Mwanza city won’t be the same today as the finest runners will vie for top honours in the Rock City Marathon 2010. Co-ordinator of the event Raymond Kanyambo told reporters that preparations for the biggest sporting event in the Lake Zone were complete where the race will start at the CCM Kirumba Stadium at 7am.

He said that the marathon to cover 21-km has attracted over 1,000 runners while over 2,000 participants have enrolled for other races expected to take place today.

“We have also got a good response for the three-kilometre corporate classic race and for people with physical disabilities as well as two kilometer race for children.

He said that the winners in the half marathon will each get Sh500,000, runners up would take home Sh300,000 while the third placed winners will be given Sh200,000 each. He said the 21 kilometre race will start at the Kirumba Stadium while the other races will start in town and end at the stadium.

The marathon organised by Capital-Plus International Limited. He said that over 3,000 runners are expected to compete in the event; the biggest sporting gala in the lake Zone. “We have got confirmations from Mwanza, Mara, Tabora, Dar es Salaam, Shinyanga, Manyara, Singida, Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Zanzibar and Kagera,” he said.

He said that runners from the neighbouring countries like Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda have also asked to compete in the marathon. Kanyambo said that the route was measured last month by an official approved by the International Amateur Athletics Associations (IAAF). We expect the race to be very entertaining.