By Sports Reporter
Abraham Kiptum and Mercy Rotich won the men’s and women’s 42km races respectively at the 23rd Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon held on Sunday.
Nahason Kipsang and Orba Chemurgor claimed the men’s and women’s 21km half-marathon titles, while Alfred Kimani and Joy Cheptoyek won the 10km races.
Samuel Kuria and Mercyline Ajenjo emerged victorious in the men’s and women’s 21km wheelchair races.
The winners shared a total prize purse of Sh11.24 million, with the full marathon champions each receiving Sh2 million. Winners of the half-marathon and wheelchair races took home Sh300,000, while the 10km champions earned Sh200,000 each.
Winning teams in the Corporate Relay and Persons with Disabilities categories received Sh100,000 each.
The event attracted 30,700 participants from more than 100 nationalities, including over 400 elite athletes. It was supported by record sponsorship of Sh273 million, with runners competing along Nairobi’s Southern Bypass, which offers views of Nairobi National Park.
The marathon raised Sh76 million through registration fees, bringing the total amount raised since its inception to Sh596 million. All the funds raised this year will support community programmes backed by the Standard Chartered Foundation.
The foundation focuses on helping young people learn, earn and grow through education, employability and entrepreneurship initiatives. The programmes also seek to expand economic opportunities for women and persons with disabilities.
“Runners from more than 100 nationalities demonstrate sport’s power to connect people; the funds they help raise support young people to build skills, find employment and grow businesses through the Standard Chartered Foundation,” said Standard Chartered Kenya chief executive Birju Sanghrajka.
He said the marathon brought people together while creating opportunities that extend beyond race day.
Organisers also introduced measures to improve the experience of participants, including 19 hydration stations, mobile bicycle medical teams, muscle relief stations, enhanced post-race recovery services and downloadable digital finisher certificates.
Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon Local Organising Committee chairman David Mwindi said the organisers prioritised accurate timing, medical care, hydration and recovery services to meet the needs of both elite and recreational runners.
The race’s World Athletics Road Race Label reflects standards covering course measurement, timing, medical support and anti-doping procedures, according to the organisers.
Selected top finishers underwent anti-doping tests in collaboration with the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya, in line with race regulations.
The organisers also incorporated environmental measures into the event, with every finisher receiving a tree seedling to plant as part of a target to plant 40,000 trees in partnership with Nairobi City County. Other initiatives included waste segregation, recycling and efforts to reduce single-use plastics.
Women accounted for 51.5 per cent of registrations, with 15,796 participants compared with 14,904 men, representing 48.5 per cent of the total.
Millennials made up the largest age group, accounting for 15,544 registrations, or 50.6 per cent. Generation Z contributed 10,175 registrations, followed by Generation X with 3,782 and Generation Alpha with 920. Overall, 86 per cent of registered participants were aged 45 and below.
Registration closed in July after more than 30,700 entries filled the available slots, months before race day, reflecting strong demand for the annual event.
