Mwangi and Ndida Dominate Nairobi Marathon Warm-Up Race

Peter Mwangi and Fridah Ndida emerged winners in the 21km warm-up race for the 22nd Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon held at Parklands Sports Club in Nairobi, an event that brought together over 1500 participants.

Peter clocked 65 minutes in the men’s race, while Fridah triumphed in the women’s category with a time of 77 minutes.

Speaking after the win, Mwangi said the victory was a strong indication of readiness for the main marathon.

“Winning today has given me confidence as I prepare for the main race in October. 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,” said Mwangi.

The warm-up event comes ahead of the 22nd edition of the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon, scheduled for October 26, 2025, at Uhuru Gardens. The main event is expected to attract over 30,000 participants.

Already, more than 18,000 runners have registered ahead of the October 10 deadline, with over 60 elite athletes confirmed across different categories—including the 42km full marathon, 21km half marathon, 10km race, and the 21km wheelchair race. Among them are Kenyans Lazarus Too, this year’s Orange Phikwe National Marathon champion; Donald Sambu, winner of the 2021 MTN Kampala Marathon; Ugandan Stephen Mugabe, who has competed in international events such as the TCS New York Marathon; and Cecilia Alonyo.

“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 David Mwindi, Chairperson of the Local Organising Committee (LOC).

The 2025 marathon aims to raise over KES 70 million towards Futuremakers by Standard Chartered, the Bank’s global initiative that empowers young people, particularly women and persons with disabilities, through education, employability and entrepreneurship. In 2024, the marathon raised KES 48 million, which was invested directly into Futuremakers programmes.

The warm-up race at Parklands Sports Club will be followed by another warm-up at Karura Forest, a medical camp in Kibera and a satellite run in Mombasa, all leading up to the main event on October 26.

Organisers have already announced a series of improvements to elevate race-day experience. For the first time, the 42km marathon will feature an exclusive finish-line channel for elite runners, while the 21km and 10km races will finish at different points inside Uhuru Gardens to reduce congestion.

The runner walk-off area after the finish has been expanded by 30 per cent to improve flow and safety. In addition, the medal and hydration teams have been strengthened with more personnel, and a new photo-finish zone will allow participants to capture high-quality images without obstructing movement.