Bachmus Marathon draws nearly 4 600 runners
Nearly 4 600 runners entered and competed in the Coastal Bachmus Marathon, with Alina Armas and Thomas Rainold cementing their places as forces to be reckoned with in the women’s and men’s 42 km races respectively.
The Bachmus Marathon has more than doubled in size since last year, when it recorded only 1 800 entries. The event attracts runners from across the country as well as neighbouring countries such as Angola, South Africa and Zambia.
It is the only marathon that uses the B2 coastal road as its route.
Rainold takes men’s title
Running from Vineta Stadium in Swakopmund to Walvis Bay Private School, Thomas Rainold won the men’s marathon in 02:29:23, followed by Geson Kooper (02:38:53) and Simon Modestus (02:42:05).
Rainold said he was happy with his victory despite not being at full fitness.
“I’m just feeling good. I’m just not really 100% fit. I just tried my best,” he said.
Rainold said conditions were manageable during the race.
“The race was very good. The wind was not that bad. It was very nice.”
He described the race as enjoyable and said the wind had not been particularly difficult to contend with. He plans to focus on the half-marathon distance for the time being before returning to the full marathon next year.
Three in a row for Armas
In the women’s category, Alina Armas cemented her name in the history books by winning the marathon for a third consecutive time.
This year, she completed the distance in 02:51:45, followed by Beata Naigambo (03:00:46) and Loraine Janse van Rensburg (03:21:21).
“By the grace of God, I’m very much happy with this win,” she said.
She praised the conditions on the day as well as the organisation of the race, particularly the marshals and the availability of water along the route.
“I’m very happy for myself to win the third [Bachmus] marathon,” she said.
Armas said she would now take some time to rest as she enters her off-season.
In the men’s 21 km race, Jeremia Shaliaxwe crossed the finish line in 01:06:20, followed by Nghilyeendele Ndahangwanasho Kornelius (01:06:45) and Stefanus Kaudinge (01:08:01).
Shaliaxwe said he was pleased with his performance despite not running as fast as he had hoped.
In the women’s 21 km race, Tuuli Angala crossed the finish line first in 01:16:20, followed by Martha Shivolo (01:17:25) and Sali Nduvetiko (01:17:39).
In the 10 km race, Matias Simon, who is usually seen taking on longer distances, crossed the finish line in 00:30:14. He said he was preparing for the Region 5 Marathon, which is set to take place in South Africa on 1 November.
“This year I committed a lot and decided to do the 10 kilometre distance, as I get ready for Region 5.”
Information and Communication Technology Minister Emma Theofelus was also spotted at the Bachmus Marathon after completing the 10 km distance.
“It was a wonderful marathon. Congratulations to the organising team. They did a wonderful job.”
Thalita Schoeman, marketing coordinator at Bachmus and one of the co-organisers, expressed her gratitude to every participant.
“We are extremely grateful for everyone who came on board – we had a lot of sponsors this year, along with a lot of support at the water tables along the route. This is a community event, bringing the community together. To every single runner, company, sponsor, thank you for partnering with us – it was a great success.”
