Nairobi Marathon 2026: Southern Bypass Race on 25 October

EXPATS & NOMADS · NAIROBI

Kenya’s biggest one-day sporting event runs along the edge of Nairobi National Park on the last Sunday of October. Entries are full, so for most US visitors this is a race to watch, and a road closure to plan around.

The Nairobi Marathon 2026, formally the 23rd Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon, takes place on Sunday 25 October on the Southern Bypass, the highway that skirts Nairobi National Park. The full marathon starts at 5:45 a.m. and finishes at Uhuru Gardens, the memorial park on Langata Road, according to the organiser’s website and its 2026 runners’ guide.

For an American in Nairobi that weekend, two facts matter most. Registration closed in July, more than three months early, so there are no new entries to buy. And the Southern Bypass is closed from 11 p.m. on Saturday until 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, which changes the route to and from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Karen and Langata for anyone travelling that morning. All amounts below are converted at the 2 October rate.

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What the Nairobi Marathon Is and Why It Matters

The race was first run in 2003 and has been sponsored by Standard Chartered Kenya ever since. Athletics Kenya, the national federation, describes it in the runners’ guide as a World Athletics Label road race, which means the course is officially measured and results count towards international rankings. Nairobi City County calls it the country’s largest single-day sporting event.

This year’s edition is the largest so far. Standard Chartered told Kenyan media in September that more than 30,000 runners from 102 nationalities had entered, up from 92 nationalities in 2025, and The Star reported a record sponsorship package of KES 273 million (about US$2.1 million). Kenyan sports outlets also reported that the elite field has been expanded sharply, with athletes drawn from the training camps of the North Rift.

The runners’ guide lists six categories: the 42km full marathon, the 21km half marathon, a 21km wheelchair race, a 10km road race, a 5km family fun run and a CEO Challenge. Prize money on the organiser’s site is KES 2 million (about US$15,400) for the men’s and women’s marathon winners, KES 1 million (about US$7,700) for second and KES 500,000 (about US$3,800) for third. The half marathon pays KES 300,000 (about US$2,300) to each winner.

For a US visitor, the appeal is less the prize list than the setting. Kenya produces many of the world’s best distance runners, and this is the one Sunday of the year when the capital closes a major highway to let tens of thousands of ordinary people run past Nairobi National Park on the city’s southern edge. It also gives an early look at a city that will host the World Athletics Championships in 2029, as the Rio Times reported in Nairobi 2029 Will Be the First World Athletics Championships Held in Africa.

Start, Finish and Race-Day Timetable

The organiser’s home page says all races assemble outside Carnivore, the restaurant on the Southern Bypass, and the 42km, 21km, 10km and wheelchair races finish at Uhuru Gardens. The timetable below is the one on the home page and in the runners’ guide; the FAQ page lists later starts for three races (see What Is Not Confirmed Yet).

• 21km wheelchair race: arrive 4:45 a.m., assemble 5:10 a.m., start 5:30 a.m.
• 42km full marathon: arrive 4:45 a.m., assemble 5:35 a.m., start 5:45 a.m.
• 21km half marathon: arrive 6:15 a.m., assemble 6:45 a.m., start 7:05 a.m.
• 10km road race: arrive 8:00 a.m., assemble 8:40 a.m., start 8:45 a.m.
• 5km family fun run: arrive 9:00 a.m., assemble 9:40 a.m., rolling start 10:00 a.m.

Registered runners collect their kits at Uhuru Gardens from Wednesday 21 to Saturday 24 October, between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. each day. There is no kit collection on race day. A friend can collect on your behalf with your confirmation slip and an identity document. Runners park inside the Carnivore grounds at their own risk. The runners’ guide puts left luggage at Uhuru Gardens, where security will ask to see a race number, while the FAQ places it at the warm-up area at the start.

Podium presentations for the top three in each race take place on the stage at Uhuru Gardens, and finisher certificates can be downloaded from the race website afterwards. A satellite race in Mombasa is held a week earlier, on Sunday 18 October.

