Babati runner excels in Bagamoyo Marathon

Athletes compete during the inaugural Bagamoyo half marathon staged yesterday.

Babati-based Ismail Juma emerged victorious at the inaugural Bagamoyo historic half marathon staged yesterday clocking 1 hour, 3 minutes and 20 seconds.
The winner beat a pack of over 100 runners to excel in the men’s category. Veteran athlete from Arusha Dickson Marwa was on second position clocking 1.03 .27 and Elia Daudi of Kilimanjaro clocked 1 hour ,3 minutes and fifty eight seconds to finish third in the category .
The three top-placed winners took home 500,000/-, 350,000/- and 200,000/-, respectively.
‘The final minutes were very competitive but I thank God for giving me enough breath to finish the race as the winner , I think this is my stepping stone and I can promise more performance in future events.,’ he said after the race.
In women half marathon category winner of the last edition of Kilimanjaro International Marathon Jacqueline Sekilu from Tanzania Peoples Defense Forces (JWTZ) did it again by clocking One hour, eleven minutes and fifty three seconds to stay on top in the group which had 60 competitors.
She was awarded 500,000/-, Failula Abdi from Arusha was runners-up recording 1.12.26 while Zacharia Mrisho also from Arusha was third clocking 1 hour 13 minutes and 7 seconds. The duo took home 350.000/- and 200.000, respectively.
Arusha’s Celine Amos was the winner in the women’s ten-kilometer category while Bagamoyo-based Grace Jackson and Irene China from Holili Youth Club were first and second runners-up, respectively.
In ten kilometers men’s category Arusha-based Joseph Sule was the winner while Elia Bariki from Holili runners up and Msenduki Mohamed was third overall.
Speaking at the prize giving ceremony Deputy director of sports in the Ministry for Information, Youth, Culture and Sports Juliana Yassoda thanked the organisers of the event, saying is the wish of the government to see many athletics events being organised.
She said for the country to develop in sports there are is a need for more organised sporting activities.
‘I thank the organisers of this marathon, there are many athletics events which will give Tanzanians the opportunity to compete and showcase their talents. This event is part of tourism as it is happening in district full of historical sites’, she said.
One of the organisers of the event Dominic Mosha informed the gathering that the event will be held annually.
He said they are working with the government and other athletics stakeholders to turn the marathon into an international one.
‘Bagamoyo is a district with rich historical background, we believe that establishment of this event will on top of promoting athletics in the country, will also promote tourism, so our aim is to make it an international one, we want the dates of this event to be on the Association of Amateur Athletics Federations’ (IAAF) calendar, ‘he said. 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN