25 Feb 2024

The 2024 FNB Kazungula Bridge Marathon (FNBKBM) culminated on a controversial suspense as they did not crown a champion in the 42.2km men’s category.

This came as a result of a particular group of runners missing some turns within the route as they were traversing through Kasane back to Kazungula citing absence of route markings. Consequently, two batches of winners crossed the finish line at different intervals and it was not clear as to who was the real winner.

The race directors took a decision to suspend the declaration of a winner in the longest race of the day citing that an investigation would be conducted to establish what transpired during the race following which a champion would be announced indefinitely.

Meanwhile in the 42.2km women’s category Zimbabwe’s Ethel Pangiso emerged a champion clocking 2:42:18 pocketing P75 000 while Kenyans Rholex Kogo and Susan Chebet came second and third clocking 2:42:18 and 2:44:55 winning P40 000 and P20 000 respectively.

In the 21.1km women category, Namibia’s Lavinia Haitope went back home P25 000 richer after clinching position one with a time of 1:19:24 whereas Kenya’s Alyce Koech finished in second at 1:19:30 and Zimbabwe’s Rudo Mthanderwe came third registering 1:20:02 pocketing P15 000 and P10 000 respectively.

Zimbabwe’s Moses Tarakinyu finished atop in the men 21.1km, with 1:03:41 followed by Simon Paulos of South Africa clocking 1:04:35 and his countrymen Godwin Katakura with 1:04:50 in second and third respectively grabbing same cash prizes as their women counterparts.

Batswana athletes came through in the 10km men category as Othasitse Gabololwe was crowned champion to bag P10 000, seconded by his Sylvester Koko in position two and Zimbabwe’s Tendai Zimuto in third who pocketed P8 000 and P5 000 respectively.

Zimbabwe’s Melody Shumirai won the 10km women category as Botswana duo of Lame Nare and Botlhe Mazunduma finished in second and third and bagged same monetary prizes as their male counterparts.

Botswana dominated men’s 10km wheelchair category with Gofaone Lesetedi, Kopano Bogosi and Emang Monageng in first, second and third position respectively. They also got the same prizes of P10 000, P8 000 and P5 000. In an interview, FNB Kazungula Bridge Marathon competition director, Thomas Ndadziila stated that the pending results for the men’s 42.2kms would be reconciled by capturing all the data collected during the race by marshalls and sector heads.

He said at every critical point within the route they captured the athletes’ details, which meant that if a particular runner had not passed through that point then he had cheated.

Ndadziila pointed out that the data was inconclusive at the moment as they had installed race marshalls at all turning points to guide runners hence noted a further investigation would be conducted to discover what transpired in the 42.2kms.

FNBKBM CEO Obert Morgan assumed the full responsibility of the mayhem in the 42.2km while they awaited the full analysis from the technical experts Botswana Athletics Association to clarify the matter. He said BAA would advise them on what steps to take following the culmination of the spectacle of which the recommendations would be availed to the public.  ENDS