THOMAS Rainhold successfully defended his Rössing Marathon title to be crowned the 2024 champion, while Lavinia Haitope was crowned the ladies open champion, on Saturday at the Rössing Marathon Championship held in Swakopmund.
Rainhold finished the 42,2km race in a time of 2:18:18, while Haitope finished the same distance in a time of 2:43:11. They each received N$20 000 cash and shopping vouchers for sports gear and equipment valued at N$20 000.
Tangeni Sakaria took second place in a time of 2:18:38 beating Matias Simon into third place in a time of 2:23:42. In the ladies open Helalia Johannes took second place in 2:51:00, with Ottilie Aimwata settling for third place in a time of 2:59:57.
Rössing Uranium’s managing director Johan Coetzee congratulated all the participants for their participation in the popular marathon event on the athletics calendar.
“For you to be here, it might have started with that friend who dragged you into this running thing. They annoyed you with morning texts and made sure you never gave up. But here you are today.
“Tap yourself on the shoulder for finishing this challenge regardless of the position you took. We do this marathon to promote healthy lifestyles and encourage every one of you to make your health a priority. We hope this was not just for social media pictures on a coastal trip.
“It is safe to say, continue running or walking often to keep yourself fit and healthy. Move more so you can live longer is the theme of this year’s marathon edition,” he said.
Coetzee applauded the runners who took part for the second and third time. “They came back to make sure they give last year’s winners a run for their money. This is entirely why we do this. Our country needs the best representation on the international track, hence the need to host his marathon.”
This year, over 2 000 runners registered for the race. “This number present to us an opportunity to bolster our relationship with you and create new ones. It is evident that this event has grown from leaps and bounds.”
The Fun Walk event attracted over 400 walkers, with winners from the set categories winning N$2 000 each, as officially sponsored by Rössing Uranium contractor company, Oshitenda Business CC.
“Congratulations to all the winners taking to the podium. You worked hard for it, and it is your time to harvest what you sowed and never failed to water. For those who came up close, you too are a winner, and the next edition is surely yours to win,” said Coetzee adding that the total prize money for this year’s event is N$162 000.