About 1,000 runners took part in the Standard Chartered Mombasa Satellite Run on Sunday at the Mama Ngina Waterfront, as Mombasa continues to position itself as a sports tourism destination.
The turnout increased from about 800 runners who participated in last year’s event, according to Standard Chartered Chief Compliance Officer and Nairobi Marathon Local Organising Committee Chairman David Mwindi.
Mwindi said the Mombasa run is part of the bank’s efforts to promote a running culture while supporting community programmes through the StanChart Foundation.
“We want to create that running culture and I think Mombasa is strategic for us, but more so just coming back to give back to the people of Mombasa,” Mwindi said.
He said the increased participation showed that the event was gaining traction in the coastal city.
“This year we registered about 1,000 runners compared to 800 last year. So I think we’re getting the attention that we require from the people of Mombasa,” he said.
Mwindi said weather conditions were also more favourable than during last year’s race, although the heat remained a challenge for athletes.
“The weather was slightly cooler than last year. Although it’s always a challenge running in the heat of Mombasa, all in all, it was much better than last year,” he said.
In the 21-kilometre race, Brian Kurgat emerged victorious in the men’s category, while Eusila Jemeli won the women’s 21-kilometre race.
Kurgat said the race was manageable because of the relatively favourable morning temperatures.
“The marathon was not that challenging given that the temperatures were good in the morning despite Mombasa being known for high temperatures,” Kurgat said.
He, however, identified the race loop as one of the challenges, saying long-distance runners are not always accustomed to repeatedly running the same route.
Kurgat said his preparations included training on the 30-kilometre Dongo Kundu route, which he described as particularly demanding when run during hot afternoon conditions.
“I’ve been training in a number of routes in Mombasa, one being the 30km Dongo Kundu, which is quite challenging,” he said.
He said he would also compete in the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon.
Duncan Komen won the 10-kilometre race, adding to the list of athletes who emerged victorious in the different categories of the Mombasa event.
Mombasa County Executive Committee Member for Trade, Tourism and Culture Mohammed Osman said the event demonstrated the county’s growing potential as a sports tourism destination.
“Mombasa is open for sport tourism,” Osman said.
Osman noted that the county had hosted another major marathon two months earlier, saying the events were helping strengthen Mombasa’s profile as a sporting destination.
“We had Mombasa Marathon. And it’s happening here in Mombasa. That tells you something else that Mombasa is open for sport tourism,” he said.
He said the county government was also investing in sports infrastructure and preparing to complete the main stadium.
“We are finishing up with our main stadium. So these are things that are coming up and in about two months, three months, we’ll see a lot of things happening in Mombasa with regards to sports,” Osman said.
Osman also welcomed partnerships with organisations supporting sporting events in the county.
“We thank StanChart for this massive investment in marathon, and this is the thing that we’re telling our partners: come and partner with Mombasa County,” he said.
The Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon, which is the main event in the series, is scheduled for two weeks after the Mombasa satellite run.
Mwindi urged runners from Mombasa to travel to Nairobi for the main race, saying preparations were already underway.