Road Closures and Getting Around

The runners’ guide says the Southern Bypass will be closed from 11 p.m. on Saturday 24 October and will reopen at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday 25 October, with the Kenya Police lifting the closures. Its diversion table sends traffic from Kikuyu towards Mombasa Road along Waiyaki Way instead, traffic from Karen towards Mombasa Road along Langata Road, and trailers and lorries onto Waiyaki Way.

In practice, if you land at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Sunday morning, or need to reach it, allow extra time and expect your driver to use Mombasa Road and Uhuru Highway rather than the bypass. Hotels in Karen and Langata sit closest to the course, which makes watching easy but driving harder until early afternoon.

Uhuru Gardens is on Langata Road, south-west of the city centre. App-based taxis are the simplest way for a visitor to reach it, but on race morning drivers will be working around closed roads, so agree a drop-off point a short walk from the gardens. Organisers advise runners not to park on the roadside along the route or on access roads.

Tips for US and Foreign Visitors

Entry rules. US citizens need a Kenyan Electronic Travel Authorisation before travelling. The official site, etakenya.go.ke, lists fees starting at US$30 for standard processing, with an expedited option at an extra US$100. It says applications are usually processed within three working days and recommends applying at least two weeks before travel. You need a passport valid for at least six months with one blank page, a photo, your itinerary and an accommodation booking. Apply only through the government site or its official app.

Safety. The US State Department rates Kenya at Level 2, “exercise increased caution”, in an advisory dated 17 March 2025 and still shown on its Kenya page. It asks US citizens to reconsider travel to the Nairobi neighbourhoods of Eastleigh and Kibera, warns of phone and bag snatching in crowded areas, and advises against travelling after dark. Race morning begins in darkness, so travel to the start by booked car rather than on foot, and carry only a phone and a little cash.

Altitude and conditions. Nairobi is a high-altitude city, so visiting runners from sea level will feel the effort, and the first races start before sunrise. The guide promises water points along the route, mobile medical units and misting stations.

Costs. Organisers have not announced any spectator ticket, and the runners’ guide mentions dedicated spectator zones along the route. If you already hold an entry, the fee was KES 2,500 (about US$19), and all race proceeds go to the Standard Chartered Foundation, the bank’s charitable arm. Organisers warn that registration is online only and that no cash should be handed to anyone claiming to sell places. For other things to do while in town, see What to Do in Nairobi in October 2026: Charly Black, NBO Film Festival and Waiyaki Wa Hinga.

What Is Not Confirmed Yet

Several details are inconsistent across the organiser’s own pages. The home page and the runners’ guide give starts of 5:30 a.m. for the wheelchair race, 5:45 a.m. for the full marathon and 7:05 a.m. for the half, while the FAQ page lists 5:45 a.m., 6:00 a.m. and 7:20 a.m. The home page puts the start outside Carnivore, the FAQ says the CALE entrance on the Southern Bypass, and the chairman’s note in the guide describes Uhuru Gardens as both start and finish. Runners should check their final race-day instructions.

The total prize purse is shown as both KES 15 million and KES 12.4 million (about US$115,000 or US$95,000) on the same page. Kenyan outlets also differ on the size of the elite field, with figures of more than 200 and more than 400, and on the total number of entries. Whether organisers will reopen registration has not been announced, and no elite start list has been published.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Nairobi Marathon 2026?

The 23rd Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon is on Sunday 25 October 2026. The organiser’s home page and runners’ guide give 5:30 a.m. for the 21km wheelchair race and 5:45 a.m. for the full marathon, East Africa Time; its FAQ page lists 5:45 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.

Can I still register for the Nairobi Marathon?

No. The organiser’s runners’ guide says registration is closed for both local and international participants. It closed in July, and organisers have not announced any reopening.

Which roads close for the Nairobi Marathon?

The Southern Bypass is closed from 11 p.m. on Saturday 24 October until 1:30 p.m. on Sunday 25 October. Traffic is diverted via Waiyaki Way, Langata Road, Mombasa Road and Uhuru Highway, according to the runners’ guide.

Sources: Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon, official website, FAQ page and 2026 Runners’ Guide (nairobimarathon.com); Michezo Afrika; The Star (Kenya); SportsAfrica; Republic of Kenya Directorate of Immigration Services, eTA general information and FAQ (etakenya.go.ke); US State Department, Kenya travel advisory (travel.state.gov).

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief