Brian Kurgat is confident of carrying his winning momentum into the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon 21km race on October 25 after storming to victory in the men’s half marathon race at Sunday’s Mombasa Satellite Run.
The Mombasa Satellite Run, which drew 1,000 participants is part of a series of events leading up to the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon, which is expected to attract 30,000 participants, including runners from more than 100 nationalities and over 400 elite athletes.
Kurgat used the Mombasa race as a valuable test of his pace and endurance ahead of the main event, which will be staged at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi
He believes the performance has given him a clear picture of where he stands in his preparations as he fine-tunes his training for the capital’s streets.
“Winning the 21km in Mombasa has given me a good indication of where I am in my preparation.”
”I was able to test my pace and endurance over the distance, and I now know what I need to work on before the Nairobi Marathon. My target is to build on this performance and improve my time when I race in Nairobi,” Kurgat said.
Meanwhile, Eusilah Jemeli claimed victory in the women’s 21km race.
The 1,000 runners during Sundays Satellite Run was a 25 per cent from the 800 who took part last year.
All three races; the 21km, 10km and 5km, started and finished at Mama Ngina Waterfront, with the routes taking participants through key parts of Mombasa, including Pandya Hospital, Fontanella Roundabout, Treasury Square, the Governor’s Office, Coast Junior Academy and Sea View Plaza.
Martin Madinda and Sylvia Carson won the men’s and women’s 5km races respectively, while Duncan Komen and Gloria Bahati emerged victorious in the men’s and women’s 10km categories.
Special recognition went to 84-year-old Lalit Doshi, who successfully completed the 10km race, while Amin Hussein earned a mention among the fastest children.
Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon Local Organising Committee chairperson David Mwindi said the growing participation in Mombasa reflected the event’s wider mission of bringing communities together through sport while creating opportunities for people from different backgrounds.
“Seeing 1,000 people turn up in Mombasa is a powerful reminder that the marathon is about more than running. It is about bringing communities together around a shared purpose. Through the Standard Chartered Foundation, we are working to create opportunities for young people, women and people with disabilities to learn, earn and grow. The enthusiasm we have seen at the Coast shows that more communities want to be part of that journey,” Mwindi said.
He added that the increase in numbers was an encouraging sign as runners at the Coast embraced the opportunity to participate in the marathon series and prepare for the flagship Nairobi event.
“The growth from 800 runners last year to 1,000 this year is encouraging. It shows that more runners at the Coast are embracing the opportunity to participate in the marathon series and prepare for the main race. We are looking forward to carrying this momentum into the Nairobi Marathon on 25 October,” he said.
