Namibia’s long-distance runner Lavinia Haitope took a silver medal in the 21 km with a time of 1 hour, 14 minutes, and 12 seconds at the weekend’s inaugural Diamonds and Dorings Bighole Marathon in Kimberly, South Africa.
South Africa’s Karabo Mailula took the gold medal in 1 hour, 14 minutes and eight seconds. At the same time, Kenya’s Florence Nyaaingiri took bronze with a time of 1 hour, 16 minutes, and 37 seconds.
“It was a great race and now it’s time to rest and take on next year’s challenges,” she said.
Another Namibian, Daniel Paulus, secured a well-earned bronze in the 42 km race after crossing the finish line in 2 hours, 16 minutes, and 50 seconds, sealing his place on the podium in what he described as one of the toughest races of his season.
Paulus said the conditions were far from ideal. “I had a great race, only it was very hot, and the route had a lot of hills,” he said, noting that this event marked his final competitive appearance for the year.
Saturday’s marathon was eventually won by South Africa’s 25-year-old rising star Matlakala Seloyi, who broke the tape at the Sol Plaatje University Sports Ground in an impressive 2:13:22, earning himself a massive N$200 000 prize. Seloyi, speaking to SABC Sport, admitted his motivation openly that “To be honest, I came here for the money with a positive mind. My coach told me I’m here for the money.”
Veteran marathoner Stephen Mokoka, preparing for the Mumbai Marathon set for 18 January 2026, finished second in 2:15:31, collecting N$70 000, while Paulus completed the podium with his bronze-medal performance, earning N$30 000 for his efforts.
The inaugural marathon, launched in September, attracted 3 000 runners and offered a total prize purse of N$1.2 million, making it the second highest-paying road race in South Africa after the iconic Comrades Marathon. The event also served as a qualifier for the Two Oceans and Comrades Marathons, giving athletes an early opportunity to secure their 2026 spots.