Armas, Simon win Husab Marathon in 2:42:12 and 2:18:34

Alina Armas and Matias Simon won the elite marathon races at the Swakop Uranium Husab Marathon over the weekend, with Armas recording 2:42:12 and Simon finishing in 2:18:34. The results gave Armas a fourth women’s victory at the event, while Simon marked his win with a course record.

Armas, 42, led the women’s 42.2-kilometre race ahead of Salmi Nduviteko, who finished in 2:50:54. Ottilie Aimwata completed the top three in 2:57:00, leaving Armas with a winning margin of more than eight minutes over the runner-up.

The latest title adds to Armas’ long record in Namibian marathon racing. Her performance also showed that she remains competitive over the full distance against a younger field. She credited careful preparation and favourable race-day weather for helping her produce the winning run.

Simon, 25, won the men’s race in 2:18:34. Daniel Nghidinwa Paulus took second place in 2:22:00, while Geson Koper was third after crossing the line in 2:34:03. Simon was particularly pleased with the time, which he identified as a new mark for the course.

The marathon route and desert conditions tested the field, but Simon finished more than three minutes ahead of Paulus. His result highlighted the strength of the men’s race, while Armas’ victory underlined her continued presence among Namibia’s leading long-distance athletes.

There were also winners over the shorter distances. Simon Paulus claimed the men’s 21-kilometre race in 1:06:50, followed by Fule Hamutima in 1:07:36 and Ndahangwanasho Nghilyrrndele in 1:07:46. Tuuliki Angala won the women’s half-marathon in 1:19:49, ahead of Martha Shivolo and Selma Shaanika.

Asser Nalukaku took the men’s shorter-distance race in 30:45, with Petrus Nepwanga second and Mathew Angula third. Shiivomwene Shilongo won the women’s event in 36:20, ahead of Helena Ipinge and Alma Namupala.