No cash prizes but wheelchair racers upbeat

The good news was that there were more wheelchair participants in the 2009 Standard Chartered marathon than ever before.

The bad news was that none were able to complete the full 42 kilometres, meaning no one can claim the cash prizes on offer for the winners in wheelchair categories.

However spirits were high and the competition was intense said Peter Mbuguah of the Association of for the Physically Disabled of Kenya.

“The racers did such a great job but this is a clear indication that 42 kilometeres is not ideal for these types of wheelchairs,” he said.

Although the official rules won’t allow someone who did not complete the full marathon to claim the cash prize, Mr Mbuguah said the APDK was talking with the organisers in hopes of arranging some level of prizing.

“We want to reward the participants even though they didn’t do the full length. We want to encourage them to stay involved and come back next year,” he said.

Mary Nakhumicha lived up to expectations as one of Kenya’s premier paralympic athletes and won the women’s category, completing approximately 30 kilometres of the marathon, her first race of any distance.

The men’s wheelchair winner was Peter Mwanangina. Ibrahim Wafula, a regular feature in this marathon, was among the competitors in the tricycle category alongside were Bethsheba Chibole.