Nairobi City Marathon 2026, 5th Edition: 7 June 2026 | City Hall Way ā Nairobi Expressway ā Uhuru Park
Sunday morning in Nairobi was cold, 17,450 runners from 75 countries showed up, and Enock Kipkemboi and Joy Kemuma won the elite 42km races in compelling comeback stories. On paper, the fifth edition of the Nairobi City Marathon was a success. Ask the participants who actually ran it, though, and a very different picture emerges.
What the Runners Are Saying
The comments flooding in on social media since yesterday are scathing, and they’re not about one or two isolated complaints, there’s a clear, consistent pattern.
No ORS or electrolytes. This is the biggest grievance by far. Runners paying to compete in a major marathon expect electrolyte support at aid stations. Instead, the race pack included deodorant and Vaseline. A comment that’s been shared the most: “Budget ya ORS walieka kwa deo na vaseline.” Multiple runners said they didn’t bother buying electrolyte tabs before the race because they assumed, reasonably, that a marathon of this scale would provide them. It didn’t.
Water stations were too few and too far apart. Runners describe the hydration setup as dangerously inadequate. One commenter put it plainly: “The supply stations could have been an email.” Bottled water instead of cups slowed things down further. For full marathon runners, the gaps between stations were long enough that runners were sharing water among themselves on course.
First aid was inadequate and frightening. This is where the complaints stop being funny. Multiple runners reported seeing elite athletes collapsing between the 36-38km marks with no support personnel nearby, with other runners stepping in to help. One commenter described it as “heartbreaking.” Another called the first aid setup “a bit ghetto.” There were reportedly more DJs and cheerleaders on the course than medical staff.
Washrooms 10km apart. Single washrooms spaced 10km apart along the route. No further comment needed.
Short inconsistent distances. The 10km runners are comparing Garmin data and the numbers aren’t adding up ā 9.7km, 9.77km, 9.86km, 9.89km. Multiple people. This is a recurring issue at this race apparently. One runner did laps mid-course to make up the distance. The 21km runners also reported finishing short.
Chaos from 18km onwards. Race guides were described as harassing runners to stay in lane. The finish funnel on Haile Selassie was a bottleneck. The 21km race started without a countdown. Runners just heard “TWA” and it was off. Some first-time full marathon runners were pulled off course at 37km because road opening time had arrived, even though they were still going. For debut marathoners that’s a particularly rough experience.
Wrong medals. Some 21km and full marathon finishers were handed 10km medals. Others received medals from last year’s edition. Runners also reported being handed medals rather than having them placed around their necks: a small thing that matters more than people might expect when you’ve just run 42km.
Post-race refreshments: Fanta and biscuits. Runners finishing a half or full marathon were handed Fanta and biscuits. “Kwani tuko school games?” is the question that keeps coming up.
The Race Itself Was Good
All of that said, the actual competitive racing was excellent, and it deserves to be acknowledged separately from the operational failures.
Kipkemboi’s win in the men’s 42km was a proper comeback. He’d fallen and dropped out at the Eldoret City Marathon in April when he was in position to win, went straight back into training, and crossed the line in Nairobi in a personal best 2:09:33. Robert Kwambai was 19 seconds behind in 2:09:51, Shadrack Kenduiywo just four more seconds back in 2:09:55, an all-Kenyan podium separated by less than half a minute.
Joy Kemuma’s story is arguably better. She finished 13th here last year in 2:31:41. On Sunday she won in 2:27:43. She’d run Eldoret in April too, came fifth, and immediately kept training for Nairobi. It paid off.
The new CBD start was a genuine upgrade: City Hall Way and through Nairobi’s streets before hitting the Expressway gave the race a different energy. The cold weather, which every source mentioned, actually worked in the runners’ favour for pace.
And yes, a locally built humanoid AI robot called JayTron ran the 5km fun run wearing bib 17229, the first time a humanoid robot has competed in a road race in Africa. It became the most photographed thing at the event. Gimmick, but a great one.
The Bottom Line
The Nairobi City Marathon is clearly growing: record entries, international field, improving course design. But the operations are not keeping pace with the ambition. No ORS, short distances, wrong medals, inadequate first aid, and runners collapsing without support staff nearby isn’t a small list of teething issues. It’s a serious gap between what was promised and what was delivered to the people who paid for it.
The Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon is coming in October. Based on what’s in the comments, runners are already watching to see if anyone takes notes.
Full Results:
- Men’s 42km: 1. Enock Kipkemboi 2:09:33 | 2. Robert Kwambai 2:09:51 | 3. Shadrack Kenduiywo 2:09:55
- Women’s 42km: 1. Joy Kemuma 2:27:43 | 2. Jacinta Chepkoech 2:30:48 | 3. Nancy Jepleting 2:31:07
- Men’s 21km: 1. Brian Kogo 1:00:55 | 2. Jonah Kiprop Lagat 1:01:10 | 3. Lampard Mutuku 1:01:32
- Women’s 21km: 1. Doreen Cherop Kibet 1:09:19 | 2. Sylvia Changeiwo 1:10:04 | 3. Sharon Cherotich 1:10:30
- Men’s 10km: 1. Zakariah Gacugu 27:47 | 2. Shadrack Kipyegon 27:48 | 3. Enock Cheruiyot 28:03
Image credit: Nairobi City Marathon
Leave a Reply