Kenyan runner Abraham Kiptum won the men’s 42km race at the 2026 Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon on Sunday, October 25, clocking 2:10:35 to miss the course record by just 23 seconds.
The 37-year-old crossed the finish line at Uhuru Gardens after a strong performance on home soil, adding another major victory to his career following years away from competitive athletics.
Kiptum’s latest achievement comes after he won the men’s full marathon at the CRDB Bank International Marathon in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on August 16, 2026, in 2:15:33.
Speaking after his Nairobi victory, Kiptum said he was satisfied with his performance and credited his preparation for the result.
“Today’s race has been great, from the start to the finish line. Everything went well. I was well-prepared for this race,” he said.
The athlete added that he would focus on family matters before preparing for his upcoming races.
The Nairobi victory marks another milestone in Kiptum’s return to competitive running after a four-year ban imposed in 2019 over an anti-doping rule violation involving his Athlete Biological Passport.
The Athletics Integrity Unit imposed the suspension after abnormalities were detected in his biological passport. His results dating back to October 13, 2018, were disqualified, including the 58:18 half-marathon time he had recorded in Valencia, Spain, which had initially been recognised as a world record.
Before the ban, Kiptum had established himself among Kenya’s leading distance runners. He won the Daegu Marathon in South Korea in 2018 and finished third at the Amsterdam Marathon in 2017 in 2:05:26, which remains his personal best.
His return to competition has since included victories in road races as he rebuilds his career.
The Nairobi Marathon win gives him another opportunity to re-establish himself in the sport, with the experienced runner now looking ahead to future races.
Kiptum’s victory was among the highlights of the 2026 edition of the annual event, which brought together elite athletes and thousands of participants across different race categories.
The men’s and women’s full-marathon winners are each set to receive KSh2 million, according to reports on the event’s prize structure.
Mercy Kandie Rotich won the women’s 42km race, completing a successful day for Kenyan athletes in the country’s flagship road-running event.
