StanChart Marathon organisers adopt hybrid format for participants

The organisers of the Nairobi Standard Chartered Marathon have adopted a hybrid format to be used during this year’s 18th edition set for October 31 in Nairobi.

The annual marathon makes a comeback after it was cancelled in 2020 due to unprecedented challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The newly adopted hybrid format will combine the traditional mass participation physical race for elite runners only with a virtual option for the rest of the participants.

The physical marathon restricted to 2,500 local and international elite athletes will be held on the Southern Bypass with Carnivore Grounds as the marathon venue.

The virtual marathon will be targeting 13,500 participants to encourage active lifestyles among participants and will be held in October 25 to 31. To participate, entrants will be required to check the SCNM website on the registration portal and pay a standard fee of Sh1000.

Speaking during the launch, Kariuki Ngari, CEO Standard Chartered said: “upon cancellation of the marathon last year, we took time to engage with a couple of stakeholders and gained some useful insights for future marathons. One of the key things that came up was the adoption of virtual marathons and the emergence of virtual running communities across the world.

“This has been reflected in our hybrid marathon this year which will allow for virtual participation. We have also considered key issues such as safety and have consequently set up measures to ensure Covid-19 safety protocols are observed during the marathon.’’

‘’Last year, a number of elite runners were affected due to the cancellation and we stepped up to offer financial and educational support through the KipKeino Foundation. We look forward to seeing many of them participate in this year’s marathon and we will keep working towards ensuring our athletes are well equipped to perform well in a number of areas, including financial management.”

On his part, Athletics Kenya President Jackson Tuwei said: “This is an opportune moment for athletes to come and prove themselves in the marathon. Last year was a difficult year for athletes and this year, together with various stakeholders, we are planning every event with the athlete’s welfare in mind. The long-standing relationship with Standard Chartered Bank has been fruitful in nurturing the next champions in road races and we believe this race is a launching pad for many budding athletes in the region.”

“Elite athletes will be selected based on their timings from 2019 since majority of them were not able to compete in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For men, this will be between 2 hours 7 minutes to 2 hours 20 minutes while for women, will be between 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours all for a full marathon.”

The elite athletes will be selected from the Athletics Kenya database, training camps, previous SCNM edition database and previous marathons in the country.

For the international elite marathoners, Athletics Kenya will reach out to respective athletics federations around the world to participate in the event for the 10Kms, 21kms and 42kms categories.