By Patience Lunda:
This year’s Mzuzu Half Marathon will take place on March 29, with a total budget of K40 million and reduced fee for participants, organisers announced Thursday.
The competition’s organising committee chairperson Ardron Msowoya said, previously, participants were paying K15,000 as registration fee but athletes affiliated to Athletics Malawi (AM) would pay K2,000, with non-members paying K5,000.
“All athletes in Malawi are welcome to participate in activities. We have reduced the participation fees considering the high cost of living and we want as many of them as possible to come forward and take part. We will also give them prizes but we want more sponsors to come and support us,” Msowoya, who is also AM treasurer general, said.
On his part, Malawi National Council of Sports (MNCS) Senior Sports and Recreation Development Officer Felix Yola said they were handing over operations of the 21-kilometre—half marathon—to AM because the association had proved its capacity to manage the race.
Following the development, Yola said his organisation would be responsible for providing technical and financial support.
“Unlike the previous editions, this year, the half marathon will be run by Athletics Malawi. As MNCS, we will still help but in other areas such as financial and technical [ones].
“We have handed this to Athletics Malawi because we have confidence and trust in the association since we saw how they managed the national cross country in Kasungu recently. It was a colourful event,” he said.
As part of raising awareness on the event, the organisers held a health walk in the city following the route of the half marathon.
The organisers have maintained last year’s prizes but they called on well-wishers to support the race.
Winners in both the male and female categories will receive K1.5 million each, with runners-up getting K1 million apiece and K500,000 for the third position.
Malawi Defence Force, through Moyale Barracks, will be part of the stakeholders supporting the event through the provision of medical personnel, among other things.
This is the third time for the half marathon to be held in Mzuzu.
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