This year’s edition of 20km race has landed sponsors, Rwanda Athletics body, RAF has confirmed.

The RAF Secretary General, Appollinaire Munyangoga yesterday disclosed Rwanda National Olympic Committee, Bralirwa, Banque de Kigali and the athletics federation have all thrown their weight behind the race.

"At last we have landed sponsorship for this weekend’s race and we hope it will be a successful one,” Munyangoga said.

RNOC is expected to offer prizes amounting to Frw. 2 millions to the winners; Banque de Kigali will offer T-shirts to the athletes while Bralirwa will provide the event with the necessary refreshments.

The 20km race will be staged in Kigali because of its good infrastructure. "The event is being staged in Kigali because other regions don’t have good infrastructure,” RAF’s technical director Emmanuel Murenzi said.

Murenzi also said that, "this event is meant to encourage all healthy and fit Rwandans to try and explore their running potentials”.

The top four athletes will obtain an automatic qualification to the World Road Running Championships due in Udine, Italy on October 10.

The 20km defending champion Dieudonne Disi is not taking part in the race.

It is said that Disi will be in Belgium taking part in the IAAF’s Golden league.

After last year’s heroics, Disi competed in last year’s World Road Running Championship in Hungary where he finished 9th.
Despite his absence for this year’s edition, he has already been named on the Italy-bound team for this year’s World Road Running Championship.

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