25 Jun 2018

Mochudi will host the Youth Winter Half marathon next month.

The youth marathon, a brainchild of Earnest Kopong, will be held on July 28.

In an interview, the marathon spokesperson, Bakgethwa Motlhabane, said the event had been received well by the youth who have shown great interest in taking part.

Motlhabane said the marathon would bring young people in Kgatleng together in one place and accord them a platform to create dialogue and engage each other.

He said one of the objectives of the marathon was to win the fight against social ills, which continued to bedevil Kgatleng, among them, passion killings as well as drug and alcohol abuse and their impact in Botswana.

Motlhabane said Kgatleng was known for its hype in cultural observations and customs such as Botho and self-respect and wishes to make a difference through the marathon.

Thus, he said the marathon would seek to restore good reputation for Kgatleng.

“We will not stop the youth from having fun, but we will instill responsibility in them while having smart fun. The marathon encourages smart fun, where you drink responsibly and keep acceptable behaviour,” he explained.

Motlhabane said the youth were future leaders and therefore should be responsible in order for them to achieve their goals.

He also said the marathon aimed to make a change in the community and in the lives of the youth by engaging them in order to make a difference.

He said the marathon would feature 11 teams from Kgatleng while training as well as preparation had started.

Motlhabane also said the marathon had been categorised in three phases which include the 21.1km, 10km and 5km races, with different registration fees.

Currently the marathon has not received any sponsorship and thus, Motlhabane has appealed to organisations as well as individuals for support. Meanwhile, there will be prizes for winners in each category. ENDS