Rössing Marathon National Championship 2017

Namibian athletics’ national marathon championship, the Rössing Marathon, takes place in Swakopmund on Saturday, 11 February 2017, as part of the mine’s drive to promote healthy habits and support positive lifestyles in the community. The day is sponsored, for the 26th consecutive year, by Rio Tinto Rössing Uranium Mine and hosted by Swakop Striders Athletics Club and includes two running events open to the general public – the 42.2 kilometre full marathon, and the shorter 10 km run.
Last year’s winners were the married couple Reonard and Alina Namupala (NDF sport club), winning in 2:22:04 and 2:41:11 respectively, with Alina registering an amazing fourth consecutive win. The 10 km Run was won by Jeremia Shaliaxwe (Namibian Police sport club) in 29:19.
The first prize for the marathon is N$10 000 each for the men’s and ladies open winners – with the Namibian marathon winning athletes also each receiving an extra N$20 000 inkind development bonus during their reign as Namibia’s national marathon champions. There are also cash prizes for runners finishing second (N$5 000), third (N$2 000), fourth (N$1 000) and fifth (N$500) in the marathon – the day’s main event. An extra N$1 000 cash bonus is up for grabs should the marathon records be broken in the open categories. The Rössing Marathon record of two hours, eleven minutes and twenty-three seconds (2:11:23) by Luketz Swartbooi was set in 1992. The total prize monies for the event in 2017 amount to more than N$70 000.
The Uranium Relay for Erongo mine workers (mine contractors included) over ten kilometres (four runners, running 2.5 km each) and 5 km Fun Walk is back on the programme this year with proceeds collected from participation in both events going to the Cancer Association of Namibia (CAN) for the fight against cancer in Namibia. The Uranium Relay will have three categories – ladies, men and mixed (two ladies and two men) with a first prize of N$1 500 in each category (N$1 000 for second place and N$500 for third place).
The 5 km Fun Walk is popular with families, corporate entities for team building, and the otherwise health-conscious public. The route is planned to include a stretch along the scenic, northern beach walk of Swakopmund. The Fun Walk includes an exciting competition for best themed/most original costume, funniest hat, youngest walker (excluding toddlers in prams & pets), oldest walker, tallest walker and cutest pet walker. The coastal community especially is invited to show their support for the fight against cancer in Namibia by coming up with creative themes for the competition. Page 2 of 3
This year the venue for the Rössing Marathon moves over from the Vineta Central (main) sports fields to the Vineta North sports field (north of The Dome) with registration taking place at the venue on Friday, 10 February, from 18.00 to 21.00. All participating athletes will receive a race number and T-shirt (on a first-come-first-served basis) during registration. Entry forms and more information are available on the Rössing website at www.rossing.com or contact Frank Slabbert of Swakop Striders at tel. 064 405788 (h) / cell 081 240 3383 or Botha Ellis of Rössing at tel. 064 520 2426 (w) / cell 081 286 0456.
Entry fees for the Rössing Marathon are N$60 for Namibian and SADC runners and N$100 for non-SADC runners; For the 10 km Run it is N$40 for Namibian and SADC runners and N$60 for non-SADC runners; For the Uranium Relay event registration is N$80 per team and for the 5 km Fun Walk, N$10 per walker (any other donations to the CAN are welcome).
The kick-off times on Saturday, 11 February are as follows:
 Rössing Marathon – 7.00
 10 km Run – 7.15
 Uranium Relay – 9.00
 5 km Fun Walk – 9.00
The cut-off time for the marathon is 12.00, with the main prize-giving ceremony at 12.30.
Rössing Uranium creates positive social impacts where we operate, helping to improve living standards, health and wellbeing, and education in our host communities. As part of the Rio Tinto Group, our approach equips our partners to reap sustainable benefits long after our operations close. The theme for this year’s Rössing Marathon is “Join the race, stay healthy!”
Contacts
RUL.communications@riotinto.com
www.rossing.com