Godlove Gabsibuin covered the 38kilomtres race course from the Molyko Omnisport Stadium to the summit of Mount Cameroon and back in record time, emerging overall champion and first in the male category. He smiled home with a trophy and cash prize of FCFA 10 million.

The 32-year-old Gabsibuin emerged champion in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2018. He therefore clinched his fifth title this year after beating Ndunguh Simplice, 44, and North West Region’s Elvis Nsahbinla to the second and third positions respectively.  

Tatah Carine triumphed in the female category. The 21-year-old mountaineer from the North West Region won the race in 2018 and 2019. This 2020 victory is her third in a row.

Tatah Carine was closely followed by 24-year-old Mildred Kitan who finished second. Wirngo Kpuufanla emerged third in the female senior category like was the case in 2017 and 2018.

All three athletes who mounted the podium in the female category hail from the North West region of Cameroon.

Some 550 athletes took part in the 25th edition of the Mount Cameroon Race of Hope this Saturday, February 22. The athletes were divided into the senior category, juniors and the veteran categories.

The senior category had a total of 331 athletes, made up of 45 women and 286 men. The junior category had 76 athletes; 28 females and 48 males. The veteran category had some 143 athletes with a total of 26 women and 117 men.

Also, the race had seven international athletes from Kenya, five from Zimbabwe, two from France and the Central African Republic each, while Uganda and Niger were represented by an athlete each.

In all, a total of 99 women and 451 men took part in the race with some 18 international athletes among the 550.

Just like last year, the winners of the senior categories (male and female) took home the cash price of FCFA 10 million each.

The Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Prof. Narcisse Mouelle Kombi and the President of the Cameroon Athletics Federation, Emmanuel Motomby Mbome co-chaired the prize-award ceremony at the Molyko Stadium. The Governor of the South West Region, Bernard Okalia Bilai was among other high profile officials at Saturday’s event.

A day earlier at the Molyko Stadium during the launching ceremony, Minister Kombi, like in his closing speech hailed the sponsors and the organising committee for a “successful race.” He prayed for a return to normalcy in the troubled North West and South West regions.

Critics however say the race was "prepared in Yaoundé and run in Buea.

The 2020 Mount Cameroon Race of Hope would be remembered as being the most secured race of all times with an intimidating display of Cameroon’s military firepower.

By Atia Tilarious Azohnwi