Absa Bank Zambia in partnership with the Lusaka Fitness Squad (LFS) have launched of the second edition of the Absa Marathon – a virtual event slated for Friday, 16 October to Sunday, 18 October 2020.
Participants can participate from anywhere in the world. This follows the successful inaugural Absa
Marathon which was held last year in November with over 1,000 participants.
This year’s virtual marathon has a total investment of K650,000 and gives runners/participants the flexibility to
complete a race of their choice as well as upload the race results on the Absa Bank Zambia Facebook page.
The virtual race will be done over a three-day period and will be tracked using the following applications – Strava, Garmin and Nike to ensure a seamless verification process by the Absa Marathon technical team.
Absa Bank Zambia Managing Director, Mizinga Melu said, “We are thrilled yet again to announce another innovation as part of our digital agenda drive in the second edition of the Lusaka Absa Marathon. This year’s event will take a different shape to ensure our participants are safe while at the same time offer a platform for runners to be connected.
Ms Melu said this is a true commitment to our business purpose of bringing possibilities to life coupled together with the spirit of‘ Africanacity’ – the distinct African capability to get things done even amidst challenges.
She said all proceeds from this year’s event will go towards the support to procure Covid-19 test kits as this will give participants a reason to support a good social cause in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“As a Bank that has been a good corporate citizen for over 100 years in Zambia, we remain committed to adding value in the various communities we operate in and we realise that to reach more people, it is important that we collaborate with organisations like LFS who share the same passion with us. We have continued to make investments that help the Bank to promote the sporting and fitness activities as well as contribute to the concerted efforts towards the fight against Covid- 19,” she said.
The first ‘virtual’ Absa Marathon resonates with the national call for citizens to stay healthy and fit amidst this challenging period. Globally, virtual races have gained momentum and offer a safer option for citizens to stay actively connected while observing the set health guidelines. Participants will have the option to complete a race of their choice at their own convenience as well as choose their route.
And Lusaka Fitness Squad Chairperson, Natasha Mutantabowa said, “We are delighted that Absa Bank Zambia has taken a proactive step to take this year’s marathon in the digital space to ensure the safety of all participants and stakeholders is prioritised.
Ms Mutantabowa said as an organisation that promotes fitness, we call upon the running community to participate in the first ever Absa virtual marathon as exercising greatly contributes to the overall wellbeing of citizens.
Registration for this year’s virtual marathon has opened and participants can register for free by simply visiting the Absa Marathon registration website; www.lusakafitnesssquad.co.zm/absamarathon. However, the general public is encouraged to make donations of any amount and proceeds will be channeled towards the purchase of coronavirus test kits. Registration for the following race categories is now open:
5km walk/run
10 km run
21.1 km half marathon
42.2 marathon
