Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon adds safety measures for 30,000

More than 30,000 runners have signed up for the 2026 Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon, with organisers introducing extra safety, recovery and environmental measures before the 25 October race. The event will be held along Nairobi’s Southern Bypass.

The route will have 20 hydration stations, while bicycle-based medical teams will move around the course to improve emergency response times. Organisers are also adding stations for muscle relief, stronger post-race recovery support and downloadable certificates for finishers.

Sustainability is another major part of this year’s preparations. Each finisher is due to receive a tree seedling, with the organisers and Nairobi City County targeting 50,000 trees. The wider programme includes separating waste, increasing recycling, cutting the use of single-use plastics, sourcing materials responsibly and measuring the event’s environmental impact.

The Local Organising Committee said the measures are intended to improve the experience for runners while raising operational and safety standards. The race holds World Athletics Road Race Label status, which Athletics Kenya president Lt Gen (Rtd) Jackson Tuwei said offers Kenyan and international athletes a recognised platform and reflects the country’s standing in distance running.

The programme is set to include seven race categories, featuring the 42-kilometre marathon, 21-kilometre half marathon, 21-kilometre wheelchair race, 10-kilometre race, CEO Challenge and 5-kilometre Family Fun Run. Warm-up events will be held in different parts of the country in the weeks before race day.

The marathon will also continue its community work through the Standard Chartered Foundation. Its programmes support young people with skills, employment opportunities and routes into entrepreneurship, extending the event’s impact beyond the competition itself.