18 Apr 2022

The 2022 Diacore marathon is fast approaching with registration window closing May 9.

The race, whose last edition was 2019 owing to COVID-19, resurfaces with exciting developments that promise to add fun to the race.  The marathon, billed for June 5 in Gaborone, will be managed under careful consideration of the COVID-19 protocols.

“With COVID-19 still prevalent, we are going to follow all set health protocols. We will be following the social distancing, ensuring that participants wear masks, and sanitise frequently,” said Diacore marathon administration officer, Tshepiso Baipidi, adding that SHE officers would be present to ensure adherence to protocols.

She told BOPA that this year’s marathon would be held under the theme: Gender Based Violence (GBV) Awareness, which was coined in recognition of high cases of GBV recorded from lockdown periods to date.

She said despite the awareness campaigns that had been carried out, the situation had not improved and since people were registering for the marathon in numbers, the organisers found it opportune to sensitise the runners on the vice.

“All the registration proceeds will go to charity, and part of it will sponsor the campaign via a selected partner, who is yet to be announced,” she said.

The distances to be covered are 4km, 10km, 21km, and 42km races with prizes pegged at P50, P200, P300 and P350 respectively. Title sponsors include; Mascom Wireless sponsoring the 10km race; Stanbic Bank for 21km. Silver sponsors comprise BOMAID, Gemological Institute of America, Lucara while the broadcasting partner is Yarona FM.

Baipidi anticipates more sponsors to come on board once contracts are finalised. She stated that routes remained unchanged. Baipidi said since the 2019 race attracted 8 100 participants, they were expecting the same number or more since multitudes had showed interest in the event.

The marathon administrator stated that the difference with this year’s race was that unlike other races, there were no pro-packages for participants.

Essentially, she explained,  this year’s race was the 2020 race which did not materialise due to COVID-19 restrictions, hence the pro-packages had already been distributed to people who had registered then.

“What we did for this year’s registration is that we offered a subsidised fee with a free timing chip. The normal registration with pro-packages will resume in 2023.”

Registration can be done online at www.diacoregaboronemarathon.com or through WhatsApp on 74 568 794.  She said payment options included debit card payment, Electronic Funds Transfer, or cash payment at any Stanbic Bank, once one had registered.

A window period of seven days would be availed for one to process the payment upon registration, and failure to do so would result in  automatic deregistration, she said.

The marathon employs 20 people for a week every year, Baipidi said,  adding that for the past eight years, the race had supported communities and development projects such as the national long-distance running team development programme, which for the past three years supported 11 of the country’s fastest long-distance runners with accommodation, full board, food, supplements, transport, race registration, coaching and management.

She said the development programme started in 2016 and had an annual budget of P400 000.

Moreover, she indicated that in partnership with Wilderness Safaris they sponsored Children in the Wilderness Sports Day project initiated in 2018, and invested over P300 000 to cover the sports day in 15 primary schools in rural areas across Botswana.

Reagrding the initiative to implement OrCam Technology at Mochudi Rehabilitation Centre for the Blind, which started in 2018, Baipidi said DGM purchased two smart devices, which enabled children to read via finger point technology. ENDS