Enock Kipkemboi and Joy Kemuma won the men's and women's 42km titles at the fifth Nairobi City Marathon, each taking home Ksh 3.5 million. Brian Kogo claimed the half marathon men's crown in 1:00:55, while a humanoid AI robot named JayTron made history as the first of its kind to run a 5km road race in Africa.
Kipkemboi and Kemuma | Fit Savanna
Enock Kipkemboi and Joy Kemuma have been crowned the men's and women's champions of the fifth edition of the Nairobi City Marathon, held along the Nairobi Expressway on Sunday morning. The two winners each pocketed Ksh 3,500,000 in prize money, matching the prize on offer at the Eldoret City Marathon earlier this year.
But beyond the podium finishes, the race made history for an altogether different reason - a humanoid AI robot joined thousands of runners on the course, in what organisers called a first for Africa.
A total of 17,450 runners from 75 countries participated across four race categories, making it one of the biggest editions of the event yet.
Kipkemboi broke away from the leading men's group at the 27km mark and powered to the finish line to claim victory in 2:09:33, with Kenya sweeping the top three positions. The top three finishers were separated by just 22 seconds at the finish line.
| Pos | Athlete | Time | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 1 | Enock Kipkemboi | 2:09:33 | KES 3,500,000 |
| 🥈 2 | Robert Kwambai | 2:09:51 | KES 2,250,000 |
| 🥉 3 | Shadrack Kenduiywo | 2:09:55 | KES 1,500,000 |
| 4 | Samuel Lomoi | 2:10:18 | KES 800,000 |
| 5 | Jonson Mugeni | 2:10:24 | KES 650,000 |
| 6 | Dancan Kiprop | 2:10:28 | KES 450,000 |
| 7 | Felix Kandie | 2:10:58 | KES 400,000 |
| 8 | Noah Kiplimo Ruto | 2:11:10 | KES 325,000 |
| 9 | Kenneth Omulo | 2:11:37 | KES 300,000 |
| 10 | Samuel Kalalei | 2:11:45 | KES 200,000 |
Kipkemboi, who trains in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County, came into the race with a point to prove after a difficult Eldoret City Marathon in April, where he fell while jostling for position in the leading pack at the 40km mark and was forced to retire.
"I felt bad when I fell at the Eldoret City Marathon, but since another race was coming up, I decided to go back to training. I have been working hard because I wanted to be in a good position. I'm just excited my hard work has paid off," he said.
He added that he trains with a group of athletes in the high-altitude region without a coach, following a set programme.
Joy Kemuma crossed the finish line in 2:27:43 to claim the women's title, running alone for most of the race after surging to the lead when the route reached the Nairobi Expressway.
| Pos | Athlete | Time | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 1 | Joy Kemuma | 2:27:43 | KES 3,500,000 |
| 🥈 2 | Jacinta Chepkoech | 2:30:48 | KES 2,250,000 |
| 🥉 3 | Nancy Jepleting | 2:31:07 | KES 1,500,000 |
| 4 | Naomi Maiyo | 2:31:35 | KES 800,000 |
| 5 | Agnes Mumbua Ndolo | 2:32:35 | KES 650,000 |
| 6 | Dorothy Kipkilach | 2:32:40 | KES 450,000 |
| 7 | Shyline Toroutich | 2:33:35 | KES 400,000 |
| 8 | Vivian Jelangat | 2:34:04 | KES 325,000 |
| 9 | Miriam Mbito | 2:34:55 | KES 300,000 |
| 10 | Sharon Kipchumba | 2:35:10 | KES 200,000 |
Kemuma, who had finished 13th at this race last year and fifth at the Eldoret City Marathon in April, said her target coming in was a podium finish.
"I still had some energy," she said after crossing the line.
Kemuma trains in Kapsabet, Nandi County.
Jacinta Chepkoech finished a strong second, taking home Ksh 2,250,000. Chepkoech, an enforcement officer with the County Government of Nandi and based in Kapsabet, described the race as one of the toughest she has faced, having finished 14th in the same event in 2025.
"The race was very tough, but I persevered and was able to make the podium. I thank God that today I was able to finish on the podium," she said.
Brian Kogo claimed the men's half marathon title with a stunning 1:00:55, edging out Jonah Kiprop Lagat in second (1:01:10) and Lampard Mutuku in third (1:01:32).
| Pos | Athlete | Time | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 1 | Brian Kogo | 1:00:55 | KES 150,000 |
| 🥈 2 | Jonah Kiprop Lagat | 1:01:10 | KES 80,000 |
| 🥉 3 | Lampard Mutuku | 1:01:32 | KES 50,000 |
| 4 | Melvin Lemayian | 1:01:53 | KES 30,000 |
| 5 | Samuel Keter | 1:01:55 | KES 25,000 |
| 6 | David Ripalo | 1:02:13 | KES 20,000 |
| 7 | Alex Kamau | 1:02:24 | - |
| 8 | Jonathan Korir | 1:02:33 | - |
| 9 | Kelvin Chepsigor | 1:02:38 | - |
| 10 | Victor Ngeno | 1:02:47 | - |
Kogo, who trains in Cherangany, Trans Nzoia County, credited his training partner, Boston Marathon champion John Korir, for the victory.
