Murkomen, Chepkemoi eye title defences at Nairobi City Marathon

Nairobi Region Police Commissioner Benjamin Bowen and Nairobi City Marathon Competition Director Kennedy Tanui during yesterday's press briefing at Riadha House. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Porto Marathon champion Aspel Kiptoo and Leiden Marathon winner Gladys Kerubo Otero are among the 1700 elite runners who are sharpening their spikes for the fifth edition of Nairobi City Marathon (NCM) set for Sunday in the Kenyan capital.

In-form Kiptoo is hopeful of dislodging Benson Murkomen Tunyu, who bagged the men’s title at Uhuru Park last year when he cruised to the tape in 2:08:36.

Likewise, Otero is wary of tactics that will be displayed by Emily Chepkemoi (2:25:45), who is out for a back-to-back victory in the women’s race.

Chepkemoi will not only battle last year’s runners-up and third-place finishers, Vivian Jerotich and Lucy Chelele, but she has a daunting task to ward off stiff competition from 2023 Prague Marathon silver medallist Kariuki Wangare and half-marathon specialist Sharon Cherotich, who are all salivating for her title.

Former  Berlin Marathon pacemaker Simon Kipkosgei and Jonathan Korir, who is currently boasting a personal best of 2:04.32, will be the other participants to watch in the expected star-studded men’s race.

“From the high-profile entry list, we definitely expect new champions to be born this season in the categories to be contested.

“The contestants are not sleeping on their laurels owing to the lucrative prizes on offer.

" Marathon winners will walk home with Sh3.5 million each in both men's and women’s categories. This amount is already giving athletes sleepless nights. It will not be easy for winners to lodge successive title defences going by the standards of the entry list,” Competition Director Kennedy Tanui said during yesterday’s media briefing.

Tanui said they received overwhelming registration this year, which forced organisers to close the entry list three weeks before D-Day.

“But we have now received a Cabinet directive that from next year, we will swell registration to 30,000 participants to put this race into the standards of World Marathon Majors,” said Tanui.