Pascalinah Kabi
MASERU — At least 200 local athletes have already registered for next month’s Lesotho High Altitude Summer Marathon.
The event, introduced in 2002, will be held in Mokhotlong on December 5. The race will start from Mafolaneng ending at Mokhotlong Sports Ground.
The marathon seeks to attract tourists into the country and is also used as a strategy to prepare local athletes for international competitions.
Winners of the 42.2km, 21.1km and 10km races will each walk away with cash prizes of M50 000, M6 500 and M4 600, respectively.
Puseletso Maema (South African) and Lesotho’s Tumi Malefetsane are the defending 42.2km women and men’s champions respectively.
They each walked away with M20 000 last year. The marathon was then sponsored by the Ministry of Gender & Youth, Sports and Recreation.
Lesotho Amateur Athletics Association public relations officer, Sejanamane Maphathe, told the Sunday Express the main sponsor of this year’s marathon are Letséng Diamond.
“The main sponsor for this year’s marathon, which takes place on December 5, is Letséng Diamond and the event is being managed by Talent Incorporated Company,” Maphathe said.
He said the major objective of the annual event is to train local athletes, while luring tourists.
Maphathe said the first 600 athletes to register for the marathon would get free transport, sports bags and free accommodation.
Talent Incorporated Company public relations officer, Motsapi Moorosi, echoed Maphathe’s sentiments.
“The purpose is to uplift the spirit of sport in Mokhotlong,” Moorosi said.
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