Members of the Annual Brufut Marathon Run Association on Friday held a press conference at the Independence Stadium VIP lounge to disclose the activities that will be taking place as the 17th Edition of the Run inches closer.
These include a half-marathon 21km and nationwide cycling race starting from the Sheraton Hotel in Brufut via North Bank to Janjanbureh, George Town, Basse and back to Brufut via Jarra Soma, Brikama and Gunjur.
Prior to the Marathon Run day, a cycling race will also take centre stage to ensure the cyclists arrive in time for the Marathon Run.
“The 10km and 21km races will be competed by both male and female contestants and there would also be 1.5km fun run for the middle age and elders, a walk race and children race,” says Momodou Max Jallow, pioneer of the Brufut Marathon Association, who spoke to journalists at a press conference convened on Friday.
He said: “The theme for this year’s Run is dubbed Run Against Hunger and Running for Human Development, with three different project components such as health, education and food security.
The chairman of Brufut Marathon Association, Bai Jabbi, said: “BMA as the main responsible organizer of the event sets for the 2011 an ambitious goal of raising close to D1million for the Brufut Community Development and essential marathon logistics.
Background
The event nicknamed today as the Brufut Run started in 1994 through the enthusiasm of several passionate Gambian runners who decided to support their community through sport primarily by mobilizing resources for assisting women horticulturists in the purchase of seedlings and fertilizers.
Ever since, the run is themed in such a way as to bear on the social-economic welfare of the Brufut community and increase public awareness of key development issues relevant for the country as a whole.
There has been a run against the spread of HIV/Aids, deforestation, malaria, illegal migration, drugs and alcohol abuse, for a clean environment, accelerated industrial development or education.
In 2010 the event was themed for the second time ‘Run Against Hunger’ to reecho the national call for food self-sufficiency and the fight against hunger through socio-economic development.
It was organised, in collaboration with World Runners Against Hunger, who have been regularly represented by athletes from abroad and is regularly supported by The Friends of The Gambia Association.
