All set for StanChart Nairobi Marathon

Motorists will have to find alternative routes as three major roads in the capital will be closed for the better part of Sunday to pave way for the 2018 Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon.

This year’s race will be hosted at the Nairobi Railway Club as the Nyayo National Stadium, which has hosted the past events, is currently under renovation.

Athletics Kenya (AK) has said it will deploy more than 130 technical officials to oversee the technical aspects of the city road with organizers paying extra attention in order have it promoted to the league of the world’s elite marathons.

The three major roads, Mombasa road, Uhuru Highway and Haile Selassie Avenue will be closed at 10.00pm on Saturday 27, 2018 and open the following day at 12.00pm depending on the speed of the runners.

Other roads that will keep motorists away at the time of the race are Aerodome road, Processional Way, Harambee Avenue, University Way, Lang’ata road from Lusaka road among others.

Nairobi traffic officer Geoffrey Njogu has advised motorists to cooperate and use the alternative routes to ensure the safety of the participants on the roads.

“We are closing these roads because there will be so many activities going on and we have to guarantee the safety of the participants.

“We will also ensure that those people who will be walking along those roads but they are not taking part in the race reach their destinations,” Njogu said.

The event will feature six different categories that embrace both Male and Female. These categories are 42 Kilometer (KM) race, 21KM, 21KM Wheelchair marathon, 10KM, 5KM family run and 3km race popularly known as the CEO challenge.

2014 Male winner for the 42km race, Reuben Kipruto Siwa, will grace the Sunday’s event and Julius Kiprono Tarus, Belfius Brussels Marathon winner 2017, among other elite runners will make Kipruto run for his money.

Brimin Kipruto Misoi won the 42km race after running for 2:12:39 last year while it took Celestine Chepchirchir  2:31:41 to win the same race for the women.

Registered participants will collect their running gear at the kit collection EXPO at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) grounds, according to the Local Organizing Committee chair Peter Gitau.