Teachers to TSC: Devolve World Teachers’ Day Marathon to Sub Counties

TSC Marathon Too Far? Teachers Want It Held in Counties and Sub-Counties

The Teachers Service Commission’s inaugural World Teachers’ Day Run got underway early this Sunday morning, 27th September 2026, with thousands of teachers converging on designated venues across all eight TSC regions — Nyeri, Kakamega, Garissa, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Nairobi, and Embu.

As of this writing, shortly before 8.00 a.m., both the 10 km and 5 km races have been flagged off simultaneously across the country, with runners currently out on the course.

The event is part of this year’s World Teachers’ Day festivities themed “Twawaenzi Walimu — Mashujaa Wetu” (“We Honour Our Teachers — Our Heroes”), and is being presented by the Commission as a new way of celebrating educators that goes beyond speeches and ceremonies to embrace physical wellness and camaraderie among teachers countrywide.

Even as the runs proceed, the event has reignited a conversation that many teachers say needs to be addressed before the next edition: the question of accessibility.

A significant number of teachers, particularly those posted in sub-counties far removed from the designated regional venues, have voiced frustration in the lead-up to today’s event at being effectively locked out of the marathon simply because they could not afford the cost of travelling to participate.

A Regional Model That Leaves Many Behind

Under the current structure, the marathon was organised as a single-day event held simultaneously in one venue per region, rather than being spread across the more than 290 sub-counties in which teachers are actually posted.

For a teacher based in a remote sub-county, that meant a choice between skipping today’s event altogether or spending money on transport, and in some cases accommodation, simply to reach the regional venue in time for a 5.30 a.m. registration slot.

In Rift Valley, for instance, this morning’s run was centred at Afraha Stadium in Nakuru, meaning teachers posted in sub-counties several hours away in places like Turkana, West Pokot, or parts of Baringo would have needed to travel the previous day and find a place to stay overnight in order to make the early start.

A similar pattern played out in Coast Region, where the run was held at Treasury Square in Mombasa, leaving teachers from far-flung sub-counties such as Lamu, Taita Taveta, or Kwale’s interior wards facing long and costly journeys for a single morning’s activity.

It is this logistical and financial burden that has fuelled growing calls among teachers for the Commission to rethink the model going forward.

Their argument is straightforward: if the goal of the marathon is genuinely to promote wellness, camaraderie, and team spirit among teachers, then the event should be structured in a way that allows teachers to participate from where they are, rather than requiring them to travel long distances to a single regional hub.

The Case for Devolving Future Races to the Sub-County Level

Teachers pushing for change point to the fact that TSC already runs a well-established administrative structure at the sub-county level, complete with Sub-County Directors, Curriculum Support Officers, and active teacher association representatives who could easily coordinate localised runs.

They note that if nominations and shortlisting for the World Teachers’ Day awards can be organised and verified at the sub-county level, as has happened with this year’s Rewards and Recognition Framework, there is no obvious reason why a simple fun run could not be organised using the same structures.

Devolving the marathon to sub-counties, proponents argue, would carry several benefits. First, it would dramatically cut the cost burden on individual teachers, since most would be able to walk, cycle, or take short local transport to a nearby venue rather than budgeting for cross-county travel.

Second, it would likely boost overall participation numbers, since teachers who opted out of today’s event due to distance or cost would be able to join in future editions.

Third, it would deepen the sense of local ownership and community pride that the Commission says it is trying to build through the decentralised, region-by-region approach — an ambition that, teachers argue, would be even better served by pushing decentralisation one level further, down to the sub-county.

There is also a practical dimension to the argument. Many teachers already gather informally at sub-county level for staff meetings, in-service training, and association activities.

Using that existing rhythm of local gatherings as the basis for a wellness run, some suggest, would be far more sustainable than organising one large regional event that inevitably strains logistics, transport, and medical support arrangements such as those provided by St. John Ambulance at each of the eight regional venues.

How the Morning Has Unfolded So Far

According to the published programme, arrival and registration of participants began at 5.30 a.m., coordinated by local organising teams, followed by an opening prayer and the National Anthem at 6.00 a.m.

Commissioners overseeing each region then delivered welcome remarks before participants were led through warm-up stretches by physiotherapists on hand at each venue.

