“The Race Has Moved To A Very High Level”

You are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Mountain Race, what evolutions this far?
We are celebrating 50 years of the existence of the Mount Cameroon Race. The Race has risen from the level where it started to a very high level. It started in 1973. The starting point was the Baptist Teachers Training College Great Soppo which is today the Baptist High School. In 1973, we had 140 athletes. The first athlete, John Ekema of blessed memory bagged home FCFA 30,000 and 10 cartons of Guinness.  Before we came to office in 2013, the first athlete bagged home FCFA three million and immediately we came on board, we took the prize to FCFA 10 million. From 1973 to 2023, 30,000 to FCFA 10 million; is very laudable. This year, we have 600 athletes, compared to the 140 at the beginning. So long as we are there, we are going to continue to strive to see that the athletes are very comfortable, most especially those that will win the race. 

The race is in its 50th year but you are just at the 28th edition, how do you explain this?
We are celebrating the golden jubilee (50 years) of the Mount Cameroon Race (1973-2023) and 28 years of the Mount Cameroon Race of Hope. The Mount Cameroon Race of Hope started in 1996 with Colonel Hamad Kalkaba Malboum who was President of the Federation. He moved the race from the Buea Town Municipal Stadium to the Molyko Omnisports Stadium. 

The Race has been ongoing for several years, with so many Cameroonian champions. Why is it that these Cameroonians do not shine in other international competitions?
The Mount Cameroon Race of Hope is a race of endurance. In the world, it is rare to find a competition like the Mount Cameroon Race of Hope. What we often have out there is indoors competitions, that is running on the track. The athletes who win ...