Gaborone — The 5th Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC) Francistown Marathon has been hailed for bringing life, colour and vibrancy to the city and affirming its growing reputation as a centre of excellence in sport and community engagement.
Speaking at the end of the event held on Saturday, Francistown mayor, Gaone Majere said the marathon had become more than just a race, but now an integral part of the city’s identity.
“Each year, it strengthens social cohesion, promotes healthy living and unites people across generations and backgrounds,” Majere said.
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He added that the event aligned with the Francistown Urban Development Plan 5, which envisioned a vibrant, inclusive and economically dynamic city that leveraged sport, tourism and culture as drivers of sustainable growth.
“The BTC Francistown Marathon is a living example of this vision in action. It activates our public spaces, promotes wellness and positions Francistown as a destination for regional and national events,” he said.
Also, he said the event of such scale stimulated the local economy and created opportunities for accommodation providers, transport operators, restaurants, fuel stations, informal traders and others in the value chain.
“When we host events like these, we are not only celebrating sport but also advancing economic transformation,” Majere said.
He thanked BTC for its unwavering commitment to sport, wellness and community development, saying the company had demonstrated true corporate citizenship.
He also acknowledged sponsors, the Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) and the Francistown Athletics Club for their technical support.
“To all athletes, today you are the embodiment of courage, discipline and perseverance. In our city, we celebrate not only the winners on the podium, but every individual who dared to start and had the strength to finish,” he said.
BTC chief executive officer, Branden Green, said the company had so far spent over P1 million on the marathon as part of its corporate social responsibility programme to uplift lives in Francistown, Tonota, Masunga and Tutume districts.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwean male runners dominated the 42.2km category, claiming first and second positions as Botswana settled for third.
Owen Slowly crossed the line first in 2:19:29, despite rainfall and wind.
He navigated the wet course with pace from start to finish, a feat he said he had chased for years.
“I finally made it despite repeated failures,” an emotional Slowly said after the race, tears of joy visible as he spoke, adding that he finally realised his dream.
Tawanda Bvunzawabaya of Zimbabwe finished second in 2:26:36, holding off rivals who threatened to overtake him in the closing stages.
Botswana’s Wame Semitwe finished third in 2:29:29.
He said the weather impacted his performance, but noted his improvement from fourth place last year.
“Next year I will show them,” he said.
In the women’s 42.2km, Botswana turned the tables. Local runners claimed first and second positions, with Zimbabwe taking third, a reverse of the men’s result.
In both men’s and women’s 42.2km categories, winners went home with P37 500, while those in second and third positions pocketed P25 000 and P15 000 respectively, in addition to the gold, silver and bronze medals they received.
The marathon proved a neck-and-neck encounter. With seasoned local and international runners increasing each year, officials expect future editions to be even more competitive.
BOPA