Standard Chartered Bank has entered a new five-year partnership deal with Athletics Kenya to deliver the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon on October 29.
The partnership, which ends in 2027, will see the athletics body assist the organisers to ensure efficient running and coordination of the event.
The event's Local Organizing Committee (LOC) chairman Peter Gitau said, “For nearly 20 years, the event has provided a stage for national and international athletes' stardom.
"This has only been achieved through the support of our partners, key among them, Athletics Kenya.
"Today, we are proud to extend our partnership with the athletics body and look forward to progressing our goal to deliver a collaborative, inclusive, sustainable, and premium marathon in the region."
Gitau cited the likes of former world marathon record holder Dennis Kimetto, Irene Jerotich, Chemutai Rionotukei, Fridah Chepkite Lodepa, and Elisha Kiprop among others as some of the products of StanChart Marathon.
He said AK have linked athletes to the Standard Chartered Marathon since 2003 and helped launch their careers.
Besides, the association has helped to design the race specificities including timings, and running tracks, and catered for athletes' welfare checks.
Athletics Kenya (AK) president, Lt Gen (Rtd) Jackson Tuwei said he is proud to extend the partnership with Standard Chartered Marathon for the next five years.
He said over the past 20 years, the event has not only nurtured sporting talent but also helped create a benchmark for other marathons in the region.
"We are excited to continue working with the Stan Chart Marathon LOC to deliver a top-notch and unmatched event experience. We are also excited to see more athletic careers being launched and nurtured through the marathon.”
He further thanked United Nations Environment Programme and the Stockholm Environment Institute for their efforts and revealed that they will use the platform to conduct real-time air quality monitoring.
This year's event targets to register 25,000 runners and will start at the Uhuru Garden. The satellite marathons will start a week earlier prior to the main event (October 22).
The event will feature seven race categories thus; 42km (men and women), 21km (men and women), 21km wheelchair (men and women), 10km (men and women), 10km CEO challenge, 5km Family Fun Run race and the Corporate Relay Challenge.
The registration portal is now open on www.nairobimarathon.com at a fee of Sh2000 and individual and corporate participants are encouraged to register early.
Last year, Elias Chelimo and Sheila Chepkech won the 42km individual men and women categories.