Sulle beats Giniki to win Ngorongoro Open title

Winners of the Ngorongoro National Athletics Open Championships 2018 pose for a group picture soon after being awarded their medals at the Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium in Arusha Region yesterday. PHOTO| COURTESY

What you need to know:

  • Speaking during the closing ceremony of the annual event, AT secretary general Wilhelm Gidabuday said the winners would represent the country in four major international competitions.

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s elite long distance runners Fabiano Sulle and Natalia Elisante racked up top honours at the 2018 Ngorongoro National Athletics Open Championship.

Sulle raced to gold in the men’s marathon at the Sheikh Amri Abeid Memorial Stadium in Arusha yesterday, beating off competition from Emmanuel Giniki and Marco Sylvester.

Sulle clocked 14.08.21 while Giniki and Sylvester finished second and third in 14.13.31 and 14.36.88 respectively.

Up-and-coming marathoner Francis Damiano finished fourth in 14.41.21 while Mathayo Sombi recorded 14.54.49 to finish fifth.

In the women’s marathon, Natalia put up a spirited fight to win the closely contested race in 16.54.53.

Arusha’s Angelina Daniel finished second clocking 17.18.80 while Angelina John of Singida finished third in 18.10.68.

Noel Remmy of Arusha and Mara’s Anastazia Mkama clocked 18.21.12 and 18.31.03 to finish fourth and fifth respectively. Margareth Sabiti of Arusha scored 20.51.62 to finish sixth.

Athletics Tanzania (AT) instructor Japan’s Ayane Sato is among athletics officials who witnessed the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA)-sponsored race.

Speaking during the closing ceremony of the annual event, AT secretary general Wilhelm Gidabuday said the winners would represent the country in four major international competitions.

He named the championships as IAAF World Cross Country Championship to be held in Aarhus, Denmark on Match 10 next year, and All Africa Games scheduled for August 23 to September 3 in Casablanca, Morocco.

They will also compete in the IAAF World Athletics Championship to be held in Doha, Qatar from September 28 to October 6, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games (July 24 to August 9).

“Tanzania is endowed with many gifted runners who only need exposure to excel internationally as those who witnessed this year’s race,” said Gidabuday.