Confusion in Botswana as race organisers fail to identify champion after two batches of winners cross finish line

Participants at a past FNB Kazungula Bridge Marathon in Botswana.

ATHLETICS Confusion in Botswana as race organisers fail to identify champion after two batches of winners cross finish line

Joel Omotto 14:42 - 26.02.2024

Organisers of a popular race in Botswana were forced to suspend its results indefinitely after two batches of winners crossed the finish line at different intervals.

Confusion was witnessed at the 2024 FNB Kazungula Bridge Marathon in Botswana when organisers failed to crown a champion in the 42.2km men’s race as they were unable to identify the bona fide winner.

The event, which took place on Saturday, saw runners from across the continent, including Kenya, participate in various races with some lucrative prizes up for grabs.

However, in the men’s main marathon, race directors had to suspend the declaration of a winner until an investigation was conducted to establish what transpired as two batches of winners crossed the finish line at different intervals.

According to Botswana Daily News, a particular group of runners missed some turns within the route as they were traversing through Kasane back to Kazungula, citing an absence of route markings, and as a result, two batches of winners crossed the finish line at different intervals, making it difficult to establish who was the real winner.

Competition director Thomas Ndadziila told the outlet that the pending results would be reconciled by capturing all data collected during the race by marshals and sector heads.

There were no such problems, however, in the women’s race where Kenya’s Kenyans Rholex Kogo and Susan Chebet pocketed P40,000 (Ksh421,245) and P20,000 (Ksh210,622) respectively after finishing second and third.

Kogo clocked 2:42:18 while Chebet timed 2:44:55 for the podium places behind Zimbabwe’s Ethel Pangiso who emerged the winner in 2:42:18 to take home P75,000 (Ksh789,834).

Another Kenyan Alyce Koech finished second in the women’s 21km race in 1:19:30 to pocket P15,000 (Ksh157,966) with Namibia’s Lavinia Haitope taking the winner’s prize of P25,000 (Ksh263,278) after stopping the clock at 1:19:24

Zimbabwe’s Rudo Mthanderwe completed the podium in 1:20:02 to take home P10,000 (Ksh105,311).

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