Namibia Defence Force marathon runner Alina Armas expressed her excitement after clinching her 10th victory at the Rossing Marathon since 2013.
The 34th Rössing National Marathon, held on Saturday in Swakopmund, saw Armas finish the 42.2-kilometre (km) race in an impressive time of 02:45:31.
“I am proud of myself, but it is not easy to win as I have. You don’t wake up, head to the road and just win. It takes long hours of training and hard work,” Armas said, reflecting on her achievement.
Looking ahead, Armas revealed that she plans to continue participating in local competitions while preparing for the Commonwealth Games next year.
Beata Naigambo finished in second place with a time of 03:03:22, while Risa Dreyer secured third place with 03:23:05.
In the men’s category, Jesaya Matheus from the Namibia Correctional Service made a strong debut in the 42.2 km, completing the race in 02:15:52. Tangeni Sakaria followed in second place with 02:16:30, and Enock Haufiku rounded out the top three with a time of 02:19:30.
Speaking after the race, Matheus shared, “I had a great run and will now keep training, listen to my body, and wait for the next move from my coach Robert Kaxuxuena.”
Over 3 000 runners registered for the event, with 2 037 crossing the finish line.
Rössing Uranium’s managing director, Johan Coetzee congratulated the runners in all three race categories – 42.2 km, 21.1 km, and 10 km. “The Rössing marathon is one of our Corporate Social Responsibility events hosted at the beginning of the year and has become a popular event on the sporting calendar in Namibia, drawing runners of all skill levels, from seasoned professionals to enthusiastic amateurs,” he said.
As the sole sponsor of the event, Coetzee emphasised Rössing’s commitment to social responsibility rather than seeking commercial benefits. “We operate under the premise that doing the right thing by the community complements doing the right thing for the business and for our shareholders,” he added.
The marathon also supports local athletes, with all entry fees from the 10 km race, marathon, and half-marathon being donated to the Swakop Striders Athletics Club to help develop local and underprivileged athletes. Additionally, entry fees from the 5 km Fun Walk go directly to the Cancer Association of Namibia to aid in the fight against cancer.
Coetzee further announced that this year’s Namibian winners of the Men’s and Ladies’ Open categories would each receive an extra N$20 000 development bonus, alongside their N$20 000 prize money. “We hope that this support will help develop Namibia’s sports stars, making them competitive on the world stage and bringing international glory to Namibia,” Coetzee said.