Sakaria and Armas win Vivo Energy Windhoek Marathon

Namibian long-distance runners Tangeni Sakaria and Alina Armas won the second edition of the Vivo Energy Windhoek Marathon, dominating their respective categories on Saturday.
Vivo Energy, the marketer and distributor of Shell-branded fuels and lubricants in Namibia, hosted the second edition of the Vivo Energy Windhoek Marathon to raise funds for charitable projects.
The marathon attracted more than 2 000 runners who competed in different categories, including the five kilometre (km), 10 km, half marathon, and full marathon.
Sakaria was in a class of his own on the day and won the elite men’s category with a time of two hours, 25 minutes, and 19 seconds (02:25:19). Tomas Rainhold came second in a time of 02:29:23 and Paulus Iiyambo completed the podium places with a time of 02:35:23.
In the women’s category, Armas displayed her dominance by finishing the race five minutes ahead of the nearest competitor. Armas won the women’s race with a time of 02:54:27. Beata Naigambo came in second with a time of 02:59:23, and Ottillie Aimwata came in third with a time of 03:05:13.
In an interview with Nampa after the race, Armas said she had a great time running the race and the chosen route suited her well.
“The weather was really good and the hills helped me maintain my pace while leading. I feel happy to have been crowned champion. I am thankful to all the other competitors who made the event fun and Vivo Energy for hosting this race,” she said.
Wheelchair racer Roodley Goagoseb, who also competed in the championship, told this agency that he had fun but found the hilly route challenging.
“There is a hill in Kleine Kuppe that made it difficult for me to maintain my pace. Despite the challenge, I am happy to finish the race and looking forward to participating in similar competitions in the future,” he said.
(NAMPA)
HK/AS

(NAMPA)