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
Developing story - 10km women's results, 5km podium, and JayTron's finish time to be added.
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 participated across four race categories, making it one of the biggest editions of the event yet.
Kipkemboi claimed victory in 2:09:33 as Kenya swept the top three positions. The top three finishers were separated by just 23 seconds at the finish line.
| Pos | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 🥇 1 | Enock Kipkemboi | 2:09:33 |
| 🥈 2 | Robert Kwambai | 2:09:51 |
| 🥉 3 | Shadrack Kenduiywo | 2:09:56 |
Joy Kemuma crossed the finish line in 2:27:43 to claim the women's title, with Jacinta Chepkoech finishing a strong second. Chepkoech, an Enforcement Officer with Nandi County, took home Ksh 2,200,000 for her second-place finish.
| Pos | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 🥇 1 | Joy Kemuma | 2:27:43 |
| 🥈 2 | Jacinta Chepkoech | 2:30:48 |
| 🥉 3 | Nancy Jepleting | 2:31:07 |
Brian Kogo claimed the men's half marathon title with a stunning 1:00:55, edging out Jonah Kiprop Lagat in a fierce battle right to the finish line.
| Pos | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 🥇 1 | Brian Kogo | 1:00:55 |
| 🥈 2 | Jonah Kiprop Lagat | 1:01:10 |
| 🥉 3 | Lampard Mutuku | 1:01:32 |
| Pos | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 🥇 1 | Doreen Cherop Kibet | 1:09:19 |
| 🥈 2 | Sylvia Changeiwo | 1:10:04 |
| 🥉 3 | Sharon Cherotich | 1:10:30 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 🥇 1 | Zakariah Gacugu | 27:47 |
| 2 | To be updated | - |
| 3 | To be updated | - |
Women's 10km results to be updated.
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.
Podium results to be updated.
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.
Story developing - 10km women's results, 5km podium, and JayTron's finish time to be added. Last updated: Sunday, June 7, 2026.
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