Over the weekend, the trend continued during the BTC Francistown Marathon activation held at the Fairscape, Fairgrounds. The activation was organised by the Fearless Fitness Club while the other set of the activation was held in Tonota.
Fearless Fitness Club instructor, Kealoboga Kaylo Leruele told Sport Monitor that he was impressed by the attendance of runners at the activation. “This is the fifth activation. We are trying to get people to register for the Francistown Marathon in large numbers. We want to give back to the people of Francistown and today we had around 500 people for the activation which is a good number,” Leruele said. Furthermore, he said despite the marathon, Batswana have taken fitness seriously and probably that is the outcome of the outbreak of COVID-19.
Leruele said they have four more activations to go until the main event which set for April 23 at the Obed Itani Stadium. BTC spokesperson, Mosarwa Molema said there was an increase in terms of the numbers and that is encouraging. “We are going to intensify marketing the event through the media and running clubs. This is the second marathon sponsored by BTC.
The sponsorship stands at around P1.8 million but there are still other things that we are going to add to the package,” he said. Meanwhile, the Peleng marathon was also underway in Lobatse. The marathon organiser, Tshepho Bathai said it was the fourth activation of the marathon. “Registration was slow at the beginning, but now increasing.
We are even having athletes from Namibia, South Africa, Kenya and Zimbabwe. The event is organised by Peleng Marathon Charitable Trust in partnership with the Lefika Athletics Club, approved by Botswana Athletics Association (BAA),” he said. Bathai said they do not have a title sponsor but there are some sponsors that will be unveiled this week.
The objectives of Peleng marathon is to promote participation in amateur sport and healthy physical recreation for the benefit of the inhabitants of those cities, towns or villages where Peleng Marathon Charitable Trust (or such other subsidiaries of the Charity from time to time) holds events and in such other areas of Botswana as the trustees may from time to time decide and in particular to provide, promote, improve or assist in providing, improving or promoting public facilities, amenities, equipment and services for healthy physical recreation and play. “Facilities and services for recreational sporting or other leisure time occupation in the interests of social welfare for the public at large or those who by reason of their youth, age, infirmity, disablement financial hardship or social or economic circumstance have need of such facilities and services.
The improvement and preservation of good health and well-being through participation in sport, play and healthy physical recreation. Volunteering in sport and healthy recreation for the benefit of the community, education and training of sports coaches and sports volunteers,” Bathai said.
