GABORONE – As efforts to attract tourists into the greater Gaborone in their volumes increase, the elite Phakalane Golf Estate and Resort has unwrapped another appetite wetting menu on social activities.
Before end of the first quarter, Phakalane will launch its inaugural marathon expected to lure tourist into Gaborone offering prize money of P133 000, two Botswana diamonds and two trips to the Okavango Delta among other things.
“We are very excited to announce the inaugural Phakalane Gaborone Marathon on the 18th April 2010. Our mission is to ensure we have an event that is a platform to highlight the best of our beloved city Gaborone and what its vibrant and welcoming people have to offer,” said an official communication from the Golf Estate.
The communiqué indicate that the race will sell the greater Gaborone as a premier tourist destination and the marathon will encompass a 10 km run aiming to attract over a thousand runners and a 4km fun run enabling all members of the community to run.
“It will start and finish at Gaborone Phakalane Golf Estate having taken the runners through some of the city’s key attractions such as the Government Enclave, the Main mall, BBS, the new SADC building and BTV.”
Phakalane says the primary mission is to raise money for charity annually and fulfil some of the edicts that are set in the Government of Botswana’s objectives of vision 2016. The beneficiaries of the charity event are Sponsor a Child, Y Care Foundation, the Botswana Heart Foundation, the Lady Khama Charitable Trust and Seeing is Believing.
“Our aim is to hold an international event encompassing not only Gaborone but the whole of Botswana. We have joined and been certified by the Association of International Marathons (AIM) and Distance races – which will give us access to an international network of over 300 top races in more than 85 countries with an increased international recognition with increased profiles for our sponsors, city and runners.”
Norrie Williamson, a grade A, IAAF certifier and well known long distance runner and coach is going to be the technical consultant ensuring that all technical aspects of the running of the marathon are as professional as is possible alongside BAA and the BNSC.
In addition Phakalane has established a close relationship with the Department of Tourism.
“Both Tourism and ourselves would like to develop the marathon over the years to come as a major Tourism event,” said the statement.
The event aims to be certified with a Gold or Silver label from AIMS which will ensure the marathon becomes the leading event in Southern Africa since currently no other running event has this label.
In addition the racing course has the perfect altitude and flatness for breaking regional and national records and is expected to attract runners from all SADC countries as well as Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania.
A full time office has been set and a full time marathon coordinator employed dedicated to running the event into the future. This development is informed by a lofty but noble goal.
“Our aim is to have one of the most professional run marathons in the world that would place us with other such elite marathons as New York, London and Berlin.”
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Phakalane social events to lure tourists ”
[...] bill is unacceptable to a few Democratic moderates who hold the balance of power in the Senate.Botswana Business Diary Phakalane social events to lure …GABORONE As efforts to attract tourists into the greater Gaborone in their volumes increase, the [...]
March 26th, 2010 at
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Respond to “
Phakalane social events to lure tourists ”
[...] bill is unacceptable to a few Democratic moderates who hold the balance of power in the Senate.Botswana Business Diary Phakalane social events to lure …GABORONE As efforts to attract tourists into the greater Gaborone in their volumes increase, the [...]
March 26th, 2010 at 4:12 pm