Top runners set to grace Mombasa Marathon

World marathon record holder Patrick Makau and fellow top runner Geoffrey Mutai will grace this year’s Mombasa Marathon on Sunday.

More than 60 high-profile athletes are set to take part in the race that is targeting more than 500 participants and was officially launched on Thursday.

Chief sponsors Safaricom has pumped in Sh1.5 million with Athletics Kenya (AK) adding Sh300,000.

The event has been split into two categories: the 42km and 10km races for both men and women.

The top 10 marathoners will be awarded. Winners in both categories will get Sh200,000, runners-up Sh100,000 and second runners-up Sh50,000.

The top three 10km finishers will earn Sh10,000, Sh5,000 and Sh3,000, respectively.

The 42km race will start from Treasury Square in the city’s Old Town before going through Mama Ngina Drive, Ganjohi, Shimanzi, Makupa, Tudor, Municipal Stadium and back the same route through Makupa.

Doping tests will be done, AK said.