Namibian Correctional Service and Namibian Police Force runners Martha Shivolo and Jeremia Shaliaxwe were crowned as the new champions of the Navachab half-marathon after dominating their respective categories on Saturday.

The ninth edition of the Navachab marathon saw over 600 athletes competing in the 21-kilometre (km) race, the newly introduced 10km race, and the five-kilometre fun walk and run.

Shivolo, representing Namibia Correctional Service and crowned as the women's champion of the 2023 Nedbank Citi Dash a week ago, once again displayed her dominance by winning the women's category. She completed her race in a time of one hour, 15 minutes, and 44 seconds (01:15:44).

Namibia’s representative at the recently concluded World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Alina Armas, secured the second position, while veteran long-distance runner Beata Naigambo clinched the last podium spot.

Meanwhile, in the men’s category, Shaliaxwe became the first-time winner of the Navachab half-marathon, an event he has participated in on more than five occasions in the past.

Shaliaxwe finished ahead of his Namibian Police teammate Simon Matias, with Geson Koper from the /Karas region claiming the third position.

In an interview with Nampa after the race, Shivolo mentioned that this is the first time she has competed in a half marathon and expressed her excitement at being crowned the 2023 Navachab half-marathon champion.

“I enjoyed the run today. It was nice competing against the best as they pushed me throughout the race,” she said, adding that Armas provided strong competition on the day.

Shivolo stated that winning this marathon showed her that with hard work, one can achieve their goals. Therefore, she is determined to train hard in the half-marathon category so she can one day represent Namibia internationally.

Meanwhile, Shaliaxwe told this agency that he has competed in the half marathon before, but winning it means a lot to him.

“Since I started competing in this marathon, I have never finished on the podium, and doing it this year means a lot to me. The Navachab half-marathon is challenging as the route is not flat, and you don’t know when to push or slow down, but I am grateful for being crowned champion this year,” he said.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency