SPS SADR/SAHARA
MARATHON/DECORATION The President of the Republic
gives medals to the winners of the 5th edition of the Sahara Marathon
01.03.05
Smara (refugees camps),
01/03/2005 (SPS) The President of the Republic, Mohamed Abdelaziz,
chaired Monday evening at the Wilaya of Smara, the ceremony of
distribution of the winners of the 5th edition of "Sahara Marathon".
The races of this event, which is organised in margin anniversary of
the commemoration of the 29th anniversary of SADR, took place the same
day from the Wilaya of El Aaiun passing by Aousserd and heading towards
Smara.
"Saharawi people have great love and consideration for you in his
collective memory for this achievement you did despite of the
difficulties you faced especially the hardships of the trip and the bad
conditions of the weather during the day of the competition", said the
President of the Republic addressing the athletes.
"All these hardships did not affect your will to continue supporting
Saharawi people right to self-determination and independence", he said.
It should be recalled that the Italian, Castelleno Villenzo, won the
marathon in 3H 03' followed by two of his compatriots, while the
½ marathon (21Km) was won by the Spanish, Juan José
Garcia, who made 1h 35', followed by two Saharawis, respectively
Mohamed Lemine Oumar 1h 37' and Boujema Deihan 1h 40'.
For the Ladies, the Spanish Leire Elosegui came first in the 10 Km. A
distance that Saharawi Ladies did not participate choosing to run the 5
Km, which were won by Maya El Hassan, followed by Khadija Naffa and
Safia Hamed, while Boutalha Boukhari came the first in the men race of
the same distance followed by his Saharawi Oumar Najem and Sid'Ahmed.
The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister, Abdelkader Taleb Oumar,
the Minister for Culture and Sports, Mariem Salek, as well as some
members of the Government, high cadres besides the organising Committee
and the foreign delegations who took part to the event.
The second edition, Sahara Marathon 2002, was won by the Italian,
Castelleno Villenzo (42 years old), while his wife, Rosa Maria Manari,
won the first place of women.
It should be recalled that the third edition of this event, in 2003,
was won by the Spanish, Jorge Obeso Matinez, while the first from women
was again the Italian, Rosa Maria Manari, while the American, Hugh
Jones, Secretary General of the International association of the
Marathon (AIMS) won the 4th edition of the Sahara Marathon, it should
be recalled. (SPS)
SAHARA
PRESS SERVICE