Lake Manyara Marathon races on October 29, 2023 with 6 million/- cash prizes floated for winners

Finally, the tentative prizes for winners of the forthcoming Lake Manyara Marathon have been announced, with winners set to pocket over 5.5 million/- in cash prizes among other awards.

The main 21 kilometers race will feature only male athletes with the first winner set to be awarded 1 million/- in cash, the second person to finish the race gets 500,000 while the third winner pockets 400,000/-.

The fourth winner will get 250,000/- and the fifth winner 200,000/- and then from the sixth to the eighth winners each gets 100,000/- in cash.

Then the 10 kilometers race, to be participated by both male and female runners, the top prize will be 500,000 for both categories, totalling to 1 million/-, the second 350,000/- again for both categories totalling to 700,000/- while the third winners get 200,000/- each.

The fourth winners each get 150,000/- while the fifth winners get 100,000/- and from the sixth to the eight winners each pockets 50,000/- in cash.

Kenyan Gold Medallist and world’s top racer, Mosses Kiptanui is among the top athletes that will be attending the Lake Manyara Marathon at Mto wa Mbu on the 29^th of October 2023.

Tanzanian International Athlete, Emmanual Giniki, who has been appointed the Goodwill ambassador of the race, is also among the Lake Manyara Marathon participants.

On the other hand, representatives from Posso International Promotions, the leading sports management agency will be some of top delegations from overseas expected to attend the forthcoming Lake Manyara Marathon of Arusha.

“They are coming to recruit new potential international racers,” said the organizer Morris Leonard Okinda, adding that the Marathon wants to come up with athletes that will be representing the country to international events.

Posso International Sports Management usually handles big international sports men and women and in Tanzania the outfit manages athletes such as Alphonce Simbu, Gabriel Geay and Emmanuel Giniki, already big names in sports.

“The race, which covers mostly cultural and attractive sites, will double as an active tourism event, cultural sampling fair and talent identifying platform,” said Morris Leonard Okinda, the Director of GreenLeaf Mohar.

More than 3000 athletes will be racing along with wildlife in the forthcoming Lake Manyara Half Marathon to be held at Mto-wa-Mbu in Monduli District of Arusha, adjacent to the Manyara National Park.

The Marathon comes in three categories, the main 21 kilometers event, a ten kilometers executive race and 5 kilometers fun run all taking place at Mto-wa-Mbu area, in Monduli District adjacent to both Lake Manyara and its corresponding National Park.

‘Racing in the Country of Flamingo,’ is the guiding theme and indeed, all participants will be given special ‘Flamingo,’ T-shirts, in honor of the pink-coloured trademark species of Manyara.

 The Marathon will be flagged off from the Lake Manyara National Park entry gate and climaxes at the Barafu grounds of Mto-wa-Mbu.

GreenLeaf Mohar is the firm behind the organization of the maiden Lake Manyara Marathon of 2023 and beyond.

Morris Okinda added that they have chosen the area because most residents of Mto-wa-Mbu have always been playing the role of tour and safari guides to foreign visitors.

“Mto wa-Mbu is also a spectacular tourist destination in its own right, starting from being located next to Lake Manyara National as well featuring cultural offerings such as traditional food, cultural ornaments, banana plantations and paddy farms,” he added.

Mto-wa-Mbu happens to be a cultural melting point for both locals and foreigners.

The small but very active township is perched below the Great Rift Valley wall and serves as gateway to Karatu, Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park.

And now the Lake Manyara Marathon is being added into the mix to spur things up through the hybrid sports and tourism offering.

Of all the categories, it is the Fun run which covers five kilometers that has attracted the most participants with 1500 showing interest.

The Executive Race of 10 kilometers has on the other hand attracted 1000 participants, while the main toiling event of 21 kilometres’ Marathon will be undertaken by 500 athletes.

Bonite Bottlers Limited of Moshi, through its Kilimanjaro Natural Spring Water Product is among the race sponsors, Jungle Pearl Lodge, Tanzania Cultural Tourism and the Scorpion Tour Company