TANZANIAN athletes shined in this year's Kilimanjaro Premium Lager International Marathon, with Hamis Misai winning the 42.2km race clocking 2:20:45, in the men category race which started and ended at the Moshi Co-operative University (MoCU) stadium in Moshi, Kilimanjaro region.

The second place went to Tanzania's Aloyce Simbu who ran for 2:21:17, ahead of Kenya's Abraham Kipkosgei who clocked in 2:24:12 to claim the third place.

In the women's category, first place went to Kenya's Jacinta Chepkoech who clocked 2:45:39, followed by Rwanda's Agnes Musabyimana who ran for 3:00:07 and third place went to Tanzania's Neema Sanka who ran in 3:00:49.

In the 21.1 km Yas Kilimanjaro Half-Marathon women’s category, the winner was Tanzanian Failuna Matanga who clocked 1:17:37 ahead of Kenya’s Irine Wawuda who ran for 1:18:44 ahead of Tanzanian Neema Festo who clocked 1:21:38.

Speaking shortly after awarding the winners of the race which entered its 23rd season this year, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy Dotto Biteko urged development stakeholders to collaborate with the organizers of the Kilimanjaro International Marathon to use the competition to boost the tourism sector in the country.

 “Reports show that participation in this competition is increasing every year; for example, in 2024 the total number of participants in the race was 12,800 and this year the number has reached more than 20,000. it is clear that it has an attraction which if used well in promoting tourism, the sector will grow at a rapid pace,” he said.

He also urged citizens to continue to participate in regular physical activities in order to improve their health status and also avoid non-communicable diseases that have been a threat in community in recent years.

“I also urge all citizens to ensure that. To create ‘disciplined’ in their eating habits so as to avoid, among other effects, non-communicable diseases,” he said.

He also commended the sponsors of the competition, including the main sponsor of the 42.2 km race the Kilimanjaro Premium Lager and the sponsors of the 21.1 km race, Yas Tanzania, for making the competition a great success for more than 20 years.

He mentioned other sponsors as the CRDB Bank, who is the sponsors of the 5 km race, Simba Cement, Kilimanjaro Drinking Water, TotalEnergies, TPC Sugar, Garda World Security CMC Motors, Salinero Kilimanjaro Hotels, Kibo Palace Hotels and Keys Hotels.

 Earlier, welcoming the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports Palamagamba Kabudi said that the Kilimanjaro Marathon competition has made great strides in promoting sports in the country.

“We in the Government and other stakeholders in sports and development stakeholders in general should efforts made by the organizers of this race and its sponsors due to the importance of this race in promoting the sports sector, tourism and the national economy in general”, he said.

 For his part, the Resident Director of the Tanzania Breweries Limited (TBL), who the main sponsors of the race through their Kilimanjaro Premium Lager beer, Michelle Kilpin, promised that the company will continue to be a major partner of the race which she said its popularity is growing every year.

“We are proud to be part of and a major player in this local and internationally famous event; we thank the other sponsors who collaborate with us in organizing this; our promise is that we will continue to collaborate with them in making this competition more and more popular for a long time to come,” she added.

For his part, the representative of Yas Tanzania who are the sponsors of the 21.1 km Yas half-Kilimanjaro marathon race Innocent Rwetabura said that the company is proud to be part of the Kilimanjaro marathon which he said has elevated Tanzania to the international arena through the sports sector.

"We have been one of the sponsors of this race for 10 years now and its success is evident, let me take this opportunity to promise on behalf of the company's management that we will continue to be part of this success through our sponsorship so as to make this event sustainable due to its importance to our nation", he said