Message from the Chairman

It has taken great commitment,support and confidence from our runners, partners and sponsors to successfully deliver 19 editions of the marathon; for which we are immensely grateful.

Through the support of the Ministry of Sports, Nairobi City County, Athletics Kenya, KENHA, KURA, and Tamarind Group, we were able to maintain the marathon route along the Southern Bypass and the monumental venue Uhuru Gardens. The route was enjoyed by elite and top recreational runners. 

The virtual marathon allowed us to test out the power of technology within athletics and expand our marathon experience outside the boundaries of our city. More than 1,000 runners joined us from across 30 countries to take part in the virtual marathon. 

This year as we mark our special edition of the marathon, we will maintain the 2-in-1 format where runners will participate in the main marathon and satellite runs in different parts of the country.The 20th anniversary of this marathon event is a testament to your unwavering dedication and passion for running. You have inspired us all to push ourselves to new heights, and to believe that anything is possible with hard work and determination. With the lessons learnt through the three years, we are positive that we will elevate the experience. 

As we celebrate 20 years of this event, we are reminded of the incredible impact that running can have on our lives. One of the impactful stories is that of Christine Ndunge Wambua who was the poster girl for the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon in 2010.She is one of the beneficiaries of the Seeing is Believing Initiative.At the age of three, her parents noticed that she started losing her eyesight. On consulting an optician , they were informed that she had cataracts on both eyes that would need corrective surgery to restore her full sight.The family were not in a position to afford the surgery and applied for funding at Kikuyu Eye Clinic, a beneficiary of the Seeing is Believing fund allocation. Their request for funding was approved and Christine was successfully operated on. 

Our dedication to inclusivity, sustainability, and community engagement has made this event a truly remarkable achievement.The event will feature all the six race categories; 42km male and female, 21km male and female, 10km male and female, 21km wheelchair male and female, 5km Family Fun Run race and the Corporate Relay Challenge. Our target is to have 25,000 runners for the marathon. I invite you to register and participate.

The integrity of the race is of utmost importance to us. I would like to assure participants that we have put in place stringent standards to ensure that the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon measures up to the requisite World Athletics standards. Similar to the previous editions, we will continue to employ the chip technology in all races and aerial surveillance cameras from our broadcast partner. 

To ensure a clean sport we collaborate closely with the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya (ADAK). This will complement the services of the Race Technical Director, Route Marshals and CCTV cameras along the course.  

Once again, I would like to say thank you to all our partners and stakeholders: –  Ministry of Sports, Nairobi County, Athletics Kenya, AAR Healthcare, Subaru Kenya, Kenya Forest Services, Tamarind Group, Standard Media Group, Dimension Data, Uhuru Gardens National monument, the Ministry of Defence and all the running clubs.

We are excited and look forward to walking this journey together.

Thank you!

Peter Gitau,

Standard Chartered Bank COO and Chairman, Marathon Local Organising Committee.