Ramadhan wins gold medal at Absa Dar City Marathon

Dar es Salaam. Prominent runner Sara Ramadhan emerged at the top of the Absa Dar City Marathon held yesterday at Mnazi Mmoja in Dar es Salaam.

Ramadhan, who is among the runners selected by Athletics Tanzania (AT) to compete at the Paris Olympic Games, clocked 1:13:21.08 in the thrilling event.

The event also saw police runner Grace Jackson finish in second place with 1:15:37.22 and Neema Festo of the Tanzania Peoples Defence Forces (TPDF) clinching third place after clocking 1:16:52.04.

In the men’s category, Mwanza’s runner, Dickson Paul, placed at the top after clocking 1:02:58.04, followed by Mao Mhando of Manyara, who clocked 1:05:15.13, and Rashid Muna of Singida, who recorded 1:05:19.04, in third place. In the 10-kilometre race, Anastazia Dolomongo from Arusha won the gold medal after clocking 34.04.11 in the women’s category.

Dolomongo was followed by Elizabeth Ilanda in second place with 34:06:23 and another famous runner, Natalia Sule of Arusha, who recorded 34.09:02. In the men’s 10-kilometre race, Emmanuel Shahanga won the gold medal after clocking 29:00:03, followed by Decta Theziforce with 29:04:09 and Boay Dawi, who placed third with 29:11:12.

The fourth edition of the Absa Dar City Marathon 2024 featured about 3,000 athletes from various regions of Mainland Tanzania.

The event aimed not only to support the provision of medical supplies for the maternity ward at Mnazi Mmoja Hospital but also to showcase the tourism attractions available in the heart of Dar es Salaam. Speaking after the race, Absa Tanzania’s Head of Marketing and Corporate Affairs, Aron Luhanga, said due to the success of the marathon, their bank would continue its long-term commitment to sponsoring the event.

“As part of our brand promise, “Your Story Matters,” Absa Bank will continue to value the stories of Tanzanians, as a portion of the proceeds from this marathon will go towards benefiting the community by facilitating the availability of medical supplies for women and children.” “We believe everyone can script their story through exercise, and running is one of those exercises. We also believe that true wealth lies in health, and running promotes good health. Therefore, with a healthy population, our society and country will make significant strides in development. Absa is committed to ensuring that these stories are written effectively,” said Luhanga.

Luhanga also said their bank offers a range of high-quality products and services, including children’s accounts, home loans, car loans, and a unique credit card service that enables customers to receive a pre-loaded card upon application.

For his part, Godfrey Mindu, chairman of The Runners Club, thanked the bank and other sponsors, noting that their involvement would bring significant changes to the lives of Tanzanians.

The event’s other sponsors included Alliance Life Assurance Company, Hill Water, Kilimanjaro Milk, and Garda Security Company.