By: Hee-Dee Walenga
The 4th annual David Namwandi Trust Marathon took place on Saturday morning with 597 runners from all 14 regions of Namibia competing in the competition. A total of N$31,000 in prize money was up for grabs for the podium finishers.
The half-marathon is split into two categories, a 21km category for those over the age of 18, primarily consisting of university students. The 10km, on the other hand, exists for high school runners. As has become customary, the 10km division features young runners from all 14 regions of Namibia. That includes students from schools such as A. Shipena, John Shekudja, Omakondo Combined School, and Okatope Secondary School.
The 21km male and female winners walked away with N$5,000 each, while the runner-ups and third placed received N$2,000 and N$1,000 each. In the 10km category, winners received N$3,000 whilst 2nd and 3rd received N$2,000 and N$1,000 respectively. Since its inception in 2023, N$1.4 million has been spent on the half-marathon by the David Namwandi Trust and its stakeholders.
Winner of the boys’ 10km race, Henock Henock, who has now won it for a second time, told The Villager, “I started running in 2018. I enjoy it because it will help me achieve my goal of becoming a police officer and hopefully representing Namibia on the international stage.”
Speaking at the prize-giving ceremony, David Namwandi highlighted that sport is not only a revenue generator for the youth, but it maintains physical mental health. “It also teaches us teamwork, leadership, and fosters community. That is the true benefit of sport,” the IUM founder added.
Namwandi announced that next year, pending approval from the event organisers, the event will move from a half-marathon to a full marathon. “We cannot remain static. We are doing this to prepare you for international marathons such as the London Marathon,” he expressed.
Namwandi concluded by urging the students from outside Khomas to establish marathon clubs in their respective regions and bring along the members for next year’s event.
