Nairobi City Marathon pairs air sensors with 5,000-tree legacy plan

In a major boost to environmental sustainability ahead of the upcoming Nairobi City Marathon on June 7, 2026, a high-level coalition of sports, science, and infrastructure leaders gathered at the Haile Selassie Expressway terminal to launch a dual-pronged climate initiative.

Led by Athletics Kenya (AK) President Lt. Gen. (Rtd) Jackson Tuwei, the delegation participated in a symbolic tree-planting ceremony to mark an expanding partnership aimed at tackling urban air pollution and accelerating Nairobi's green canopy goals.

The ceremony joined together key global and local leaders, including Dr. Philip Osano (Chief Operating Officer of CIFOR-ICRAF), Yu Fukai (Chief Executive Officer of Moja Expressway Limited), and Niall O’Connor (Centre Director of the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) Africa).

The cornerstone of this year's sustainability drive is the strategic installation of four specialized air quality control sensors directly along the Nairobi Expressway infrastructure, which serves as the competitive backbone of the marathon route.

Deployed by SEI Africa in partnership with Moja Expressway and Athletics Kenya, these sensors are positioned at critical zones including Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Uhuru Park, ABC Place in Westlands, and Museum Road.

Lauding the partnership for delivering unprecedented, data-driven insights into urban athletics, Gen. Tuwei emphasized the borderless nature of climate advocacy:

A good and clean environment has no boundaries, and we must work together as a team to achieve common good on climate change and clean air," Tuwei stated.

The tree-planting initiative represents the event's permanent legacy. The exercise directly supports the Nairobi City Marathon’s ambitious environmental target to plant 5,000 trees annually, transforming the sporting event into a year-round catalyst for urban forestry.

“Greening of sporting venues is key, and we are also glad to help the Nairobi City Marathon in realizing their dream of planting 5,000 trees annually,” said Dr. Osano.

O’Connor reaffirmed that data transparency is vital to protecting both elite runners and everyday citizens:

We are happy to always assist Athletics Kenya in providing and installing the air quality sensors and helping in analysing the data,” O’Connor noted.