Arusha is once more hosting the annual Clock Tower Marathon, a racing event coming up next August in the city located between Cape Town and Cairo.
According to the organizers, the fourth instalment of Clock Tower Marathon is this time racing on Sunday, August 11, 2024. This year the Clock Tower Marathon features a total of 1000 athletes.
The Chairperson of Arusha Runners Club, Isaack Shayo informed us that a number of International Athletes are among the top personalities expected to colour the ‘Clock Tower marathon’ racing in Arusha City.
The Clock Tower Marathon organized by the Arusha Runners Club has so far attracted more than 1000 participants from all over Tanzania.
Speaking during this year’s event launch, the said the Clock Tower Marathon will feature three types of races, including the main Half Marathon event of 21 kilometers.
Other races are the 10 kilometers run and 5 kilometers fun race all targeting to boost tourism, promote environment cleanliness and conservation of natural resources.
The Marathon comes with a side event of planting trees within various locations of the Northern Tourist City.
“This is going to be the third season of the Clock Tower Marathon,” said the organizer.
Runners will start at the Clock Tower Roundabout Junction at the heart of Arusha City.
The Clock Tower Junction with its on ground compass and milestone is believed to be the center point between Cape-Town and Cairo. It is located adjacent to the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel.
They will be racing towards the Railway Station then back again towards the Arusha Gymkhana Club which according to Isaack that will be the finishing point.
Gymkhana will also be the venue hosting the prize giving ceremony for the Marathon winners.
Rogath Steven is the Secretary of the Athletics Federation in Arusha Region who said the Clock Tower Marathon is an important sporting event as far as grooming new talents is concerned.
“It is also serving as a springboard to bigger international athletics events that many Tanzanian sports men and women are currently participating in,” said Steven.
During the previous 2023 event the Mayor of Arusha City Maximmilian Iranghe had divulged that they plan to use the Marathon in driving the project of greening the Arusha City through tree planting.
“We also intend to make use of the Clock Tower Marathon to highly promote the concept of Tourism through sports as well as introducing special tours that allow foreigners to sample the city attractions,” Mayor Iranghe had explained, but how far this had been achieved is yet to be known.