Team Tatu 001 emerged the winner in the 2023 Nairobi Relay Marathon held on Saturday at the Marist International University College in Karen, Nairobi.
The team completed the six legs of the relay in a time of 2 hours,28 minutes and 45 seconds edging out defending champions Roaring Simbas who clocked 2 hours, 33 minutes and 36 seconds.
In the female category, Rocket Queens clocked 3 hours, 27 minutes and 26 seconds for the 42km race to emerge victorious. Dash Dolls came second after covering the distance in 3 hours, 27 minutes and 27 seconds.
As for the combined gender teams, Lift-Run-Lift emerged champions having completed the race in 3 hours, 1 minutes and 24 seconds.
The third edition of the competition dubbed “The most electrifying sporting event” attracted a record 75 teams, comprising 450 runners. This is an increase from the 40 teams that participated in the second edition in 2022, and the 22 teams that ran in the inaugural edition in 2021.
The event’s founder, David Thuo, says: “The record number of participants in this edition is a testament of our vision to create a community that embraces sports and wellness as a way of life.
Going by this year’s theme of ‘Common People achieving uncommon results,’ we were delighted to see that more people were motivated to participate thus proving that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary results.”
He added: “Given the enthusiasm among participants and organizers, there is no doubt that the Nairobi Marathon Relay will continue growing in future editions.
The Nairobi Marathon Relay which mainly attracts recreational, amateur, and semi-professional runners creates a unique experience of running a full marathon in teams, offering both excitement and an increased sense of competition, with the baton exchange point providing the most excitement.
The event also supports the Nairobi Support Services, an institution that helps with the rehabilitation of children with various disabilities.
SBM Bank Kenya, a sponsor of the event, said that its support underscored its commitment to promoting sports as a means of empowering communities through social inclusion.
The Bank’s Head of Marketing and Communications Magdalene Mulandi said: “We are pleased to have partnered with the Nairobi Marathon Relay in support of a worthy cause. As part of our commitment to contribute towards sustainability and community development, we also aim to reinforce our strong association with wellness and fitness initiatives as we strive to create experiences that drive positive welfare for our customers, staff, and the larger community.”
Multiple Paralympic gold medalist and former full and half marathon world record holder, Henry Wanyoike and his guide Paul Wanyoike were among this year’s participants running for Team Jelani. The eldest entry in the field was 73-year-old Surinder Singh, who participated in his third event, for Team Jelani.
Sponsors and partners of the event included: SBM Bank Kenya, Reload Kenya, A6 Sport, Jubilee Insurance, Tetra Pak East Africa, Dathon Ace Limited, IMG Kenya limited, AMREF Flying Doctors, Run Beyond, Kenya Police, Nairobi Metropolitan Services as well as Marist International University College.
