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Company running teams have their own place in the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon, which lists both a Corporate Challenge and a CEO Challenge among its 2026 categories. If you are the person organising your team's trip for Sunday 25 October, you are juggling entries, rooms, transport, meals and a budget, often alongside your day job. This checklist breaks the job into manageable parts so nothing is forgotten, and so your runners can focus on the race.
Check availability & book direct · Nairobi Marathon stays at Karen Plains Hotel
1. Entries come first
Race entries and team registrations are handled by the organiser, not by your hotel. Before booking rooms:
- Confirm which category each person is entering and that registrations are complete.
- Check the official race information for 2026 bib collection, start and finish details. These had not been confirmed when we checked in September 2026.
- Decide whether one person will collect bibs for the team, if the organiser allows it.
2. Room checklist
- Final headcount. Include runners, team captains, supporters and any colleague handling logistics or photos.
- Sharing policy. Agree up front who shares and who has a room alone. It avoids awkward conversations at check-in.
- Nights. Teams travelling from outside Nairobi will usually want Saturday night at minimum. Add Sunday night if people want to shower, rest and celebrate before travelling home, because check-out is by 10:00.
- Arrival times. List each person's arrival. Check-in is from 12:00, and our front desk is open 24/7.
- Rooming list. Send one list with names, room preferences and dates. We will work from it as your single point of contact.
How to match rooms to your team:
| Who | Room idea |
|---|---|
| Team captain or senior leader running the CEO Challenge | Executive Room: our finest room, king bed, extra space |
| Runner travelling with a partner | Deluxe Room with Bathtub and Balcony: private balcony and freestanding bathtub |
| Individual runners | Deluxe Room or Standard Room with Balcony |
| Colleagues on a tighter budget | Standard Room without Balcony |
For simple bookings, choose your own dates in the booking engine. For larger groups, share your list with us first.
3. Transport checklist
- Airport arrivals. Private transfers are priced per vehicle, one way. From JKIA: sedan US$55 (up to 3), 4×4 Land Cruiser US$95 (up to 6). From Wilson: sedan US$45, 4×4 US$85. Group arrivals by flight to use vehicles efficiently. See airport transfers.
- Race morning. Transport to the start is not a confirmed service. Share your team's start times and numbers and we will discuss what may be possible.
- Self-drive colleagues. We have free on-site parking.
- Meeting point. Agree one place and time in the lobby for departure, and one place to regroup after the finish.
- Traffic. Journey times vary with Nairobi traffic; check a live traffic app for your schedule, and plan for possible road closures on race morning.
Ready to share numbers? Request a team stay quotation on WhatsApp.
4. Meals checklist
- Race morning. Breakfast is served from 7:00. Request packed breakfasts for early starters the evening before, with a count.
- Saturday and Sunday meals. Lunch and dinner can be added for US$40 per day. Our kitchen is built around Kenyan, Swahili and traditional African food.
- Dietary needs. Collect them in advance and discuss them with us. We cannot promise specific diets without checking first.
5. Budget and billing
- Decide what the company covers: rooms only, or rooms plus meals, transfers and laundry.
- We accept card and M-PESA.
- Invoices and receipts are available on request. Give us the billing name and details your finance team needs.
- Cancellation and prepayment terms depend on the rate you choose and are shown before you pay. Check them against the chance of late withdrawals.
- Laundry for race kit is US$20 per bag if you want to include it.
6. Team extras (optional)
A race weekend is a good excuse for some shared time away from the office. All of these are optional and quoted or booked separately:
- A team briefing in our boardroom or lounge before race day. Ask us for rates.
- A Giraffe Centre tour on Saturday for supporters, or Monday for everyone.
- A Nairobi National Park half-day tour if the team stays on.
- A relaxing visit to our partner spa, Manama Spa & Barbershop, off-site on Lang'ata Road, with free pickup and drop-off for staying guests. Treatments are booked and paid with Manama.
7. A coordinator's timeline
| When | Task |
|---|---|
| Now | Confirm entries, headcount and budget. Book or send your rooming list. |
| Two weeks before | Collect flight details and dietary notes. Confirm airport transfers. |
| As soon as details are published | Check official race information for bib collection, start times and road closures. Share final timings with us. |
| Day before the race | Final checks, bibs collected as directed by the organiser, packed breakfasts ordered. |
| Sunday 25 October | Race day. Regroup, check out or stay on. |
| After | Collect invoices and receipts for your finance team. |
Plan your stay with us
Karen Plains Hotel is an independent boutique hotel in Karen, south-west Nairobi, and we like making team trips feel easy. One contact, one rooming list, and help with the details your runners should not have to worry about. See how we support group stays.
Check availability & book direct · Ask your KPH concierge on WhatsApp · Nairobi Marathon stays at Karen Plains Hotel
Live rates and availability are shown in our booking engine. Extras such as transfers, meals, tours and spa visits are quoted and confirmed separately. See our cancellation and refund policy.
Event details checked on the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon website and Citizen Digital in September 2026. Karen Plains Hotel is independent and not affiliated with Standard Chartered or the race organisers.
