NAIROBI, Kenya, July 2, 2025 – Athletics Kenya (AK) president Jack Tuwei says the ultimate aim is to grow the Nairobi City Marathon into a World Marathon Majors race.
Tuwei said the annual event has grown immensely and will soon become a reference point on how to organise a world class marathon in Africa.
“Let’s make Nairobi a reference point…We want this marathon to match the best in the world—not just in competition, but in how we organize, how we welcome the world, and how we showcase our city,” Tuwei said.
The World Marathon Majors are the most elite of road races around the globe in terms of prize money, organisation and publicity, among other aspects.
They include London, Tokyo, Boston, Chicago, Berlin, New York and Sydney.
On the other hand, the Nairobi City Marathon in its fourth year of existence, having been first held in May 2022 as a means of showcasing the sights and sounds of the capital atop the Expressway.
Tuwei believes the huge strides made by the road race will soon put it in the big leagues with the other seven major competitions.
“The love and passion of Kenyans in running is not new to us. For the first time, we have 75 nationalities joining us for this event. Nairobi is becoming more and more attractive to runners from across the world,” he said.
This year’s edition will start and finish at Uhuru Park and will feature four race categories: the 42km, 21km, 10km, and a 4km fun run.
Organisers have announced a prize pool of Ksh 24 million for top performers.
Winners of the men’s and women’s marathon will each take home Ksh. 3.5 million, with second and third place earning Ksh. 2.25 million and Ksh. 1.5 million respectively.
On the other hand, the half marathon and 10km race champions will pocket Ksh. 150,000 and Ksh. 100,000, respectively.
The majority of the competition will be run on the Nairobi Expressway, which offers a fast and flat course.
It will include eight water stations spaced at approximately five-kilometre intervals to support athlete hydration.
Speaking at the same time, race director Kennedy Tanui said 15,000 participants have so far registered, with the number expected to rise to 16,000 by Thursday.
“This event has grown in leaps…the number has grown steadily. Already, we have sold out 15,000 tickets this year, up from 13,000 last year. We are hoping to reach 16,000 by the end of tomorrow. There are still 500 slots left for the 4km fun run. Otherwise, all the other categories are sold out,” Tanui said.
Some of the elite athletes who have confirmed participation include American-based Edward Cheserek, two-time Paris Marathon champion Paul Lonyangata and Leah Jeruto, among others.
Thousands being expected, the National Police Service (NPS) has given a detailed traffic advisory to ensure public safety and smooth race operations.
The Nairobi Expressway, from James Gichuru to JKIA, will be closed in both directions from Saturday 10PM to Sunday 3PM.
The inner lanes of Waiyaki Way will be inaccessible from Sunday midnight to 10 a.m as will be Mombasa Road crossings and Likoni Road from midnight to 11a.m.
Caroline Jerop from NPS advised road users to make their travel plans early in line with the arrangements.
“We urge the public to plan their movements early, as key roads including the Expressway and Mombasa Road will remain closed for safety and smooth flow of the marathon,” she said.
