DEPUTY Minister for Culture, Arts, and Sports Hamis Mwinjuma (Mwana FA) has revealed he is set to battle it out in the 2024 Betika Mbeya Tulia Marathon and called on athletics stakeholders in Tanzania to meet in Mbeya when the race takes place.

Mwinjuma decided that he was fit to run and finish the Betika Mbeya Tulia Marathon's seventh season, scheduled for Friday and Saturday at the Sokoine Stadium.

The Deputy Minister on Monday led hundreds of athletes in Dar es Salaam in a build-up for the coming showdown and remarked that the morale shown by the athletes proves the competition will be fierce.

The Betika Mbeya Tulia Marathon, which aims to raise funds for improving health and education infrastructure, will be led by Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa.

More than 5,000 runners will battle it out in marathon (42km), half marathon (21km), 10km, and 5km events on May 11, one day after the track races, namely 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m, had taken place.

Much as the Deputy Minister did not mention the event he will take part in, he said he will run a long race and does not doubt that he will do well- maintaining he is fit for the marathon and will win a medal.

National Assembly Speaker, Tulia Ackson, issued a similar statement during a build-up for the coming showdown, which took place in Dodoma recently.

Mwinjuma led hundreds of athletes to participate in the build-up race in Dar es Salaam and handed over a champions' flag to some of the region's athletes who will travel to Mbeya to join others in the seventh season of the Betika Mbeya Tulia Marathon. The Deputy Minister stressed that they should do well in the race.

The Deputy Minister said amid deafening cheers that with the morale he had seen, this season will witness a stiff battle.

Mwinjuma revealed during the build up- which started at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre, Posta to Coco Beach- that he had chosen to run and finish a long race without mentioning the showdown.

"Let's meet in Mbeya, I'm fit, I have, as is the case with Dar es Salaam, run and finished a long distance, they should prepare for it in Mbeya," the Deputy Minister noted amid cheers. Some of Dar es Salaam's athletes promised to return triumphantly.

Some of Dar es Salaam athletes have secured sponsorship from Betika Tanzania, which includes travel and other expenses, to take part in the showdown in Mbeya as part of efforts by the betting company- which is the race's main sponsor this season- to promote athletics.

Betika Tanzania's Information Officer, Rugambwa Juvenalius said the Wednesday build-up will be held in Mbeya, after Mtwara, Rukwa, Iringa, Morogoro, and Dodoma had held a similar event to prepare for this season's race.

He said that Betika Tanzania will pay for 460 athletes to participate in the coming race to boost enthusiasm and provide opportunities for talented athletes.