All set for inaugural Nairobi City Marathon at Nyayo today
Athletics
By
Dennis Okeyo
| May 08, 2022
From left- CS Sport Amina Mohammed, President AK Jackson Tuwei and Jeremy Awori Chief executive officer of Absa Bank in a press briefing ahead of The Uhuru Classic Marathon. May 6, 2022. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]
It’s all system go ahead of today’s inaugural Nairobi City Marathon dubbed Uhuru Classic at Nyayo Stadium.
The event which will feature 42km, 21km, 10km and 5km races will see the full marathon winner walk home with Sh6 million.
Some of the notable names that will compete in the race include former Minsk’s half marathon champion Hillary Kimaiyo. He won the race in 2017 in 1:00.03.
Others seeking for the event’s top honours are the 2020 Al Mouj Muscat Marathon Pius Karanja Kimani, the 2018 Padua Marathon (Italy) third-place finisher Desta Shume Tafa from Ethiopia and another Kenyan Elijah Kemboi a former winner of Kosice and Antwerp marathons.
The event which has four categories namely the full marathon, half marathon, 10km and 5km fun run has attracted over 8000 runners.
It will be held a day after the Kip Keino Classic at Kasarani Stadium.
The full marathon race will start at Nyayo Stadium then proceed to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport before moving to the city centre which will be the spectator stage to ABC Place in Westlands then back to Nyayo Stadium for the finish.
The organisers have prepared a place for the fans to watch 9km of the race which will be run outside the Expressway.
The spectators will be treated to the fun of the race when it diverts from the ExpressWay and enters into the Haile Selassie Avenue, Central Business District (CBD), Moi Avenue, Kencom bus stage, City Hall Way, Taifa Road Road, Harambee Avenue, Parliament Road, All Saints Cathedral, Kimathi Street, Kenyatta Avenue, University Way to Globe roundabout, Ojijo Road to Museum Hill before connecting back to the main course.
The half marathon will begin at the Nyayo Stadium then move to Ole Sereni along Mombasa Road then to ABC Place before going back to the finish and will cover the entire Expressway.