The 10 km race was flagged off at 6.45 a.m., with the 5 km category following at 7.00 a.m. As it stands now, just before 8.00 a.m., runners in both categories are still on the course across all eight regions.

They are expected to begin arriving back at the venues from around 9.30 a.m., when cool-down stretches supervised by physiotherapists will help participants recover before the day moves into its more ceremonial segments.

From 10.00 a.m., proceedings are scheduled to shift toward remarks and the formal invitation of a Chief Guest at each venue, followed by the recognition of outstanding participants and closing remarks, both to be presided over by the respective regional Commissioners.

The event is expected to wrap up shortly after midday with a vote of thanks delivered by each TSC Regional Director, marking the formal conclusion of the run segment of the day’s activities.

Commissioners Presiding Over Eight Regional Venues

Each of the eight TSC regions is holding its run at a distinct venue, under the oversight of a designated Commissioner.

In Central Region, the run is taking place at Kamukunji Grounds in Nyeri under Commissioner Dr. Anneceta G. Wafukho, with the accompanying Open Day activities set for Kamwenja Teachers Training College.

Western Region’s run is being held at Kakamega Senior School under Commissioner Dr. Nicodemus O. Anyang, with Open Day festivities scheduled for Mukumu Boys.

North Eastern Region’s teachers gathered at Garissa Secondary School under Commissioner Salesa Adano Abudo, with the Open Day venue in Wajir still to be confirmed.

In Coast Region, runners assembled at Treasury Square in Mombasa under Commissioner Christine K. Kahindi, though the Open Day venue for that region had also not yet been finalised as of this morning.

Nyanza Region’s event is being held at St. Michael Kanyakwar Comprehensive School under Commissioner Timon Oyucho, with the Open Day set for Kit Mikayi Comprehensive School in Kisumu East.

Rift Valley Region, given its size, has split its Open Day activities into two zones: the lower region’s celebrations are set for Red Cross Ground in Nakuru West under Commissioner Hon. Wilson Sossion, while the upper region’s Open Day will be held at Moi Girls, Eldoret, overseen by Vice Chair CS Kisire. The run itself for Rift Valley is taking place at Afraha Stadium in Nakuru.

In Nairobi Region, the run is being staged at the iconic Nyayo Stadium under Commissioner Antonina Lentoijoni, with Open Day activities planned for Moi Forces Academy.

Eastern Region is hosting both its 10 km and 5 km races at Kangaru Girls under the oversight of Commission Chairman Jamleck Muturi, with the Open Day set for Kiangima Girls.

Across all regions, medical coverage is being provided by St. John Ambulance, while Commissioners are being accompanied by designated TSC Directors from Headquarters to ensure uniform coordination of the simultaneous events.

Part of a Larger World Teachers’ Day Programme

Today’s marathon is only one component of a much larger set of activities building up to World Teachers’ Day, marked globally on 5th October to commemorate the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers.

Running in parallel with the marathon is the Commission’s World Teachers’ Day 2026 Rewards and Recognition Framework, a nationwide search for outstanding teachers that has been underway since nominations opened in August.

That process, which closed on 26th August, moved through Sub-County, County, and Regional selection panels, with teachers who made it through earlier rounds later attended interviews that finalised nomination ahead of national recognition.

Awards span eleven categories, from the Lifetime Achievement Award and Early Career Educator Award to the Innovation and ICT Integration in Teaching Award and the Most Resilient Teacher Award, with a combined total of over 16,000 award slots across Sub-County, County, Regional, and National levels.

Teachers who spoke ahead of today’s event were quick to note that the awards process itself demonstrates that TSC’s administrative machinery is fully capable of operating effectively down to the sub-county level.

That, they argue, only strengthens the case for extending the same localised approach to future editions of the World Teachers’ Day Run, so that physical wellness activities meant to celebrate the profession do not end up excluding the very teachers working in the country’s most remote stations.

As runners make their way back to the eight regional venues later this morning and the day moves into its recognition and closing ceremonies, attention will increasingly turn toward the finalisation of this year’s national award winners ahead of the 5th October celebrations.

The debate over how to make future runs more inclusive is expected to feature prominently in post-event reviews, with many educators hoping that by next year’s World Teachers’ Day, the run will be brought closer to where they actually teach.