Title win lures back elite runners

What you need to know:

  • Tired of playing second fiddle in previous races, Hillary Kiplimo and Shadrack Kimaiyo have vowed to make amends at this year’s Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon on Sunday.
  • Kiplimo finished third in 2015 and 2016 where Joshua Kipkorir and Robert Kipkemboi reigned supreme respectively while Kimaiyo finished second in 2015.
  • Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon Local Organising Committee chairman Peter Gitau confirmed that Kiplimo and Kimaiyo are among 200 elite athletes who have registered in the full and half marathons respectively.

Tired of playing second fiddle in previous races, Hillary Kiplimo and Shadrack Kimaiyo have vowed to make amends at this year’s Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon on Sunday.

Kiplimo finished third in 2015 and 2016 where Joshua Kipkorir and Robert Kipkemboi reigned supreme respectively while Kimaiyo finished second in 2015.

Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon Local Organising Committee chairman Peter Gitau confirmed that Kiplimo and Kimaiyo are among 200 elite athletes who have registered in the full and half marathons respectively.

Kimaiyo, who has a personal best time of 2:13:56 from the 2015 Stanchart race, has a season best of 2:15:28 from a third place finish at Padova Marathon in Italy in April.

The races will start on Haile Selassie Avenue opposite Railway Club, away from the traditional starting points on Uhuru Highway next to the Nyayo National Stadium.

Kiplimo and Kimaiyo will be out to halt Kipkrorir’s intended dream of making history in Nairobi as the first man to win the marathon twice. Kipkorir had earlier confirmed his participation.

Arnold Kibet will look for an improvement from his 20th finish last year. Others to watch are Geoffrey Terer, who has a season best of 2:23:10 from Provo, USA in June, and Simon Muthoni, who finished second at Buenos Aires Half Marathon in September.

The 2015 Belfast Half Marathon champion Mercy Jemutai, who is fresh from posting a personal best 2:36:56 at the Wuhan Marathon in China, is among the star attraction in the women’s marathon.

Gitau, who was addressing the press yesterday at Intercontinental Hotel, said registration will close Friday where they target to raise close to Sh40million from over 20,000 participants.

An estimated Sh 37million was raised from last year’s race that attracted 19,000 participants what with the initiative having raised Sh 180 million for the “Seeing is believing” course.

Gitau said 11,000 eye corrective surgeries have been conducted with people regaining their sight.

Registration is being done online on nairobimarathon.com. Speaking at the same function Musyoki Mutungi, who is the deputy head of Traffic Nairobi, said traffic to and out of the city will be diverted to alternative roads as the roads along the designated marathon route will remain closed from 4am to 1pm on Sunday.

The affected roads include sections of Mombasa Road, Uhuru Highway, Wangari Mathai (Forest) Road, Kenyatta Avenue, Haile Selassie, University Way and Upper Hill.

Sections within CBD Kenyatta Avenue and Haile Selassie and University Way will remain closed until 11.30am on Sunday.

The marathon race will start at 7am.