Why You Couldn’t Get a StanChart Marathon Ticket

The 2026 Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon sold out in July, three months before race day. Since the first event in 2003, which drew 4,000 runners, participation has grown sharply: more than 30,000 people registered last year, while full-marathon finishers rose from fewer than 700 in 2022 to nearly 1,500 in 2025. The author argues that recreational running in Kenya has reached critical mass, driven by the spread of running communities and the connections they create. Strava’s global user base has also grown from 100 million to 180 million in three years.