18th May, 2011
History made at record-breaking Salzburg AMREF marathon
A record-breaking 5,800 people took part in the 8th Salzburg AMREF Marathon on Sunday 15th May 2011, to raise money for AMREF’s Stand Up for African Mothers campaign. AMREF hosted athletes from Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan, who dominated the races and were extremely successful despite the European weather!
History was made as James Francis Ohisha from South Sudan won the 5,000 metre race. Ohisha is the first athlete to win a long-distance race for the new nation, which voted for independence on 9th January 2011. Mr. Edward Settimo Yugu, the Director General for Sports in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Recreation Government of South Sudan witnessed this historic victory. Ohisha told AMREF UK he was “very proud” to be South Sudan’s first champion. 
Victor Chelokoi from Kenya won the men’s full marathon, with a new course record of 2:14:49 – his first official marathon victory! Risper Kimaiyo, also from Kenya, won the women’s race 25 minutes ahead of the competition, with a time of 2:35:05.
The women’s half marathon was also won by a Kenyan athlete, Sylvia Kibiego, but the men’s half marathon was won for the third time by Gidena Gebremedhin from Ethiopia.
His Excellency Ukur Yatani, Ambassador of Kenya in Austria, and the Mayor of the City of Salzburg, Dr. Heinz Schaden both attended the race, as well as the Italian actress and Bond girl Caterina Murino, who is an AMREF Ambassador.
Almost £45,000 was raised to support AMREF projects in Africa. The money will mainly be used to train Clinical Officers and Midwives and support the campaign “Stand up for African Mothers”.
For more information on how you can run for AMREF, please email Lucy on l.scanlon@amrefuk.org or call 0207 269 6865