Kipkemboi, Kemuma crowned Nairobi City Marathon champions

Kenyan marathoners Enock Kipkemboi and Joy Kemuma emerged victorious in the men's and women's races respectively at Sunday's Nairobi City Marathon, both producing inspiring comeback performances to claim top honours.

Kipkemboi redeemed himself after failing to finish at the Eldoret City Marathon earlier this year, storming to victory in the men's race in 2:09:33. He held off Robert Kwambai (2:09:51) and Shadrack Kenduiywo (2:09:56), who finished second and third respectively.

The triumph marked a welcome return to winning ways for Kipkemboi, whose last victory came at the Huai'an Marathon in China in 2024.

"I am so happy to have come here and won today. My sole objective was to win this race because my last competition did not go according to plan. I fell down with two kilometres to go and so I could not finish the race," said Kipkemboi.

The Kenyan expressed hope that the Nairobi victory would open doors to more international competitions. "I hope that I can get to compete in more international races and to win more such competitions," he added.

In the women's race, Kemuma completed a remarkable turnaround from last year's disappointment, clocking 2:27:43 to secure a dominant victory. Jacinta Chepkoech finished second in 2:30:48 while Nancy Jepleting came home third in 2:31:07.

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Kemuma's win was particularly impressive considering she could only manage 13th place at the 2025 edition of the race. "I am so happy to finish first today," said Kemuma.

Reflecting on her transformation, she credited improved preparation and valuable lessons from last year's race. "Last year I had not trained well, but I ensured this year that I was fully prepared and I am glad I won," she said.

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Kemuma revealed that her fifth-place finish at the Eldoret City Marathon in April had boosted her confidence heading into Nairobi.

Chepkoech, who improved from 14th place last year to finish runner-up, described the race as a stern test.

"The race was very tough, but I persevered and I was able to make the podium," she said, adding that focused hill training had helped her cope with the challenging course.

Meanwhile, Jepleting attributed her podium finish to months of dedicated preparation. "I had trained well for the race since March so that I could give a good performance," she said.

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