{"id":1309,"date":"2024-11-16T12:21:27","date_gmt":"2024-11-16T12:21:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/?p=1309"},"modified":"2024-11-16T12:24:38","modified_gmt":"2024-11-16T12:24:38","slug":"africell-boosts-prize-money-by-40-for-freetown-marathon-encourages-participation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/?p=1309","title":{"rendered":"Africell Boosts Prize Money by 40% for Freetown Marathon Encourages Participation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/e7882339-3487-4bfd-8b20-d4888c166441-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1310\" style=\"width:554px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/e7882339-3487-4bfd-8b20-d4888c166441-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/e7882339-3487-4bfd-8b20-d4888c166441-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/e7882339-3487-4bfd-8b20-d4888c166441-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/e7882339-3487-4bfd-8b20-d4888c166441.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>By Karim Sesay<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Africell Sierra Leone, the country\u2019s leading telecommunications provider, officially launched the 3rd edition of the highly anticipated <strong>Freetown Marathon<\/strong> during a vibrant ceremony held on <strong>Friday, November 15, 2024<\/strong>, at the company&#8217;s headquarters in Wilberforce, Freetown. The event, which promises to bring together runners from across the nation, will take place on <strong>Sunday, December 8, 2024<\/strong>, and aims to promote fitness, community engagement, and showcase Sierra Leone\u2019s scenic beauty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The marathon will feature <strong>four race categories<\/strong> to accommodate a wide range of participants:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Full Marathon (42.195 km)<\/strong>: 6:30 AM start<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Half Marathon (21.097 km)<\/strong>: 7:00 AM start<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>10K Race<\/strong>: 7:15 AM start<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>5K Fun Run<\/strong>: 7:20 AM start<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>All races will start and finish at <strong>Africell\u2019s Beach Data Center<\/strong>, and participants can register by dialing *<strong>227#<\/strong> via <strong>Afrimoney<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Africell\u2019s Managing Director, Mr. Shadi Gerjawi<\/strong>, expressed his excitement at the event\u2019s return, calling it \u201cmore than just a race.\u201d He emphasized that the marathon is a celebration of <strong>health, perseverance, and community spirit<\/strong>. \u201cWe are proud to bring people together for this inspiring event, which has grown in importance year after year,\u201d said Mr. Gerjawi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mr. Gerjawi also highlighted the power of <strong>partnerships<\/strong> in making the event a success. Africell has long partnered with organizations like <strong>Street Child<\/strong>, with whom they have collaborated on previous marathons, including the <strong>Makeni Marathon<\/strong>. \u201cThese partnerships help ensure we not only bring people together for a fun and challenging event but also support meaningful social causes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This year\u2019s marathon will offer <strong>increased incentives<\/strong>, with <strong>prize money<\/strong> growing by <strong>40%<\/strong> compared to previous years. <strong>Africell\u2019s Marketing Communications Manager, Mr. Kamanda Koroma<\/strong>, encouraged both <strong>new and returning participants<\/strong> to sign up. He assured the public that <strong>medical teams<\/strong> will be on-site throughout the event to ensure safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur focus is on health and community connection,\u201d said Mr. Koroma. \u201cThis event is open to everyone\u2014whether you&#8217;re an experienced runner or someone looking to have fun. We want you to be a part of it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Sierra Leone Athletics Association (SLAA)<\/strong>, which will provide the technical expertise for the marathon, also pledged its full support. <strong>SLAA\u2019s Head of Media, Mr. Dalton Shyllon<\/strong>, noted that the marathon could offer <strong>international exposure<\/strong> for Sierra Leonean athletes, potentially paving the way for them to represent Sierra Leone on the world stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Freetown Marathon is a key event for local athletes aiming to compete globally. We are proud to be involved in this important sporting initiative,\u201d said Shyllon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sports journalists<\/strong> will also benefit from the event, with <strong>Sierra Leone Sports Writers Association President, Mr. Sahr Morris Jr.<\/strong>, stating that covering the Freetown Marathon provides <strong>valuable experience<\/strong>. \u201cThis is a fantastic opportunity for our journalists to gain insights and potentially cover prestigious global events like the <strong>London Marathon<\/strong> in the future,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Africell\u2019s CEO<\/strong> reiterated that the marathon is a <strong>family-friendly event<\/strong> and emphasized the vibrant atmosphere that accompanies the race. \u201cThis is an event where everyone\u2014dignitaries, families, and citizens alike\u2014can come together and experience the energy and spirit of Sierra Leone,\u201d said Gerjawi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Africell\u2019s continued commitment to promoting <strong>healthy living<\/strong> and <strong>community development<\/strong> is central to the <strong>Freetown Marathon<\/strong>, which has become one of Sierra Leone\u2019s key annual events. The company is calling on citizens from all regions to <strong>register<\/strong> and participate in what promises to be an unforgettable celebration of <strong>Sierra Leone\u2019s resilience<\/strong> and <strong>community spirit<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Registration for the marathon<\/strong> is now open via <strong>Afrimoney<\/strong> by dialing *<strong>227#<\/strong>, and participants are encouraged to sign up early to secure their spots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Karim Sesay Africell Sierra Leone, the country\u2019s leading telecommunications provider, officially launched the 3rd&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1309","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1309"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1309\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1311,"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1309\/revisions\/1311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1309"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vindicatorslnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}