The Nairobi City Marathon on Sunday, September 8, 2024, kicked off in style with several leaders taking part in the annual race which allowed participants to run on the Expressway.
Prominent in the list of leaders who attended the morning race were Youth Affairs and Sports cabinet secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, Leader of the majority party in the Senate Aaron Cheruiyot and Nairobi Woman representative Esther Passaris among others.
The event with the theme Run with Champs, run for Green featured various race categories from the fun 6-kilometre run, a 10-kilometre Expressway run, a 21-kilometre half marathon and a 42-kilometre marathon.
According to the event organisers, the city event featured runners from over 40 countries in the world who converged in Nairobi for the various races.
The 42-kilometre marathon started at 6: 45 am on Sunday, September 8, 2024, while the 21-kilometre half marathon kicked off later at 7: 30 am.
Pro athletes parted with Ksh1,500 in registration fees for the marathon while competitors in the half marathon paid Ksh1,200. Runners seeking the thrill of racing on the Expressway with a view of the city also paid Ksh1000.
A 6-kilometre fun run which began at 10 am cost runners Ksh500.
However, for international participants, the charges for the marathon stood at Ksh11,600, the half marathon Ksh8,250, the Expressway 10km run Ksh5,155 while the 6km fun run cost Ksh2,577.
The event with the highest prize money in Africa according to organisers, will see winners of the marathon (both men and women) pocket up to Ksh3.5 million each.
Winners of the 21km half marathon will also be awarded a prize money of Ksh150,000 each.
According to the event’s website, winners of the 10-kilometre Expressway run will be awarded a total of Ksh100,000.
The event which had several major roads in the city closed for its purpose will be finalised at the Nyayo Stadium where a ceremony to celebrate the day’s winners will be conducted.
The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) announced temporary closures of major roads within Nairobi to facilitate the 2024 Nairobi City Marathon, an action slated for September 8, 2024.
Some of the roads closed off for the event from Saturday, September 7, 2024, are a section of the Expressway, Waiyaki Way, a section of Thika Super Highway, and parts of the Harry Thuku Road among others.
