All set for Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon

Major roads in Nairobi will be closed this Sunday to pave the way for athletes during the 20th edition of the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon.

Addressing the media Wednesday, traffic commandant, Mary Kiarie confirmed the closure of the Southern bypass and a section of Mombasa Road via the Southern bypass near Ole Sereni.

"We will be closing the Southern Bypass entrance and exit because it will be used for the standard Chartered Marathon and we will be doing that as of 11 PM on Saturday."

Alternative routes that will be operational for motorists include Mombasa Road, Waiyaki Way, Uhuru Highway, Langata Road, Enterprise Road and Dagoretti Road.

The Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon Chairperson, Peter Gitau assured that the road closure is to oversee a smooth experience for the runners at the annual competition.

"As we prepare for the event on the 29th I would like to give you the comfort that it is all systems go.

"Athletics Kenya have worked on the route and we have a lot of input from running clubs to ensure that we provide a good experience for those who will be running," said Gitau.

The annual marathon has so far attracted twenty two thousand participants including long distance marathon runner Wilson Kiprop, African U20 Championships Silver medallist Fredrick Kiptoo and World Athletics registered athlete Faith Kimutai among others.

The races are set to kick-off at 5:45am on Sunday at the Southern Bypass near Carnivore with the 21km wheelchair race.

Both the 42km Marathon and Corporate Challenge will kick-off at 6 AM followed closely by the 21km Half Marathon and 10km Run which both kick-off at 6:45 AM and 8 AM respectively

The last of the races will be a family affair with the 5km Family Fun Run poised for a 9:30 AM kick-off.