Nairobi City Marathon organisers to deploy air quality sensors

In a press briefing on Wednesday in Nairobi, Stockholm Environment Institute researcher Ngongang Wandji said the real-time air pollution data would help sports administrators and city authorities enhance the health and safety of both athletes and spectators.

“The role of air quality data in this specific event will be very critical and we believe everyone who is participating is entitled to know exactly the status of the environment during the marathon.

“We plan to have a stand during the race where we will give details on why it is important to have the air quality data,” said Wandaji.

The collaboration between Athletics Kenya and the Swedish Athletics Association was established during the UN Stockholm+50 Conference in 2022 to promote sustainability within global athletics as part of the World Athletics Sustainability Strategy and its ‘Athletics for a better world’ standard.

Air pollution causes more than 1.2 million deaths annually in Africa, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and World Health Organization (WHO), making it the second-largest cause of death across the continent.

Athletics Kenya President Jackson Tuwei said they are targeting 15000 participants with over 10000 registering by Wednesday ahead of the Saturday’s deadline.

“This is going to be a major championship and therefore we welcome everybody where they are to come and support this race, either watch from home or participate in the race. Let’s make Sunday a big day and also cheer our athletes,” said Tuwei.

“We’ve a limit of 15000 participants. So if we attain the limit even if it’s today we will close the registration. We’ve foreign athletes from all over the world and this has given the race a big status.”

Sports Principal Secretary Peter Tum revealed that the government had set aside Sh. 60million for the event with the first 20 athletes getting different money prizes.

The winners of the full marathon will pocket Ksh. 3.5 million with the 21KM race winners will get Ksh 150,000. The 10KM category winners will go home with Ksh 100,000.

“As a ministry we are monetizing talent. We have natured through the camps that we have put up throughout the country and identified from the same camp across the country, and it is now the opportunity for us to be able to give them money.”

On his side, race director Ibrahim Muhammed said with the help of the traffic police, they had surveyed the route that will be used on Sunday.

“We want to showcase our city and because it is going to be televised live on TV the world will be watching hence the need to take every precaution required for the race to be successful,” he said.

Major roads that will be used for the marathon will be closed by Saturday 1am and be reopened on Sunday 1pm.