From the city of Antsiranana to Ramena beach, the 17th edition of the Diego Marathon offered runners a course along the Diego-Suarez bay. This year’s event took place on Sunday, featuring several categories: marathon, half-marathon, rando-trail, and mini-marathon.
While the event remains a staple in the Antsiranana sports calendar, this edition saw a decline in participation and a notable absence of runners from other regions, particularly Antananarivo.
A total of 25 runners started the full 42.195 km marathon. The 22 km half-marathon attracted 104 participants, while the newly introduced 15 km rando-trail drew 23. A 3 km mini-marathon for children aged 8 to 12 completed the program.
The introduction of the rando-trail was the main novelty, though it has yet to gain the expected popularity. Corporate teams, including representatives from the company Score, also participated.
The previous record of 2h29 for the main event remained unbroken, with this year’s winner finishing in 2h31. Gilbert Rakotonirina, co-organizer and president of Diego Sport Aventure, attributed the decline in participation to the proliferation of off-stadium races across the country and the challenging nature of the course.
Organizers also expressed disappointment over the lack of institutional support, noting that funding and logistics relied almost entirely on private companies. Consequently, they announced plans to discontinue the Nosy Be Trail and the Isalo Raid starting next year, signaling a potential shift in their future event management strategy.
Captured & Published at: 2026-09-29 06:09:12 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/09/evenement-le-marathon-dantsiranana-dans.html