Robert Kipkemboi and Naom Jebet emerged victorious in the men’s and women’s races at the Nairobi City Marathon on a pleasantly cool Sunday morning.
Kipkemboi completed the race in a remarkable time of 2:07:38, while Jebet crossed the finish line in an impressive 2:23:33. Their outstanding performances earned them each a prize money of Sh3.5 million, the highest payout for a running event in Africa.
Both runners set new course records for the continent’s most lucrative marathon, surpassing the previous records set by Brimin Misoi and Agnes Barsosio, who won last year’s inaugural competition with times of 2:08:30 and 2:24:45 respectively.
Kipkemboi, a former Standard Chartered Marathon winner, made a decisive move at the 36km mark and maintained his lead until the end, securing a dominant victory ahead of Charles Yosei, who finished in 2:08:04.
Jebet, 29, who had secured a second-place finish at the Hamburg Half Marathon just a week prior, triumphed by nearly a minute in her debut appearance at the Nairobi Marathon. Sharon Chelimo (2:25:20) and Judith Jerubet (2:27:01) secured second and third place respectively in the women’s race.
Reflecting on her unexpected win, Jebet, who trains in Iten, expressed her happiness and credited her success to seize the opportunity without any prior expectation. She stated, “I wasn’t very well prepared for the race, but I’m happy to win. Indeed, anything is possible if only you try. I felt a burst of energy within me, so I decided to go for it, without any idea that I was going to win.”
In the half marathon race, Ugandan athlete Maxwell Rotich claimed victory with an impressive time of 1:00:10, followed by Kenyan runners Vincent Kipkorir (1:01:13) and Kennedy Kimutai (1:01:22).
Gladys Chepkirui dominated the women’s 21km race, finishing in a remarkable time of 1:09:06. Susan Chembai (1:10:05) and Nancy Chepleting (1:10:17) secured second and third place respectively.
The marathon course weaved its way through the iconic Nairobi Expressway, attracting nearly 9,000 participants from Kenya and beyond.
The race started and finished at the Nyayo National Stadium, taking runners through the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, the Central Business District, and ABC Place in Westlands. The route covered 33km of the Nairobi Expressway and 9km through other parts of the city.
