Karibib: Namibia Correctional Service long-distance runners Daniel Paulus and Maria Kanyanga were crowned champions of the 12th edition of the QKR Namibia Navachab Half-Marathon held in Karibib. The event took place on Saturday and saw both athletes dominate their respective men's and women's categories in the road race, which attracted over 1,400 participants in the 21-kilometre half-marathon, 10km, and 5km fun run/walk events.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Paulus, who previously won the 10km race in 2025, stepped up to the main event this year and secured the men's title with a time of one hour, three minutes, and 12 seconds (1:03:12). He narrowly finished ahead of Matias Simon, who clocked in at 1:03:14, while Jerusalem Hamutima claimed third place with a time of 1:03:55 in a closely contested race.

In the women's division, Kanyanga, a newcomer to the elite running circuit, delivered a strong performance to clinch the title in 1:16:39. Kaveli Shilongo followed in 1:16:57, with Martha Shivolo taking third place, finishing in 1:17:19.

The winners of this year's QKR Namibia Navachab Half-Marathon were awarded an increased prize of N$30,000 each, up from the previous N$20,000, making it one of the highest-paying road races in Namibia.

Speaking to Nampa after the race, Berthold Karumendu, race director and senior sports officer for the Kunene Region in the Ministry of Sport, expressed his satisfaction with the event's outcome. 'Our goal is to elevate this race to an international event. Today's race, we are happy with the numbers that turned up; we had 1,400 participants, and you can see from the organisation side that we are moving in the right direction,' he stated.

Karumendu also mentioned that despite the positive turnout, there are several areas that require improvement. The aim is to achieve bronze status for the half-marathon in the next three years, which would attract more international athletes.