The city of Beira once again dressed up for a celebration to host the 8th edition of the Légua da Beira, one of the most important athletics events in Mozambique and in the southern African region. Organised by Cornelder de Moçambique (CdM), with technical support from Pérola Negra and the Sofala Provincial Athletics Association (APAS), the race took place on 18 July and once again confirmed its benchmark status, bringing together 3,750 runners over a 7.2-kilometre course.
Much more than a sporting event, the Légua da Beira established itself once again as a celebration of health, togetherness and citizenship. Under the motto "Running for Health", the event also included a Health Fair, offering various services to the public and reinforcing the message of promoting healthy lifestyles.
The race distributed around one million meticais in prizes and had six categories, for men and women: Licensed Athletes, Popular, Veterans, CdM Employees, Port Community and Students, with prizes for the top three finishers in each.
In the main category, for licensed athletes, South Africa's Abednico Mashaba lived up to his billing as favourite by completing the race in 21 minutes and 33 seconds, taking the top prize of 70,000 meticais. In the women's race, Zimbabwe's Patience Garauzive took the victory in a time of 26 minutes and 7 seconds, repeating the dominance of foreign athletes in the competition.
Among the men, Mozambique's Pinto Cassecusse finished second, followed by Titosse Passipamira. In the women's race, Sara Adolfo took second place and Cecília Cassamuze completed the podium.
There were also reasons to celebrate in the other categories. João Simbe and Epifânia Sequeira won among the CdM Employees. In the Port Community, Luís Mussa and Shiv Jones triumphed. Among the Popular runners, Manda Jequecene and Isabel Basílio stood out, while Augusto António and Palmira Chiweia won in the Veterans. In the Students category, first places went to Elidid Daissone and Imaculada Languitone.
For the organisers, the outcome of the event could not have been more positive. The Managing Director of Cornelder de Moçambique, Jan de Vries, highlighted the race's continuing growth and the atmosphere throughout the day. "Our main aim is to promote the community's health through sport. The outcome is thoroughly positive and the race passed without any significant incidents, thanks to the commitment of the organisation, the authorities, the partners and the volunteers", he said. He added that the Légua da Beira has already gone beyond a strictly competitive dimension, establishing itself as a space for promoting health, social integration and community togetherness.
Jan de Vries also highlighted the success of the electronic registration system, developed by the company's student interns, which made it possible to register around half of the participants quickly in the very first days, demonstrating, in his words, "the technical capacity of national educational institutions". He also reaffirmed Cornelder de Moçambique's commitment to continuing to invest in social responsibility and to introducing improvements at the next edition of the race.
The President of the Beira Municipal Council, Albano Carige, praised Cornelder de Moçambique's role in promoting sport, health and social integration, considering that initiatives of this kind strengthen sporting culture and enhance the city's image as a venue for major community events. The mayor also called on other companies to follow Cornelder de Moçambique's example, investing in social responsibility initiatives that directly benefit the population.
Sofala's Provincial Director of Youth, Employment and Sport, Zeferino História, also highlighted the importance of the race in encouraging physical activity, promoting social inclusion and strengthening a spirit of togetherness among citizens, arguing that the Légua da Beira should continue to feature in the provincial and national sporting calendar.
Among the winners, satisfaction was equally evident. Abednico Mashaba said that his victory is the fruit of several months of preparation and revealed that the Légua da Beira is already part of his annual competitive calendar, promising that he will return for the next edition. Patience Garauzive also expressed her delight at the win, stressing that "the competitive level of the women's race is growing considerably", which is why she hopes to compete in Beira again next year.
Over eight editions, the Légua da Beira has established itself as one of the country's biggest sporting events, bringing together professional athletes, amateur runners, students, workers and families in an atmosphere marked by joy, a spirit of self-improvement and the promotion of health. The strong turnout this year reinforces the scale of the initiative and already raises expectations for a 9th edition with even greater participation.
