The annual Nairobi Marathon will make a comeback on October 31 with a hybrid format that includes both physical and virtual races.
The race that was previously known as the Standard Chartered Marathon, failed to take place in 2020 due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.
The newly adopted format will combine the traditional mass physical race for elite runners with a virtual option for the rest of the participants.
The entry for the physical will be restricted to only 2,500 local and international runners.
Main marathon venue
Unlike the previous editions that starts and ends at the Nyayo National Stadium, the edition will take place at the Southern Bypass with Carnivore Grounds as the main marathon venue.
The new route will provide participants with a great view of Nairobi National Park as organisers strive to market the capital city’s strength as an ideal tourism destination.
The virtual marathon will be targeting 13,500 participants to encourage active lifestyles among participants will be done between the 25th – 31st of October 2021.
The races for the day will include 10 Kilometers, 21 kilometers, 42 kilometers and the 42 kilometers relay. The first race of the day will be done at 7:00am.
Reach out to respective athletics federations
“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,” Athletics Kenya president Jackson Tuwei said.
Elite athletes will be selected based on their timings dating back to 2019. A majority of these athletes were not been able to compete in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For men, the time to be considered 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.”
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.