Arusha’s Red Cross Marathon underway to support vulnerable communities
ARUSHA: THE inaugural Red Cross Arusha Marathon is set to take place in Arusha on August 2 this year, with the aim of supporting and creating awareness about communities in need.
Organised by the Tanzania Red Cross Society, Arusha Branch, the event will be held at the Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium and will feature three race categories.
According to the organisers, children will participate in the 2.5-kilometre race, while other participants will compete in the 5-kilometre and 21-kilometre categories.
The Chairperson of the Tanzania Red Cross Society in Arusha Region, Dora Samson Mushi, said the event is being held for the first time with the objective of reaching vulnerable groups, including children’s homes, Soba House, and people with disabilities.
“We realised that in order to reach these groups, we needed to organise this event, and whatever we receive from stakeholders will help support the communities we have targeted because we are also part of the community and have a responsibility to help,” she said.
She said preparations for the marathon are ongoing, with registration activities continuing at various locations, including Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium.
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Mushi explained that the theme of the marathon is “Run for Humanity, Run for Health”, adding that the event targets people from all groups, including the elderly, children, athletes, youth, organisations, and anyone interested in keeping fit.
“We are targeting everyone because our organisation is not limited to one group of people; we need everyone to participate,” she said.
She added that another objective of the marathon is to increase public awareness about the Red Cross as an organisation that supports communities and promotes participation in social activities.
Mushi further said the event has received support from the Tanzania Athletics Federation and the Arusha Regional Athletics Association to ensure the marathon is successfully conducted.
