Weldon Kirui leads elite cast to Standard Chartered race
Elizabeth Rumokoi celebrates on her way to winning the 42 Kilometre Standard Chartered Marathon on October 25, 2015 at Nyayo Stadium. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |
What you need to know:
- The 42km races will gun off at 7am but it’s the 21km wheelchair race that will begin Sunday’s proceedings at 6:50am. The Half Marathon race starts at 7:20am, followed by the 10km at 8am. The popular 5km fun run will be the last event taking place from 9am.
- Over 25,000 participants will field in the aforementioned races that will start at Uhuru Highway outside the Nyayo National Stadium.
- Each winner in the full marathon race will pocket Sh 1.5million.
Los Angeles Marathon champion Weldon Kirui and seasoned long distance runner Nicholas Kamakya is among 700 elite athletes set to battle it out for honours at the 2016 Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon that goes down on Sunday in Nairobi.
The 42km races will gun off at 7am but it’s the 21km wheelchair race that will begin Sunday’s proceedings at 6:50am. The Half Marathon race starts at 7:20am, followed by the 10km at 8am. The popular 5km fun run will be the last event taking place from 9am.
Over 25,000 participants will field in the aforementioned races that will start at Uhuru Highway outside the Nyayo National Stadium.
Only the 42km and Half Marathon 21 km races will end at the Nyayo National Stadium arena but at different points. Kirui, who won the Los Angeles Marathon in 2 hours, 13 minutes and 07 seconds in February this year returns at the Stanchart Nairobi Marathon, having finished third in 2014 in 2:12:44.
He lost the battle to the winner Peter Kosgei (2:12.24) and second -placed Elisha Kiprop (2:12.28).
Kirui boasts personal best 2:12:26, a time he posted on June 18 this year when he finished second in at Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota, where compatriot Elisha Barno retained the title in 2:11:26.
Kamakya, who has personal best 2:06:34 from a fourth place finish at the 2011 Amsterdam Marathon, brings enormous experience to the race.
Kamakya, 32, was placed second at the 2007 Beijing Marathon, finished six at the 2010 Rome Marathon and was runner-up at the 2011 Los Angeles Marathon in 2:09:26.
He won the Gold Coast Marathon in 2011 in with a new race record of 2:10:01 before setting his current PB of 2:06:34 at the 2011 Amsterdam Marathon.
Others set to battle Kirui and Kamakya for top honours are seasoned long distance runners Samuel Ndereba, younger brother of two-time World marathon champion Catherine Ndereba, Kenneth Rotich and Nicholas Korir.
Samuel, who boasts a personal best 2:15:50 from the 2008 Toronto Marathon.
The 2012 Barcelona Marathon champion Emily Samoei highlights the women’s 42km race that also has seasoned runners Hellen Mugo and Naomi Wanjiru. More than Sh 8 million has been set aside for prize money.
Samoei personal best 2.26.52 came from her victory in Barcelona, having also finished fourth at the 2013 Vienna Marathon.
Mugo has taken part in several marathons races including 2011 Dubai, 2011 Boston, Seoul, Mombasa, Honolulu and 2012 Košice Peace Marathon where she set a course record of 2:29:59 to win.
More than Sh 8 million has been set aside for prize money will be up for grabs in the only the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) sanctioned race in the region.
Each winner in the full marathon race will pocket Sh 1.5million.
