The Standard Chartered Marathon has achieved a milestone with 25,000 participants registering for this year’s event, marking the highest turnout in its history.
Peter Gitau, chairman of the local organizing committee, noted that this significant number reflects the event’s growing reputation.
“This year, we have 25,000 registered participants, the highest ever. With such a turnout, we can confidently say we are the biggest city marathon in the country. We are excited for the weekend and are well-prepared,” Gitau stated.
The competition promises to be fierce, with the prize pool increasing from last year’s Sh10.6 million to Sh12.9 million.
Second-place finishers in both the men’s and women’s 42km races will receive Sh1 million each, up from previous years’ awards.
Additionally, second and third place in the half marathon will earn Sh200,000 and Sh150,000, respectively, reflecting an increase of Sh50,000.
Gitau expressed optimism that this enhanced prize money will elevate the marathon’s status and attract elite athletes in the future.
“We hope this increase will draw more athletes to compete. As a World Athletics Road Label race, we will continue to review and potentially increase the prize amounts to match our status,” he said.
The marathon, taking place on the Southern Bypass, will result in road closures in various areas, including Gitaru in Kikuyu, the upper deck of the Ngong’ Road interchange, and the ICD-Ole Sereni Hotel towards Kikuyu.
“We will close these sections at 11:00 pm on Saturday and reopen them on Sunday at 1:00 pm. Our officers will be on-site to ensure everything runs smoothly. We have deployed 136 police officers for security and an additional 30 from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), along with 80 traffic police to manage the flow of traffic,” Superintendent Boniface Otieno, responsible for road traffic safety explained.
Southern Bypass will be closed.
The event schedule kicks off with the 21km wheelchair race at 5:45 am, followed by the full marathon at 6:00 am, the 21km run at 7:20 am, the 10km at 8:45 am, and the 5km at 10:00 am.
The marathon has been a staple event since its inception in 2003.
