Omaruru Street Mile launched

WINDHOEK, 09 OCT – The sixth edition of the Omaruru Street Mile was officially launched in the capital on Tuesday.
The race will take place in Omaruru on Saturday with over 1 000 athletes expected to compete in the 1.6 kilometre race which combines both speed and road race endurance.
Event organiser Berthold Karumendu said the race will see participants competing in nine different categories.
These include the business people’s race, primary 10-13 years boys and girls, junior women and men aged 14-19, veteran women and men aged between 40-49 years, the master’s men and women race for those 50 and over, plus the senior men and women (20-39 years) race.
“We will be awarding prizes from first to seventh in the senior men and women’s competition while all the other races will only see the top five being rewarded,” Karumendu said.
On other incentives to encourage athletes to break the current 04 minutes 06 seconds record set four years ago, Karumendu said they are looking at improving the prize money when the race turns 10 years old.
Shield Namibia Power Save remains the main sponsor availing N.dollars 90 000 while Pasta Polana came in with N.dollars 25 000 and First National Bank Namibia Omaruru Branch contributing N.dollars 10 000.
Karumendu said he was expecting competitors from all over Namibia to participate.
“We are waiting for final confirmation from a few Orapa and Gaborone athletes in Botswana who earlier indicated that they will participate, we hope they make it to give colour to the race,” Karumendu added.
Kefas Kondjashili is the two-time defending senior men champion while Lavinia Haitope is the senior women’s defending champion.
Karumendu promised fireworks saying that big-name Namibian short and long distance athletes are expected to participate in the race.
(NAMPA)