Good turnout for half-marathon in honour of marathon record holder Simone Zapha |06 April 2021
The runners in a souvenir photo
Two days after 91Ογ½ΆΚΣΖ΅β female marathon record holder Simone Dick born Zapha was laid to rest, local long-distance runners took part in a half-marathon in her memory.
Organised on Saturday, the Simone Zapha Memorial half-marathon started and ended at Stad Popiler, the garden of local track and field athletics, where Simone spent a lot of her time training and competing.
The two winners were Maggy Harray (women) in 2 hours 01 minute 37 seconds (2h01:37) and Iven MoΓ―se (men) in 1h19:11. They each received a trophy presented by Giovanna Rousseau and sponsored by the latter who is also the director of the Eco-Friendly races.
In total, 29 runners β 15 men and 12 women β completed the distance of 21 kilometres. As for Rakesh Harikasun he walked over 10 kilometres in 2h08:43.
Speaking to Sports NATION, Ms Rousseau, who was the National Sports Council (NSC) chief executive from July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2018, said she wants the Simone Zapha Memorial half-marathon to become an annual event.
βThere is an active group of runners who run almost daily and when they learned that Simone had died still so young, they proposed that we organise a race in her honour,β said Ms Rousseau.
Female marathon record holder Simone Zapha passed away on Friday March 26, 2021, three days after her 44thbirthday.
She had been absent from the running tracks and roads since 2019 when she started feeling unwell and despite following treatment locally and overseas she did not regain her health.
Born on March 23, 1977, Simone is the womenβs record holder of the Eco-Friendly Marathon with a time of 3 hours 30 minutes 19 seconds (3h30:19) set in 2009. In fact, Zapha won the race for three consecutive years β 2009 (3h30:19), 2010 (3h37:31) and 2011 (3h39:10).
Running her first marathon in ideal condition, she sliced 12 minutes 06 seconds (12:06) off Rachel Esparonβs previous best of 3h42:25 β both 91Ογ½ΆΚΣΖ΅ senior and veteran records β set during the Fifth Indian Ocean Islands Games in 1998 in Reunion.
βIβm happy I did it. I did not expect to get the record. I was expecting a 3h45 finish,β a smiling Zapha told Sports NATION after the gruelling race.
βI felt good and when I reached Carana on the way back to the finish line, I was well inside the record pace. So I decided to go for it,β added the athlete who was 31 years old at that time.
In fact, Zapha is also the holder of the 91Ογ½ΆΚΣΖ΅ womenβs marathon record of 3h34:49 which she got during the Ekolomarathon in Tampon, Reunion in early July 2009.
Although she cruised to victory in the Eco-Friendly marathon in 3h30:19 that same year, her time was not ratified as a new 91Ογ½ΆΚΣΖ΅ record by the 91Ογ½ΆΚΣΖ΅ Athletics Federation.
Zapha also holds the 91Ογ½ΆΚΣΖ΅ half-marathon record of 1h30:26 set on September 23, 2006.
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The female finishers of 21km race:
1. Maggy HarrayΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 2h01:37
2 Brenda Larue ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 2h02:52
3. Vivienne VadivelloΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 2h08:31
4. Anita Amasogno ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 2h16:58
5. Patricia Gonzalez ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 2h20:56
6. Zsaklin Miklos ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 2h22:45
7. Florise Ernesta ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 2h28:07
8. Ariana MemΓ©eΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 2h41:34
9. Erica CharlesΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 2h43:59
10. Veronique Marengo ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 3h20:22
11. Jourdanne Marie ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 4h11:06
12 Monettte LabrosseΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 4h11:06
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The male finishers of 21km race:
1. Iven MoΓ―seΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 1h19:11
2 Vivian RassoolΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 1h40:23
3. Noah Chilinda ΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 1h41:29
4. Mervin Elizabeth ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 1h43:49
5. Michael Bijoux ΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 1h44:48
6. Nagarajan Gnana PragasamΜύ 1h50:46
7. Bernard Ngulube ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 1h52:32
8. Alain Bizmohun ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 1h59:09
9. Houssam Ajib ΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 1h59:09
10. Joshua Momanyi ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 2h00:54
11. Keven Larue ΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 2h03:14
12 Archil Mondon ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 2h11:00
13 Vincent Confait ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 2h16:55
14 Joel Melanie ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ 2h34:54
15 Edwin Constance ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ ΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύΜύ h41:09
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Gerard Govinden
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