Kumwamba poses at the finish line of the race he organised from his own earnings
* The country only have just two major races annually — Mulanje Mountain Porters Race and the Blantyre Marathon
* There is need to prepare athletes to do well at international competitions
* Such as the Olympic Games, the Commonwealth Games and All Africa Games
By Duncan Mlanjira
Mulanje-based long distance athlete, Edson Kumwamba says he is very proud and satisfied to have managed to successfully managed the Legend Trail Challenge which organised on Sunday to prepare his Mulanje Athletics Club athletes for the third edition of the Blantyre Marathon scheduled for June 20.
Advertisement
He now is looking forward to the second edition on May 2 which has two distances — 31km and 10km.
He is asking for sponsorship of his Legend Trail Challenge series because he has the passion to nurture athletes’ talents as the country only have just two major races annually — Mulanje Mountain Porters Race and the Blantyre Marathon.
“We don’t have enough competitions that can expose our athletes who can be able to put Malawi on map at international competitions such as the Olympic Games, the Commonwealth Games and All Africa Games.
“I use the little money I save for such Legend Trail Challenge series and I really would appreciate in the corporate world or NGOs or even the Ministry of Tourism because the races also attract foreign tourists that are present when I am organising them.”
One tourist that took part
The Porters Race also attracts foreign participation with some flying into the country specifically to run up and down the trails of Mulanje Mountain, which Ministry of Tourism also gets involved in its organisation.
Formed in 2019, Mulanje Athletics Club member Jafali Jossam managed to be on the winners podium in the 2019 Blantyre Marathon when he came third in a time of 2:34:37hrs in his first-ever 42.2km marathon and he was just shy by 5:01 minutes away from the champion, Zomba-based Mphatso Nadolo, who clocked 2:29:38.
Interestingly, Nadolo won Sunday’s Legend Challenge Trail, followed by his Zomba club mate Mwai Kawaza with Mulanje Athletics Club’s Chimbekezo Jamali coming third.
The women’s category was won by Zomba’s 13-year-old Fagessi Mission with Mulanje’s Doris Fisher — who is the 2019 Blantyre Marathon runner-up — taking second place and Zomba’s Martha Bakili on 3rd place.
Kumwamba is also asking for sponsorship support in any form for this club to do well in the Blantyre Marathon.
In 2019, Mulanje had six athletes — Elias Chapola, who was 6th in 2:40:02; Kumwamba 7th in 2:41:3; Evance Nyazule 15th in 2:58:36 while Yohane Dalion was 24th in 3:28:34 in men’s category.
Jossam’s (right) did well in his first-ever marathon
In the women’s level,Dorothy Gawani came 4th in 3:18:58, which was 13:03 minutes from champion, South Africa-based Nalicy Chirwa, who finished in 3:05:55.
And she was behind last year’s champion, Theresa Master — also from Mulanje — who clocked 3:17:11, to claim third place. The women’s second position was taken by last year’s runner-up, Doris Fisher in 3:16:31 (also from the same district).
Kumwamba, who came 11th in the 2018 edition, said the achievement by his club in 2019 made him organise the two races to be in good shape.
The 2019 women’s podium winners
Born in Nchathu Village, Traditional Authority Nkanda in Mulanje District, he became interested to become an athlete when he was just nine years old when his mother used to take him to watch the Mulanje Porters Race.
After doing his studies at DAPP vocational school in welding and fabrication, he left Malawi in 2002 for greener pastures in South Africa and since he still had the passion for running, he joined the trail racing club there where he rose to prominence.
Kumwamba and his team
Some of the races he has been on the podium for include: Ultra Trail Capetown 100km, Jongershoek Mountain Challenge 38km, Puffer 80Km, Mont Blanc 90km (France), Mulanje Porters Race 24km, Marloth Mountain Challenge 55km, Batrun 30km, Table Mountain Challenge 44km, Dryland Traverse 110km and Salomon Bastille Day 35km.
He also took part in the Al Marmoom Ultra-marathon in Dubai, which is dubbed the world’s longest desert ultra-run at 270km.
Al Marmoom Ultra-marathon in Dubai