"I must admit that my training partner has made me win here today because he always asks me to step in front in any race, and I'm glad it worked for me here today," Kogo said.
| Pos | Athlete | Time | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 1 | Doreen Cherop Kibet | 1:09:19 | KES 150,000 |
| 🥈 2 | Sylvia Changeiwo | 1:10:04 | KES 80,000 |
| 🥉 3 | Sharon Cherotich | 1:10:30 | KES 50,000 |
| 4 | Sharon Rutto | 1:10:49 | KES 30,000 |
| 5 | Jackline Rotich | 1:11:01 | KES 25,000 |
| 6 | Rachel Nzangi Mutua | 1:13:50 | KES 20,000 |
| 7 | Gladys Wachuka | 1:14:56 | - |
| 8 | Pauline Muchiri Wanjiru | 1:15:14 | - |
| 9 | Violet Jepkemboi | 1:16:09 | - |
| 10 | Jackline Chepkurui | 1:16:48 | - |
Zakariah Gacugu blazed through the largest field of the day, 6,550 runners, to win the men's 10km in an impressive 27:47.
| Pos | Athlete | Time | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 1 | Zakariah Gacugu | 27:47 | KES 100,000 |
| 🥈 2 | Shadrack Kipyegon | 27:48 | KES 60,000 |
| 🥉 3 | Enock Cheruiyot | 28:03 | KES 40,000 |
| 4 | Collins Kiprop | 28:04 | KES 30,000 |
| 5 | Victor Kiprop | 28:04 | KES 15,000 |
| 6 | Alex Pelor | 28:16 | KES 7,500 |
| 7 | Festus Kiprono | 28:24 | - |
| 8 | Daniel Mutula | 28:28 | - |
| 9 | Gidion Tenai | 28:32 | - |
| 10 | Evans Kiplagat | 28:35 | - |
| Pos | Athlete | Time | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 1 | Phane Jairus | 31:27 | KES 100,000 |
| 🥈 2 | Enit Moses | 31:38 | KES 60,000 |
| 🥉 3 | Sharon Chepchirchir | 31:56 | KES 40,000 |
| 4 | Stacy Chepngeno | 32:31 | KES 30,000 |
| 5 | Petronila Musengya | 33:00 | KES 15,000 |
| 6 | Loise Kiarie | 33:12 | KES 7,500 |
| 7 | Nympha Kiteta | 33:32 | - |
| 8 | Daisy Cherono | 33:38 | - |
| 9 | Rael Mitieka | 33:39 | - |
| 10 | Viterline Jeptoo | 34:08 | - |
The 5km family run, which started at 11:00 hrs, attracted 4,100 participants including children and families. It also featured the race's most talked-about participant - a humanoid AI robot.
The 5km is a non-competitive, participatory event intended to promote health and community spirit. Official winner standings and finish times are not recorded or published for this category.
Perhaps the most unusual story of the day came not from the elite athletes but from JayTron, a humanoid AI robot wearing bib number 17229, who lined up alongside thousands of runners in the 5km family fun race.
JayTron was built by Jays Pyrotechnics, a Kenyan tech company, and was overseen during the race by company representative Zameer Noorali.
"This is the first AI-powered humanoid in Kenya and East Africa, and we have coded it locally with full AI capabilities. In fact, this is the first time a humanoid will run a 5km road race in Africa using AI capabilities," Noorali said.
The robot's appearance drew significant interest from runners and spectators, particularly families with children who make up the bulk of the 5km field. According to Noorali, Jays Pyrotechnics has a total of six JayTron units and four AI-powered Robo-Dogs, which the company intends to deploy for product activation experiences and customer service at its Fireworks Shops in Nairobi and Mombasa.
Race director Barnaba Korir, who also serves as First Vice President of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK), said the inclusion of the humanoid was a deliberate decision to spark conversation about technology.
"It's interesting and it's happening in Africa for the first time, so everyone is excited to see how it will turn out. But it shows that the world is developing, and that this is now happening right here at home," Korir said.
He also presented awards to the winners at the closing ceremony at Uhuru Park. The organisers noted that including the robot was intended to promote discussion about technological advancements and their role in society. It is not the first time a humanoid has featured in a major road race globally; last year, organisers of the Beijing E-Town Half Marathon included humanoid robots in the 21km category, running in a dedicated parallel race alongside human competitors.
| Distance | Participants | Start | Cutoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42km Full Marathon | 1,750 | 06:45 | 13:00 |
| 21km Half Marathon | 5,050 | 09:00 | 12:30 |
| 10km | 6,550 | 10:00 | 12:00 |
| 5km Family Run | 4,100 | 11:00 | 12:05 |
| Total | 17,450 |
All roads reopened at around 1:00 PM.
The marathon was not without controversy. Several participants took to social media to report a logistics failure in which organisers apparently ran out of race bibs before race day, directing runners to collect them at the starting point on the morning of the event, only for neither the bibs nor race officials to be available when they arrived.
"So the Nairobi City Marathon organisers run out of bibs, tell people to collect them on race day at the starting point and then they're nowhere to be seen. Neither are they picking calls. What disorganisation is this?"
- Social media reaction
Race organisers had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of publishing.
Want to race next? Check our Kenya marathon calendar for upcoming events near you. You can also bookmark our dedicated Nairobi City Marathon page to stay updated on the next edition, registration dates, and event news.
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