2009 MOUNT CAMEROON RACE (RACE OF HOPE)

Peterkins Tengileli Elive in Buea forMount Fako News Centre

Pictures by Moki S. Mokondo for Mount Fako News Centre

Pictures by Moki S. Mokondo for Mount Fako News Centre

The famous Mt. Cameroon race was in its 34th edition on Saturday, 21st February 2009, with more than 500 competitors attempting to run to the summit of this tallest peak in West Africa and back, covering a distance of more than 20,000 metres.

All forecasts were overturned as new faces occupied the first three positions for both the men and the women.

The overall winner was Ernest Voffo Momo from the South Region (formerly South Province) who did the race in 4h 36mins 16 secs.He was followed by Gabsibuin Godlove Bobuin from the North West Region in 4h 38 mins 29 secs and Simplice Ndungeh from Lebialem in the South West Region in 4h 38 mins 43 secs. Ndungeh was the first to arrive at the summit.

For the women, Ngwaya Yvonne from the West Region came 1st in 5h 22 mins 25 secs,

Tatah Priscilla from the North West Region came 2nd in 5h 44 mins 43 secs and Gelinda Sheila

, still from the North West Region was 3rd in 5h 48 mins 44 secs. In the men's category, there were trophies and cash prizes of 3 million CFA, 2 million CFA and 1 million CFA to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively. The women received trophies and cash prizes similar to those for men.

It wasn’t easy for Bakwerians, the indigenes of Fako Division where the mountain is, but two aspiring youths, Esombe Samuel Lyonga and Lyonga Mondoa came 8th and 12th respectively with Esombe occupying the 4th position at Hut 2 on his ascent. His mother Sarah Liengu Etonge who was crowned Queen of the Mountain for being the most prolific winner of the race in the women’s category, didn’t run this year but was at the Molyko Stadium as a special V.I.P. to follow up the race.

Many Bakwerians are not happy with the change of the take-off point nineteen years ago, that is, from Buea Municipal Stadium to the Molyko Sports Complex which not only increased the distance by more than eight kilometres but turned the race into a marathon cum mountain race. A lot of efforts are being made by prominent Bakweri cultural, political and administrative leaders, and some Bakwerians abroad, to train their youths to get used to the marathon part of the race.

Such efforts will certainly yield fruits considering that out of more than two hundred tribes in Cameroon, the Bakweri tribe has won the race the most times, although the last time a Bakweri male won was in 1988.

John Ekema(pioneer winner) won the race in 1973;David Ngou Njombe in 1974;

Amos Ndumbe Evambe in 1975; Simon Ndive Yonde in 1982; Franz Gobina Monyonge in 1983 and Reginald Esuka Wose in 1988.

Others like Andreas Bwange Molea, Robert Lyonga Ekema alias Django, Elias Ngonja Bwange, Walterson Maliva Litute and Robby Likenye often came 2nd or 3rd.

For the Bakweri women, Emilia Mojoko Ngonja won in 1983, 1985 and 1986;

Sarah Ewelisane Njie in 1984; Christina Embelle Etonge in 1987 and Sarah Liengu Etonge, more than five times.

This international race which was first organised by Guinness Cameroon before being taken over by the Cameroon Ministry of Sports and dubbed the Mt. Cameroon Race of Hope, has brought economic and social benefits to Fako Division in particular and Cameroon in general. However, the general consensus from the public and Media Organisations in Cameroon is that this year’s race was the most poorly organised, as there was so much confusion regarding the identity of the runners as there wasn’t any publication of the list of runners before the race: some eye-witnesses at the stadium said all announcements to the athletes at the start of the race were made in French and many Anglophone runners who don’t understand French didn’t understand some of the rules: and many, many other things that went wrong.