List of roads to be closed for Nairobi City Marathon

Christine Njoki cuts the tape in the Nairobi City Marathon in the 10km at Uhuru Park on July 6, 2025/ CHARLENE MALWA

Motorists in Nairobi have been advised to prepare for major traffic disruptions this weekend.

The announcement follows the closure of several key roads to facilitate the Nairobi City Marathon.

According to a public notice issued ahead of the event, the road closures will begin at midnight on Saturday, June 6, 2026, and remain in force until Sunday, June 7, afternoon, affecting major transport corridors within the city.

Among the roads set to be affected is the Nairobi Expressway, where traffic will be suspended in both directions between James Gichuru Road and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

The closure on the expressway will commence at 10 pm on Saturday and continue until 3 pm on Sunday.

The notice further indicates that sections of Waiyaki Way will also be affected, with only the inner lanes on both sides of the highway closed.

The affected stretch runs from Nairobi School to the entrance of the Nairobi Expressway.

Motorists using Uhuru Highway will also face disruptions, with both directions between Lusaka Roundabout and Museum Hill closed from midnight on Sunday until 4 pm.

Kenyatta Avenue will be inaccessible between Panafric Hotel and Moi Avenue during the same period, while Haile Selassie Avenue will be closed between Cathedral Road and Uhuru Highway.

Other roads expected to be affected include Processional Way, City Hall Way, Simba Street and several adjacent roads within the central business district.

The closures are intended to provide a safe route for thousands of participants expected to take part in the annual marathon, which has grown into one of the region's largest road races.

With some of Nairobi's busiest roads set to be unavailable for several hours, motorists have been urged to plan their journeys in advance and consider alternative routes to avoid delays.

The temporary restrictions are expected to affect movement into and out of the city centre, as well as access to key destinations including the airport and several business districts.

The 10km race has emerged as the standout attraction for Sunday's Nairobi City marathon, with 6,550 of the 17,450 registered participants set to tackle the popular distance.

The full marathon (42km) has attracted 1,750 runners, while the half marathon (21km) has drawn a strong field of 5,050 participants. 

The 5km Family fun run has also proved popular, attracting 4,100 participants.

Athletics Kenya (AK) competitions director, Kennedy Tanui, revealed that Nairobi residents have developed a growing appetite for the 10km race, which continues to dominate participation numbers at the City Marathon. 

"The 10km race seems to be the favourite of the City Marathon," Tanui said.

He further disclosed that registration was automatically closed once the event reached its target capacity. 

"Registration for this year's race was filled within three weeks. We did not close the application; it is the system that automatically closed registration because we had already attained the target number."