Kili Marathon team proud of Simbu ‘success’
Alphone Simbu speaks on the role of the Kilimanjaro Marathon in his decision to participate at the Olympic Games for the first time. PHOTO | courtesy
What you need to know:
- The 24-year-old’s success has been partly contributed by Kilimanjaro Marathon where he competed in half marathon and finished fourth in the previous edition.
Dar es Salaam. Organisers of the Kilimanjaro Marathon team have congratulated marathoner Alphonce Simbu for good performance in the just ended Rio Olympic Games where he finished fifth in the 42-klometre race.
The 24-year-old’s success has been partly contributed by Kilimanjaro Marathon where he competed in half marathon and finished fourth in the previous edition.
“This greatly motivated me to start training hard for the Olympic Games and managed to finish fifth out of over 150 runners, I believe Kili Marathon can produce many champions if well utilized,” he said adding that local athletes taking part in the Kili Marathon should be empowered and monitored afterwards to prepare them for other international races ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Simbu said the Kili Marathon has become one of the biggest races in the world and should be taken seriously by athletes and the government.
“I urge other athletes to start with our own Kili Marathon which will help them in improving their personal bests and at the moment we have one of the best training camps in West Kilimanjaro where even other elite runners from neighbouring Kenya can comfortably train as the weather and terrain there are perfect,” he said.
The Kilimanjaro Premium Lager brand manager, Pamela Kikuli, who are the main sponsors of the Kilimanjaro Marathon, said Simbu has raised the status of the Kilimanjaro Marathon as it is clear that it is a marathon of champions.
