Kenya: Nairobi yet again hosted a successful marathon last Sunday with impressive numbers of participants for the popular annual event whose proceeds support charity.
Organisers, sponsors and participants deserve praise, but the Nairobi County management and Athletics Kenya must begin working on how to make the marathon more attractive and less horrifying for all residents.
Beyond running for prize money, the authorities concerned and city planners must work in tandem to ensure Nairobi does not shut down its life to support one event.
Marathons and similar competitive events have really gone mainstream over the past few years to become talent discovery events as well as family meetings, where we exercise with our children, the elderly, the marginalised and the disabled.
Basic information
But if poorly planned and lacking basic information, marathons can be horrifying. Many people missed their favourite Sunday engagements like church services and medical appointments.
Dozens missed flights or simply wasted time in traffic jams on alternative routes without help. As far as getting to the airport — the closing of a section of Uhuru Highway and Mombasa Road, the main gateway to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, does not help.
Air travellers must clearly give themselves extra time to get to the airport. Nairobi must start engaging in best practices of urban planning.
Given the rise in popularity, world cities are vying to host their own competitive marathons and lessons can be borrowed from destinations like London, New York, Berlin, Tokyo and Stockholm just to mention a few.
Berlin, for example, has a website with real time information being availed and questions from the public answered. Some cities create short code for SMS alerts to help tourists, vistors and residents.
Traffic marshalls working with police officers can direct traffic and advise motorists of alternative transport or designated buses plying routes to essential services like hospitals and airports.
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