TOMAS Rainhold of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) sport club became the new Rössing Marathon national champion on Saturday in peculiar fashion, despite finishing the race in second place.
Tomas’ time of two hours 17 minutes and 35 seconds placed him behind the men’s open category winner Mathews Mutanya from Zambia who clocked the day’s fastest time, running 2:16:52.
While Mutanya won the race, Tomas was accorded the national champion status on the basis of being the first Namibian home.
The women’s race saw no such technicalities, though, as Anna Amutoko breezed to the title in two hours, 53 minutes and 45 seconds.
Sponsored by Rio Tinto Rössing Uranium and hosted by Swakop Striders Athletics Club, the event took place at Swakopmund in overcast, windless conditions from the Vineta sports fields, taking the runners onto the Henties Bay road.
Saturday was the 27th consecutive year that the Rössing marathon national championship was being hosted under the “For the health of it!” banner.
The first prize in the marathon was N$10 000 each for the men and women’s open winners.
For the first time in the history of the event, a half-marathon was hosted and well-supported. The fastest runner in the men’s category was Mynhardt Kauanivi from Correctional Services, who came home in a time of 1:05:49.
The first female runner home was Lavinia Haitope from NamPol in 1:16:05. She also won the Rössing marathon’s 10 km race in 2017.
This year’s event attracted a record number of participants in the marathon and 10km race, while the new half-marathon attracted more than the expected number of runners. In total, over 500 runners participated across the three events.
The first in the men’s 10 km open race was Matheus Kadhingula in a time of 30:16, while Salmi Nduviteko won the female category title in a time of 38:58.
Meanwhile, 285 walkers took part in the popular 5km fun walk in aid of the Cancer Association of Namibia (CAN). – Nampa
The complete results are attached.
