Stage set for Orange Phikwe marathon

The sleeping copper mining town is expected to rise from its BCL closure-induced slumber to celebrate the race’s 32nd edition. The annual event, which started as a fun run, is now a qualifier for international competitions such as the Olympic and Commonwealth Games. The title sponsor of the race is Orange Botswana after injecting P600,000 last year in a three-year deal. The Local Organising Committee (LOC) spokesperson, Kennedy Dudzhayi told a press briefing yesterday that it was unfortunate athletes failed to qualify for the 2017 World Championships. He said registration is ongoing at various locations, including online.

“Our prize money remains the same from last year. We have decided to stretch prize money for the 42km, from position one up to 10. We see this as a motivation because this is a long race,” he said.