Standard Chartered Marathon cancelled due to pandemic outbreak

31 Août 2020

Nairobi, Kenya, August 31 (Infosplusgabon) - Organizers of the Standard Chartered Marathon, launched 17 year ago, said they have called off the event due to the ban the government slapped on sports activities to curb the spread of the Coronavirus.

Earlier in the year, the government banned public gatherings among a raft of measures taken to contain the deadly virus.

Organizers, Standard Chartered  Bank, said they had no option but to cancel the event which began 17 years ago.

“Our consultations with Athletics Kenya and the Ministry of Sports clearly indicated that we would not be able to plan for a physical event with any certainty.

"We have therefore made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 edition of the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon,” according to the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon Local Organising Committee Chairman, Peter Gitau.

“This was not an easy decision to make. We have held the marathon annually for 17 years, and 2020 was to be no different," he added.

He said the organizers had thought of running the event virtually but changed their minds.

In 2019, the event which has produced top notch athletes who went on to excel in global competitions, attracted 17,000 participants, raising over US$300,000.

The money raised was donated to the community investment programme, FutureMakers, which provides youth in need with education, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.

FIN/ INFOSPLUSGABON/AFD/GABON2020

© Copyright  Infosplusgabon