Cresta Bosele Phikwe Marathon: Botswana's Berlin qualifier on June 27

by Mqondisi Dube

There will be an added incentive at this year's Cresta Bosele Phikwe marathon with athletes who complete the 42.2km race under 2:18:00 hours assured of booking their place in Botswana's team to the 12th edition of the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) World Championships in Berlin, Germany, in August.
The race's Local Organising Committee (LOC) confirmed this during a media briefing held in Gaborone on Wednesday.
Botswana Athletics Association (BAA) sports development officer Bobby Gaseitsiwe said athletes are expected to record good times on a pitch largely regarded as flat. The IAAF certified course was measured by the federation's officials last year and passed as meeting international standards. Gaseitsiwe said the course has to be re-measured and validated each year and the BAA is waiting for an IAAF official to pass the route.
"This is an internationally recognised course which means times recorded here are valid and can be used to qualify for international events," Gaseitsiwe said.
He added that athletes who finish the race inside 2 hours 18minutes would qualify for the Berlin meet. Top athletes have toiled to break the track record of 2:14:57 hours set by James John in 2005. Last year, no athlete finished the race under 2:18:00 hours as the winner, Keineetse Moswasi crossed the line in 2:21:52 hours.

At least 5000 athletes are expected to take part at this year's event, which would be held on June 27. It would be a giant leap in the number of participants, up from 550 who took part last year. The event organisers said the race has been moved from its traditional Sunday slot to Saturday. The country's premier marathon is expected to attract international runners for the first time in its rich 24-year history. LOC member Tiro Kganela said the number of athletes registering is promising.

He said the fun run, which had become a curtain raiser to the main event, has been scrapped. Instead, there would be a 15km race for athletes under 20 years. Kganela said Namibia's legendary runner, Frank Frederecks would not grace the event as anticipated because he would be engaged in another athletics meet in Switzerland over the same weekend.
Cresta Bosele Sales and Marketing Manager, Kay Mahema said the race started as a fun run but has grown over the years to become an international event.
She said Cresta has come a long way promoting wellness even through sport. Mascom, Botswana Tourism Board, The Voice, BCL, Itekanele Health Scheme, and Associated Fund Administrators are some of the race's sponsors.