Sunday’s race organisers again got it all wrong

Participants of the Nairobi Standard Chartered Marathon on October 26, 2014 at Nyayo Stadium. To start with, I must say the race was very crowded and while the organisers were are able to achieve their fundraising target, the whole event suffered in terms of organisation. FILE PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • To start with, I must say the race is very crowded and while the organisers are able to achieve their fundraising target, the whole event suffers in terms of organisation.
  • Besides, they should hire a firm to manage for them the races as they take care of the can’t blame them much because they are in the business of finance.

There seem to be no light at the end of the tunnel to the problems that have continued to ail the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon over the years.

I have in the past highlighted some of the problems that have inflicted this race in this very column. Indeed, judging from what happened last weekend, it is the same old story.

This time, I worked close to the fourth estate and once again I witnessed first hand as they ran up and down in search of results for certain events to no avail.

The centre of focus was once again on the main race—the 42km— and this left the rest of the events, including the 21km race, 10km and wheelchair suffering.

While the journalists were lucky to get the top 15 results in men and women’s 42km race, there were only top three in the 21km and 10km while there was nothing like proper results in the wheelchair category.

Every runner wants to see live results in terms of time and everything else and it is always a disaster when we are only told so and so finished in the top three with no proper digits to march.

POOR ORGANISATION

To start with, I must say the race is very crowded and while the organisers are able to achieve their fundraising target, the whole event suffers in terms of organisation.

Even top marathons in the world are only able to concentrate on the main race, wheel chair and the fun race. This kind of arrangement is able to allow the organisers to focus on the main race.

We can’t have five races going on at the same time and still expect efficiency. New York for example have the 42km race and the 21km at different times of the year and it works out very well in terms of promoting and selling their brand.

It is time Standard Chartered took this route, as this is the only way they can ensure efficiency. Besides, they should hire a firm to manage for them the races as they take care of the can’t blame them much because they are in the business of finance.

One thing is for sure—the Standard Chartered Marathon rates among the best in the world but as they say the end justifies the means. I love the effort that is put into it but I have always been disappointed with the way it all ends.

But once again I must say the event has made progress in as far as the ‘Seeing is Believing’ programme is concerned.