Kiptum bounces back from doping ban to win men's Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon

By  Ayumba Ayodi

Correspondent

NMG Sport

Newcomer Abraham Kiptum from Kapsabet on Sunday won the men's race in the 23rd edition of the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon.

Kiptum swept through the second half of the race alone on the Southern Bypass to win in a time of 2:10:35, missing the course record by 23 seconds on a sunny Sunday morning.

It was 37-year-old Kiptum’s first marathon on home soil, which came two months after winning Tanzania's CRDB International Marathon in 2:15:32.

“I had prepared well for this race for close to four months…I didn’t stop training even after winning in Tanzania,” said Kiptum, who now hopes to secure a major race next season.

Kiptum is making a return to international competition, having served a four-year ban for a doping offence in 2019 having been flagged days before his debut at the 2019 London Marathon.

Kiptum, who had set a new world half marathon record in 2018 with a time of 58:18 in Valencia, was banned for an Athlete Biological Passport violation. His results from 2018 and 2019, including the record, were expunged.

On his return, he finished ninth at Shenzhen Baoan International Marathon in China in 2023 before settling 23rd at Lisbon Marathon in 2024. He would win the Tenwek Hospital Half Marathon the same year.

“I want to focus on the positive side of life as I try to make a comeback. I wanted to compete here last year but failed to beat the deadline,” said Kiptum, who broke away after 25km to triumph, edging out another debutant Amos Cheruiyot (2:10:37) from Iten to second place by two seconds. Mark Kibiwott came third in 2:11:05.

“We were three of us until the 25km mark when Kiptum broke away from us. We tried to close in but he had done enough,” said Cheruiyot, who is fresh from finishing fourth at the Eldoret City Marathon in 2:13:43.

Kaptagat’s Nashon Kipsang went back to the drawing board after playing second fiddle last year to finally win men’s 21km in 1:03:07, having trained in the hilly parts of Kaptagat to conquer the course in Nairobi.

“I really struggled with the hills last year but the training in Kaptagat has paid dividends,” said Kipsang, the 2025 Rio de Janeiro Half Marathon champion.

Kipsang beat Wycliffe Kirwa to second place in 1:03:13 as Dennis Kororia came third in1:03:32.

Men's 42km

1.     Abraham Kiptum 2:10:35

2.     Amos Cheruiyot 2:10:37

3.     Mark Kibiwott 2:11:05

4.     Dismas Kiplimo 2:11:15

5.     Henry Kiprono Togom 2:11:55

Men's 21km

1.     Nashon Kipsang 1:03:07

2.     Wycliffe Kirwa 1:03:13

3.     Dennis Korori 1:03:32

4.     Belio Yonah 1:03:37

5.     Samuel Keter 1:03:39

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