Beyond the elite battles won by Kiptum and Rotich at Sunday's Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon, one of the day's most remarkable performances came from a competitor in a bright red racing wheelchair.

Michael Panther, founder of Hope Mobility Kenya, became the first person with a disability to complete the full 42-kilometre course, crossing the finish line in three hours and 50 minutes, according to The Star and Capital FM. He raced in a specialised wheelchair he has nicknamed the "Red Ferrari."

The effort was about far more than a finishing time. Panther used the race to drive a fundraising campaign, dubbed Race for Mobility, for custom-made paediatric wheelchairs for children with disabilities. By the end of the day the campaign had raised about Sh5 million.

'Hardest marathon I have ever done'

Nairobi's hilly route, which climbs and drops across the city's highways, tested him to the limit.

"This is the hardest marathon I have ever done," Panther said after finishing. "It was not easy, especially on elevations. I cannot feel my hands, but we have made it."

He said his own experience of living with a disability was what drove him to take on the challenge. "I took part in this marathon to raise funds for children with disability and the urgent need to cater for their mobility challenges," he said, thanking the marathon's organisers for facilitating his participation.

Up to 100 wheelchairs

A custom paediatric wheelchair costs roughly Sh50,000. At that price, the money raised could fund up to 100 chairs, depending on final production and distribution costs, the reports said.

For a child with a disability, a properly fitted wheelchair can be the difference between staying at home and going to school, reaching a hospital, or taking part in community life. Panther's campaign is built around that idea.

Hope Mobility Kenya already makes and distributes about 3,500 wheelchairs a year. But the scale of need is far greater. According to the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), Kenya has a shortfall of about 550,000 wheelchairs and other assistive mobility devices, about 200,000 of them needed by children.

A marathon that keeps growing

Panther's run added a powerful human story to a race that has grown into one of the country's largest mass-participation events, with more than 30,000 runners taking to the streets this year.

His finish also underlined a wider point disability rights advocates have long made: that inclusion in sport, from accessible routes to dedicated categories, can help bring overlooked issues into the public eye. Panther's achievement now puts the spotlight on the hundreds of thousands of Kenyan children still waiting for the basic mobility aids many take for granted.

Well-wishers who wish to support the campaign have been directed to Hope Mobility Kenya.

Photos: Capital FM; The Star