Peter Mwangi and Fridah Ndida claimed top honours in the 21km warm-up race for the 22nd Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon, held at Parklands Sports Club in Nairobi, where more than 1,500 athletes participated.

Mwangi crossed the finish line in 65 minutes to win the men’s category, while Ndida clocked 77 minutes to dominate the women’s race.

Mwangi described the victory as a key boost in his preparations for the main marathon.

“Winning today has given me confidence as I prepare for the October race. The course was competitive, and I am happy with my performance. I believe this momentum will carry me into the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon, where I hope to achieve an even better result,” he said.

The main event is scheduled for October 26, 2025, at Uhuru Gardens and is expected to draw more than 30,000 participants.

Organisers have confirmed that over 18,000 runners have already registered ahead of the October 10 deadline, including more than 60 elite athletes.

Among the elite names are Kenyans Lazarus Too, the 2025 Orange Phikwe National Marathon champion, and Donald Sambu, winner of the 2021 MTN Kampala Marathon, alongside Ugandan international competitor Stephen Mugabe and Cecilia Alonyo.

David Mwindi, chairperson of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), said the strong turnout at the warm-up event reflects the growing stature of the marathon.

“The strong turnout today from both runners and sponsors demonstrates the growing energy around this year’s marathon. It is encouraging to see how individuals and corporates are rallying behind the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon, not just as a sporting event, but as a platform that empowers communities through initiatives like Futuremakers,” said Mwindi.

This year’s marathon targets to raise more than Sh70 million for Futuremakers by Standard Chartered, the bank’s global initiative that equips young people—especially women and persons with disabilities—with skills in education, employability and entrepreneurship. In 2024, the marathon raised Sh48 million for the programme.

The Parklands event is the first in a series of build-up activities that include another warm-up run in Karura Forest, a medical camp in Kibera, and a satellite race in Mombasa.

To enhance the race-day experience, organisers have announced several improvements.

The 42km marathon will, for the first time, feature a separate finish-line channel for elite runners. The 21km and 10km races will end at different points inside Uhuru Gardens to ease congestion, while the walk-off area after the finish has been expanded by 30 per cent to improve flow and safety.

Medal and hydration teams have also been reinforced, and a new photo-finish zone will give participants high-quality images without blocking movement.