New champion of women’s 42 kilometres race in Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon, Hellen Chepkorir from Kapsabet, hopes her latest success will open doors for her to compete in the prestigious World Marathon Majors.
The World Marathon Majors (WMM) is a series of five most prestigious annual marathon races held in Tokyo, Boston, London, Sydney, Berlin, Chicago and New York. At the end of each of the WMM series, the leading man and woman each gets to pocket Sh65 million ($500,000).
Chepkorir feels that she is now ripe to join the big league after blowing away the field on Sunday for her maiden victory at the 22nd edition of Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon.
Hellen Chepkorir (from left), the winner of this year’s Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon, poses with Naomy Chepkorir and Scholastica Jepkemboi, who finished second and third, respectively, at the Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi.
Photo credit: Ayumba Ayodi | Nation
This year’s race witnessed a record entry of 30, 602 participants, who battled along the Southern Bypass before dropping at the iconic Uhuru Gardens for the finish.
Chepkorir exhibited great form and grit when she dropped the field at the 25km mark, and swept to victory in two hours, 27 minutes and 17 seconds for her first career marathon victory in seven attempts.
That happened at the back drop of the explosive men’s contest in which Iten’s Bernard Chepkwony bounced back from a two-year doping ban to win in 2:11:01 after he dropped the pack with seven kilometres to go. Both Chepkorir and Chepkwony took home Sh2 million in cash prizes.
Chepkorir, who finished second in Porto Alegro Marathon in Brazil in April, and fourth at Nairobi City Marathon in July, relegated Naomy Chepkorir from Iten and Kapsabet’s Scholastica Jepkemboi to second and third places in 2:27:37 and 2:29:18 respectively.
The 2025 StanChat Nairobi Marathon women's 42km winner Hellen Chepkorir (centre), runner up Naomi Chepkorir (left) and third-placed Scholastica Chepkemboi pose for photos with their trophies at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi on October 26, 2025.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Group
“This is my first victory since I scaled up to the full marathon in 2016 from the track. This (Sh2 million prize money) is my best earning ever,” she said.
“It shows that I am ready for the World Marathon Major entry next year,” Chepkorir, whose dream is to one day compete in the prestigious Boston Marathon, said.
“I train in hilly areas in Kapsabet, and I can do well in the hilly Boston Marathon course. I look forward to such an opportunity after doing well here,” Chepkorir, who is coached by Richard Mutai, said.
Nation Media Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Geoffrey Odundo with 70-year-old marathoner Joyce Nduku during the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi on October 26, 2025.
Photo credit: Evans Habil | Nation Media Group
Chepkorir, who looks up to the 2020 Olympic and 2025 world marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir in the marathon, said that she will know what to do with the prize money of Sh 2 million the moment it hits her bank account.
“I didn’t have any races abroad and so I decided to take a shot at this great race. I had prepared well since the Nairobi City Marathon,” said the 31-year-old mother of one, who is glad to close her season in style. “The prize money is good and I hope to use it well.”
Chepkorir’s role model Jepchirchir has three World Marathon Majors victories; 2021 New York City, 2022 Boston and 2024 London, having finished second in 2023 London.
The 2025 StanChat Nairobi Marathon men's 42km winner Benard Cheruiyot (centre), runner up Alex Saekwo (left) and third-placed Ezekiel Kemboi pose for photos with their trophies at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi on October 26, 2025.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Group
Chekwony, who completed his ban on February this year, edged out Alex Chepkwik Saekwo from Iten to second place in 2:11:26 as the 2022 Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon champion Ezekiel Kemboi Omullo clocked 2:11:40 for third place.
“The doing ban came with big lessons to me. Athletes should be careful with the medication we take,” said Chepkwony, adding that the treatment he got for his foot injury and allergies messed up everything for him. “I wasn’t careful and it cost me.”
Chepkwony, 39, who failed to finish the 21km race during the Nairobi City Marathon on July 6, this year upon return from the ban, now hopes to use the prize money of Sh 2 million from his exploits to better his family live in Kericho.
Nation Media Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Geoffrey Odundo after competing in the CEO Challenge race during the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi on October 26, 2025.
Photo credit: Evans Habil | Nation Media Group
John Kithuku, who hails from Machakos but trains in Iten, won the men’s 21km race in 1:02:34, beating Nahashon Kipsang to second place in 1:03:30 as Gilbert Korir crossed the line in 1:03:33 for third place.
“I now want to upgrade to a marathon next year,” said Kithuku, who won the Betika Half Marathon in Eldoret last year before finishing sixth in the same race in July this year.
The 2018 and 2022 Africa 1,500m champion, Vinny Chebet, made a grand entry to distance running when she finished second in women’s 21km in 1:15:20. Chebet, the 2018 Continental Cup 1,500m champion, lost the battle to Fridah Rerimoi,who ruled the roost in 1:14:22.
