TZ runners steal show at Rock City Marathon

Mwanza. The Rock City Marathon took place yesterday with Chacha Masinde winning this year’s edition, pocketing some Sh1.5 million.

Chacha, who hails from Mara, clocked 1:03:00 hours to cross the finish line, leaving a host of exhausted challengers trailing.

The Mara athlete wrested the title from last year winner Festus Taram from Kenya.

The gold medal winner was under constant threat from Kenyan David Kilimo who managed silver after crossing the line in 1:04:40. He walked away with Sh900,000.

The bronze medal went to Moris Mosina who clocked 1:40:33 and his efforts were rewarded with some Sh700,000 plus a participating certificate.

“It feels so good to have won this race. I believed that I have the quality to finish first, but I was also nervous considering the number of good runners who were eyeing medals,” said Masinde after the race.

“I am happy for this win and I hope that this will spur me to the next level.”

In the women’s discipline, Tanzanian runner Faimina Abdi from Arusha won the race after timing 1:13:12 and took to Sh1.5m plus a certificate.

She was followed by Angelina Daniel, also from Arusha who clocked 1:14:38. Kenyan Dorofina Omary spent 1:16:54 to win the bronze medal. They were rewarded Sh900,000 and Sh700,000 respectively.

The eighth edition of the Rock City Marathon, one of the biggest tourism promoters in the Lake Zone, was organised by Capital Plus International and sanctioned by Athletics Tanzania (AT) and the Mwanza Regional Athletics Association of Tanzania.

For his part, the organising committee chairperson, Zenno Ngowi said they will ensure that the ninth edition is improved significantly, adding that they have begun negotiations with the International Association of Athletics

Federation (IAAF) to include the race in its calendar of events.

“We will improve this race significantly in the next edition; we’re also in talks with the IAAF over the possibility of including it in their events’ calendar,” he said.

The event was made possible with the backing of Freidkin Conservation Fund and African Wildlife Trust, NMB, New Mwanza Hotel, National Social Securit Fund (NSSF), Real PR Solutions, Fabec, Tiper, Puma Energies, Clouds Fm, Jembe Fm, Barmedas TV and EF Outdoor.