By Adolf Kaure.
Namibian Olympian, Thomas Rainhold defended his title by winning the men’s marathon, while Lavinia Haitope won the women’s race at the Rössing Marathon Championship which took place on Saturday at Swakopmund.
Rainhold crossed the finish line with a time of 02:18:18, while Haitope clocked a time of 02:43:11 for her race.
Both athletes received prize money of N$20,000 cash and shopping vouchers valued at the same amount for their sports gear and equipment.
Rössing Uranium’s Managing Director, Johan Coetzee congratulated all the participants for their courage to participate in the popular marathon event. “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 finished. We do this marathon to promote healthy lifestyles and encourage every one of you to make your health a priority.” “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.
Over 2000 runners registered for this year’s edition of the Rössing Marathon Championship.
“This number presents 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,” Coetzee continued.
“Congratulations to all the winners who took a place on the podium. You worked hard for it, and it is your time to harvest what you planted 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,” he said.
The total prize money for this year’s Rössing Marathon Championship was N$162,000.
Rössing Marathon winners, Lavinia Haitope and Thomas Rainhold. Photograph courtesy of Rössing Uranium.
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