Simon and Armas take top honours at record-breaking Husab Marathon

Road running
  • 11 Hours Ago
Matias Simon and Alina Armas claimed victory in the men's and women's marathon at the 2025 Husab Marathon, where a record 1 311 runners crossed the finish line in the heart of the Namib Desert last Saturday.

Simon and Armas led the field throughout, finishing first in their respective 42.2 km races.

Simon won the male open category (20–39 years) in two hours 24 minutes 07 seconds, while Armas claimed the veteran and overall female title in 3:03:22.

A record 1 311 runners completed this year’s event, which took place in the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The event offered four distances — 5 km, 10 km, 21.1 km, and 42.2 km — and attracted participants from across Namibia and abroad.

Swakop Uranium senior executives joined the race, with CEO Luo Wei, executive vice-president Irvinne Simataa, vice-president for human resources and OOC Patrick Chizabulyo, and chief financial officer Dong Hao completing the 10 km.

The company's vice-president for public relations Ma Bing Pu finished the 21.1 km.

“The marathon is more than a test of physical endurance,” said Luo. “It represents the values of resilience, togetherness, and the relentless pursuit of excellence that define both the company and the community.”

He announced that Swakop Uranium would contribute over N$2 million in 2025 towards education and sport, including the establishment of computer labs in selected schools.

Dignitaries in attendance included Chinese ambassador Zhao Weiping and Erongo governor Neville Andre, reflecting the event’s growing significance as a platform for partnership and national unity.

The day was concluded with a performance by Tate Buti.