WALVIS BAY – The 2020 edition of the Hangana Hake Run & Ride, which is held annually at the coastal town of Walvis Bay, has been called off due to the ongoing spike in positive Covid-19 cases recorded at the coast.
This year’s edition of the popular competition was initially scheduled to take place on 3 October 2020, but organisers have since called it off and will only return in October next year, hopefully if the virus is contained and brought under control.
Since its inception in 1983, it will be the first time this historic event will not be taking place. Herman Theron, Hangana Seafood managing director, said: “Our biggest priority remains the health and safety of our participants, the protection of our staff, volunteers, suppliers, and the broader coastal community. The recent rapid increase in Covid-19 cases in our town has left us with no choice but to call off the event. I trust that our participants and stakeholders will appreciate the fact that we have to put safety first.”
Hangana Seafood, a subsidiary of the Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group, is the official sponsor and organiser of the event, which coincides with the annual Walvisfees hosted at Walvis Bay on the same weekend.
Firmly entrenched as a highlight on the Namibian sporting calendar, the Hangana Hake Run & Ride normally draws roughly 1 000 local and international runners and cyclists. It is especially popular among ardent marathon runners as the event serves as a qualifier for the Two Oceans and Comrades marathons in South Africa, which have also been cancelled due to the pandemic.
“As one of the leading employers in the Namibian hake fishing industry, Hangana Seafood is part of this community. We are all in this together, finding ourselves in unfamiliar and uncertain times. However, let us not succumb to despair and lose hope. We should not be fearful, but rather mindful, careful and caring towards each other during this time,” added Theron.