussle over Wanjiru's estate and suspicion over her role in the sequence of events that culminated in the Beijing gold medallist breathing his last described her departed spouse as the bedrock of their family.