The atmosphere was simply electrifying. From all walks of life, they came in their thousands to watch action that sent the commemorative park and those lining up along the course into delirium as the sonorous cheers livened the air.
They gained a life of their own and floated over the spruced up Uhuru Gardens like the pregnant clouds of the last few days.
It shaped the overall narrative and made the headlines -after novices showed little respect for global bigwigs. Former Amsterdam Marathon winner Gideon Kipketer and three-time Boston Marathon winner Rita Jeptoo finished eighth and third in the 42km contests respectively.
The beauty of sport is shaped by its cruelties; the shock and heartbreaks.
Green, the official colour for the one-day meet, remained visible in almost all vantage positions.
Excited local fans, most of them clad in green t-shirts, turned in large numbers to cheer on Kenyan stars.
KDF soldiers in resplendent jungle uniforms manned the entrance, while police officers remained vigil around the park.
Huge ambitions, upsets and redemption provided some exciting talking points as a handful of top stars battled upstarts in the chase for the Sh2 million winning prize.
"I am happy for the victory. I had been invited to the Frankfurt Marathon (held today) but could not make it due to visa delay," said Chelimo.