This archive report was first published on 31 October 2021.
The 18th edition of the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon took place on October 31, 2021, with Elisha Kiprop and Valentine Kipketer emerging as the winners of the men's and women's 42km races respectively.
Valentine Kipketer outsmarted Naomi Chepkogei Maiyo to win the women's 42km race in 2 hours, 30 minutes, and 02 seconds. Naomi settled for the second slot in 2:32:23, while Lilian Chemweno came third in 2:34:14.
Commenting on her win, Valentine Kipketer said, 'This was my first time participating in the Standard Chartered Marathon, and I am very pleased with my performance. I have been training for a better part of the year with a couple of teammates, and I was confident that I was well trained and prepped for the race.'
In the men's 42km event, Elisha Kiprop took command of the race to emerge victorious, with Alphonce Kigen coming second and Joshua Kogo finishing third.
Speaking on his win, Elisha Kiprop expressed his joy, saying, 'I am very pleased to have participated in this year's marathon. I commenced training in June, and it's good to see the results of my hard work.'
Winners in both categories each walked away with Sh2 million. The marathon made a comeback this year after it was cancelled in 2020 due to unprecedented challenges brought about by COVID-19 and the containment measures required.
Sh 11.5m prize money has been allocated to go to the top athletes in different race categories. All proceeds will be channeled towards the Future makers initiative, which is Standard Chartered's community initiative that supports women and youth through education, employability, and entrepreneurship.
