SIMUNYE – The fifth edition of the Lubombo Marathon has a E600 000 budget, which will cater for the whole race billed for April 11, 2026.
This was revealed by Athletics Eswatini (AE) President, Zakhele Dlamini, yesterday during the launch of the fifth edition of the Mbabane Marathon at Simunye Country Club. Dlamini is also the Director of the marathon host club, TZD’s President.
“Hosting a race of this magnitude is not a joke as it costs a lot of money. This year’s race budget is E600 000. We have tried all we can to keep the budget low, while not compromising the standard of the race, so to make it fun and exciting to run,” remarked Dlamini.
He added that they wish to state that they have structured the demands of the race for ease of sponsorship and invite the business community to contact them for a stake to support and contribute towards the marathon.
“In 2024, we were extremely excited when one of our giant sugar companies in the country, RES Corporation opted to partner with us. MD, we wish to express our sincere gratitude for your kind gesture,” he continued, when addressing Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation (RESCorp) Managing Director (MD) Nick Jackson.
The marathon also received support from Tabankulu Estates, while Ubombo Sugar also returns for another edition, supporting financially and sponsoring their employees to attend.
Dlamini encouraged and requested other companies to also join and be part of the Lubombo Marathon.
“Some of the companies here today, are not from this region, but seeing the potential and in support of our club’s initiative, have also partnered with us to see to it that the marathon becomes a reality. I’m excited to announce these companies being MulaSport, Dixies International, NTT Toyota, KEV Logistics and Oracle Life Insurance,” added the president.
Moreover, in the quest of growing and popularising this race, Dlamini shared that they have assembled an organising committee that will be responsible for mobilising funds and registration towards the race.
The committee’s mandate is to make sure that the aforesaid budget is realised and their target of 2 000 participants is achieved.
“It is humbling that the members of this committee have offered their professional services on voluntary basis in support of the Lubombo Marathon,” emphasised Dlamini.
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Registration open
mbabane – registration for the Lubombo Marathon was open as of yesterday afternoon, after the launch and will close next year, on March 21.
To register, the following link has been shared; https://www.entryninja.com/events/83152-lubombo-marathon.
The Minister for Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs, Bongani Nzima, stated that this year’s launch marks yet another important milestone in their collective journey towards strengthening sports development in the eastern region of the country.
Moreover, Lucky Sihlongonyane, who represented the minister at the launch mentioned that they are particularly encouraged by the steady growth in numbers over the years, both in terms of participating athletes and supporting sponsors.
He said this growth is a clear indication of the credibility of the event, the confidence of the corporate sector and the increasing enthusiasm of athletes and communities alike. “Since this is a regional initiative, we wish to emphasise that it presents a valuable opportunity for businesses operating within Lubombo and those from other regions,” he said.
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