Nairobi Hosts Record 30,700 Runners for the Standard Chartered Marathon

By Own Correspondent

Nairobi, Kenya — Kenyan runners Abraham Kiptum and Mercy Rotich claimed the men’s and women’s 42km titles at the 23rd Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon held on Sunday, October 25, while Nahason Kipsang and Orba Chemurgor won the 21km Half Marathon.

Alfred Kimani, also from Kenya, and Joy Cheptoyek, the only Ugandan top winner, took the 10km crowns while Samuel Kuria and Mercyline Ajenjo secured the 21km wheelchair titles.

A Kenyan Shillings (KES) 11.24 million (approximately US$86,550) prize purse rewarded performances across the programme, led by KES 2 million (US$15,400) first-place awards in the full marathon.

Half marathon and wheelchair race winners each received KES 300,000 (US$2,310), 10km champions earned KES 200,000 (US$1,540), and winning Corporate Relay and persons with disability (PWD) teams collected KES 100,000 (US$770) apiece.

The event drew over 30,700 participants from more than 100 nationalities, including over 400 elite athletes.

The event was underpinned by record sponsorship of KES 273 million (US$2.10 million) and combined elite racing with mass participation along Nairobi’s Southern Bypass, offering views of Nairobi National Park.

Registration fees raised KES 76 million (US$585,200), all of which is expected to support community programmes run by the Standard Chartered Foundation focused on education, employability and entrepreneurship for young people.

The amount brings the cumulative total raised since the marathon’s inception to KES 596 million (US$4.59 million).

Standard Chartered said the funds will expand economic opportunities, particularly for young people, women and persons with disabilities.

“This marathon brings the world to Nairobi and turns a shared passion for running into opportunities that last beyond race day.

"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.

"That is the legacy our runners, sponsors, partners and volunteers are building together,” Standard Chartered-Kenya Chief Executive Officer Birju Sanghrajka said.

The organisers said they prioritised the individual runner experience, providing 19 hydration stations, roaming bicycle medics, dedicated muscle relief stations, improved post-race recovery services and downloadable digital finisher certificates.

“The strength of an international marathon is not just the size of its field, but the quality of the experience and the integrity of the competition.

From elite athletes chasing a podium place to recreational runners pursuing a personal goal, every participant deserves dependable support.

"Our focus was on getting the essentials right: accurate timing, medical care, hydration and recovery,” Chairman of the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon Local Organising Committee, David Mwindi, said 

The event holds a World Athletics Road Race Label, reflecting standards in course measurement, timing, medical support and anti-doping.

Working with the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya, selected top finishers underwent testing in line with regulations, event organisers said.

In a further sustainability push, every finisher received a tree seedling, contributing to a target of planting 40,000 trees in partnership with Nairobi City County.

Additional measures included waste segregation, recycling and efforts to reduce single-use plastics.

Statistics from participating athletes show that women made the majority of the 2026 runners with 15,796 registrations, about 51.5% compared with 14,904 men 48.5%