* With a combined membership of over 200 dedicated joggers and walkers, the three clubs have been consistently promoting a culture of fitness and wellness in the community
* Including some of their members having been participating in the Be More Race for years, and this edition’s event is expected to be their biggest yet
By Duncan Mlanjira
Three of Malawi’s prominent athletics clubs, Joggers on the Move (JOM), Blantyre Joggers Club (BJC) and the Walkers, say they are not just aiming to enhance their passion for promoting a culture of fitness and wellness, but also confident to aim at clinching medals at the Standard Bank Be More Race after a month of intense preparations.
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They will be among the over 2,700 runner participants in the country’s flagship athletics event on the sports calendar as the 2025 edition is set for tomorrow at Gateway Mall has attracted.
With a combined membership of over 200 dedicated joggers and walkers, the three clubs have been consistently promoting a culture of fitness and wellness in the community — including some of their members having been participating in the Be More Race for years, and this edition’s event is expected to be their biggest yet.
“Over 30 members have confirmed participation in the 10km and 21km race categories, making this one of the largest group entries by JOM in a national race,” said JOM team lead, Kondwani Kalichero.
Kondwani Kalichero
And for his part, BJC publicity secretary, Wadza Ottomani said their 12 members have registered to compete, with most opting for the main heat at 21km that comprises professional athletes in the country — whose reigning champion is men’s Chikondi Mwanyali and women’s Teleza Master.
Ottomani said the Be More Race provides BJC a platform for exposure to professional athletics standards as well as social networking: “Participating in Be More Race is more than just competition — for BJC, it presents an opportunity to gain valuable insights into how large-scale running events are organised.
“We intend to use this knowledge to enhance our capacity to host similar events in Blantyre, grow the local running community and promote fitness culture in the commercial city,” he said.
Walker Gwen Mtimaukanena (left) captured with friends relaxing after conquering a 20km distance
A newcomer to the city fitness and wellness scene is the Walkers group — which was launched in Blantyre by Prof. Frank Taulo of the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) and has expanded to Lilongwe, Zomba, Machinga and Mzuzu.
Its activities are conducted on Saturdays, and they including doing charity work, and Prof. Taulo said: “The group is ready to make a big presence at this year’s Be More Race — one of Malawi’s premier running events that continues to inspire a culture of fitness, endurance, community connectedness and corporate social responsibility.”
Training Regimen
In the count-down to the main race tomorrow, the members have been running different practice races, including hikes to mountains such as Zomba Plateau, Mulanje, Soche, Michiru and Milare in Blantyre and in Dedza.
The clubs have ramped up their training sessions, with a focus on building endurance, speed, and agility. The members are seen jogging through the streets of Blantyre and Lilongwe and surrounding areas, honing their skills and preparing themselves for the big day.
This year’s race takes place under the theme; ‘Run in Blue’ and will raise funds for development of athletics at the grassroots level for Athletics Malawi.
Standard Bank Plc launched the Be More Race movement in 2017 and has grown into a premier fixture on Malawi’s sports calendar since its inception as the flagship athletics event.
The race reaffirms Standard Bank’s unwavering commitment to promoting health, unity, and national progress and Chief Executive Phillip Madinga told the media in April at the launch of the 2025 edition that the Be More Race “goes beyond athleticism — it’s a movement. The Be More Race is about driving Malawi’s growth. It’s where unity, health, and determination meet to create real impact”.
As a signature charity event, proceeds from last year’s edition — held under the theme; ‘Why We Run’ — were channeled to Children’s Education Centre at Kamuzu Central Hospital’s Children’s Cancer Centre in Lilongwe.
From the K18 million realised from registration fees paid by participants of the July 20, 2024, Standard Bank matched it at 100% to make it at K36 million — underlining the theme, that evoked an emotional connection between the race and doing good for the society.
The flagship athletics and wellness event engages existing and potential customers, key stakeholders, and communities — through a key uniting passion point; sport as well as serving as a charity,
It had a two-year break following the CoVID-19 pandemic and on its return in 2022, it was celebrated under the theme; ‘Road 2 Recovery’ — that was also used to raise funds to support academic pursuit for the girl-child at Lilongwe Girls Secondary School through construction of hostels.
The 2023 edition, under the theme; ‘Level Up’, aimed to motivate Malawians to exert themselves further to achieve wellness and good health and to challenge people to achieve more as Malawi was recovering from the devastating effects of Cyclone Freddy-induced flood disaster — which resonated with President Lazarus Chakwera’s #Operation Tigwirane Manja# initiative.
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