First National Bank Lesotho (FNB) and Mamoth Employee Benefits Company will host the fourth Maseru City Urban Road Challenge (MCURC) on October 5, which they have sponsored with an undisclosed amount of money.
MCURC is a road race that takes place in October to commemorate Lesotho’s independence. The country got its independence from Britain on October 4 1966.
FNB marketing manager Lebohang Setlalekgosi says FNB and Mamoth have come on board as sponsors for this year’s race to demonstrate their commitment to stimulating a healthy lifestyle among Basotho, and promoting sports tourism in Lesotho.
“Through the sponsorship, 15 temporary jobs will be created to ensure the race runs smoothly. The objective of the race is to grow sports tourism in Lesotho and provide a sustainable business environment for hospitality businesses whilst encouraging Basotho to participate in healthy activities such as running and hiking throughout the year,” Kheekhe said.
Race organizer Bokang Kheekhe of Basutoland Ink says Lesotho athletics have tremendous potential, as evidenced by locals participating and doing well in competitions outside the country.
“It is surprising that the only big race in Lesotho is the annual Mokhotlong high altitude marathon, despite the proven amount of talent in the country. One of the goals of this race is to identify and promote the talent that we have in the country,” he said.
He said the race will be divided into three categories – the 5km, 10km and 21.1km in addition to the under-18, general and veterans’ categories.
The race will start at 5:30am at Maseru Club. Contestants are expected to arrive on time. There will be prizes for winners, as well as commemoration medals for participants who finish the race.
