First Lady Margaret Kenyatta leads participants in the 5th edition of the Beyond Zero Half Marathon at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi.
According to the organizers, over 15,000 runners have registered to take part in the marathon but they are targeting to register 20,000 participants.
The event will for the first time in history include 21km and 10km races for the visually impaired athletes.
There will be a 21km race for men and women as well as a 21km race for wheelchair athletes. A 10km corporate-run will be held together with a 5km run for pregnant mothers.
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Nairobi Traffic Police Commander, Joshua Omukata, said several roads will be affected by the marathon from Sunday Morning. “The roads that will be affected are, Mombasa road, Langata road, Aerodrome Road, Uhuru Highway, Haile Selassie Avenue, Harambee Avenue, Kenyatta Avenue, Nyerere Road, University way, National Museum hill overpass, Professor Wangari Maathai road and Lusaka Road.”
He advised Nairobi residents planning to use the mentioned roads to seek alternative routes and plan accordingly to avoid any inconveniences.
Athletics Kenya President Rtd. General Jackson Tuwei, thanked the office of the First Lady for their support over the years while urging Kenyans to turn up in large numbers to support this worthy cause.
“On behalf of Athletics Kenya, I want to thank Her Excellency the First Lady of the Republic, for her continued support towards our athletes. The Beyond Zero Half Marathon provides a great platform for our athletes to train while making a positive impact on society. We continue to urge our athletes and Kenyans at large to register for the marathon.” He said.
Winners of the 21km race for the elite will pocket Ksh 250,000 while winners of the 21km wheelchair races will receive Ksh 100,000 and winners of the visually impaired race will receive Ksh 50,000.