Why Nairobi Expressway will be out of bounds from Saturday evening

Motorists will not be able to access the Nairobi Expressway from Saturday, 9.30 pm to pave the way for the 3rd edition of the Nairobi City Marathon.

Moja Expressway company, which manages the road urged motorists to use alternative routes.

"The Nairobi Expressway will be temporarily closed today from 9.30 pm to host the Nairobi City Marathon. Please plan alternative routes in advance," reads the notice.

Moja Expressway, however, said the resumption of normal operations will be communicated in due course, this is despite the Nairobi City Marathon on its page, noting that the road will be open for use on Sunday, 4 pm.

The Nairobi City Marathon organisers target 15,000 participants before the close of the registration period on Saturday.

Athletics Kenya President Jackson Tuwei on Wednesday that at least 10,650 participants had registered for Sunday's race.

Over 730 will compete in the 42km, 3,655 in the half marathon, 4,278 in the 10km race and 1,986 in the 6km fun run.

"We've seen tremendous interest in this year's marathon, with 10,650 participants registered. We anticipate to reach our 15,000 participants by Saturday," Tuwei said.

The first edition in 2022 had 10,000 participants which rose to 13,000 last year.

Registration will close once the 15,000-participant limit is reached or by the Saturday evening deadline, whichever comes first.

International presence

This year's event will feature a notable international presence, including 155 runners from China, 130 from the United Kingdom, 75 from the United States, and 56 from Tanzania.

"We have foreign athletes from 40 countries including Ghana, Mexico, Portugal, Bosnia, Libya, Zambia, India, Costa Rica, Poland, Denmark, Finland, Burundi, Czech Republic, Italy, Portugal and Colombia," said Tuwei.

The full marathon will commence at 6:45 am, with the last athlete expected to finish by 12:22 pm.

The half marathon will start at 7:30 am, followed by the 10km race at 9:00 am and the 6km fun run at 10:00 am.

Lang'ata OCPD Gregory Mutiso has assured participants of strong security measures throughout the event. Key roads, including the Nairobi Expressway from JKIA to ABC Place, Thika Road towards Uhuru Highway, James Gichuru Road, and Waiyaki Way, will be closed from midnight on Saturday until 12:30 pm on Sunday.

Traffic coordinators will guide motorists to alternative routes during this period.

In terms of prizes, the winners of the 42km race will receive Sh3.5 million.

The second and third-place finishers will earn Sh2.25 million and Sh1.5 million, respectively.

For the half marathon, the winners will be awarded Sh150,000, with Sh80,000 for second place and Sh50,000 for third place.