NAIROBI, Kenya, October 23 – The Standard Chartered Marathon has recorded its highest ever number of participants with 25,000 signing up for this year’s edition.
Chairman of the local organising committee, Peter Gitau, said the huge number of competitors is an indicator of the growing reputation of the event.
“This year, we have 25,000 people who have registered for the race, which is the highest number to date. With such a turnout, I’d say we are the biggest city marathon in the country. We are very excited for the weekend and look forward to it. We are advanced in our preparations,” Gitau said.
He advised all participants to collect their bib numbers and kits on Saturday, warning that they will be greatly inconvenienced if they do not do so.
“I’d like to reiterate that the kit collection and the bib numbers will take place on Saturday. The deadline for collecting them is on Saturday after which we will not do that on the actual day of the competition,” Gitau said.
Competition is projected to be intense following the increase of the prize kitty from last year’s Ksh 10.6 million to Ksh 12.9 million.
Second-place finishers in the men and women’s 42km will pocket Ksh 1 million each – an increase of Ksh 250,000 from past editions.
Additionally, second and third-place finishers in the half marathon will receive Ksh 200,000 and Ksh 150,000 – an increase of Ksh 50,000.
Gitau is optimistic this bumper kitty will enhance the marathon’s status and attract elite athletes in coming years.
“We hope that with this increase in the prize kitty we will attract more athletes to compete in the marathon. As a World Athletics Road Label race, we will continuously review and increase the prize monies in line with our status,” he said.
The marathon — to be held on the Southern bypass — will occasion the closure of several sections leading into and out of the route, including Gitaru in Kikuyu, Ngong’ Road interchange (upper deck), and ICD-Ole Sereni Hotel, towards Kikuyu.
However, road users will be able to access the CBD and other areas of the city via alternative routes, such as Waiyaki Way, Enterprise Road, Lang’ata Road-City Stadium, Dagoretti Road and lower deck of Ngong’ Road interchange.
Superintendent in charge of road traffic safety, Boniface Otieno, urged road users to cooperate with them to ensure minimal disruptions and smooth flow of traffic.
“We will close these sections at 11.00 pm on Saturday and open them on Sunday at 1.00 pm. Our officers will be on the ground to ensure that everything works seamlessly. We have deployed 136 police officers to enhance security and 30 more from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). We will also have 80 traffic police to manage the traffic flow,” Otieno said.
The first competition on the cards will be the 21km wheelchair run at 5:45 am followed by the full marathon at 6:00 am, 21km (7.20 am), 10km (8.45 am) and 5km (10.00 am).
The marathon was first held in 2003.