Caxito – Athletes Severino Vicente (Petro de Luanda) and Lúcia Capingala (from Interclube team) are the winners of the 12th edition of the Fuga para a resistance athletic half marathon held today, in Bengo.
In the men's 21-kilometer race, Severino Vicente surpassed the competition with a mark of one hour 10 minutes and 35 seconds, followed by Daniel Emílio from the Kutukula team (1h13min 8sec) and Simão Manuel from the Bichos do Mato team (1h15min 38sec).
For women, Lúcia Capingala, from Interclube, covered the 21 km in 1h 25min 09sec, accompanied by her teammate Alda Paulo (1h 26min 55sec) and Josefina Baptista, from the Caminhada do Kilamba de Luanda team (1h 28min 52sec).
Speaking to the press, the winner of the race considered that the victory was the result of the intense work he has done in the province of Cuanza Sul.
Lúcia Capinala said she was happy with the achievement, as in the last edition she ranked 2nd. Still, the Interclube runner promised to work to improve.
In the 10 kilometers, António Chimuco from Huila province (first classified), Adriano Gabriel from Uíge province (2nd) and Mário Mataca from the Caminhada do Kilamba team from Luanda (3rd) took the podium, while in the women's race the race was dominated by Júlia Joaquim, from the Cufuluca Group from Huambo province, followed by Princesa Joaquim, (Caminhada do Kilamba) and Rosa Caetano Tchewewe, from Huambo.
Youth athletes in the three kilometers and Paralympians on tricycles in classes T55, T46 and T11 also participated in the race.
For the provincial governor of Bengo, Maria Antónia Nelumba, the half marathon is a race that has gained weight year after year and, therefore, she would like to see more provinces participate.
“This time we had four more provinces and we want there to be many more. We have to have the country united here because everyone participated in the liberation struggle. We are here to honor our heroes,” she said.
The escape to resistance marathon, which takes place annually on February 4th, is a tribute to the country's former fighters and veterans.
The event is organized by the Provincial Government of Bengo in partnership with the Angolan Athletics Federation and aims to boost the sport at a local level and contribute to the visibility of the province. CJ/IF/DOJ
