Mt. Cameroon race: Gunmen shoot athlete out of envy

On Sunday 14 January, 2018, close to 150 athletes covered the distance from the Molyko Stadium to the Intermediary Hut and back.

The test race fell short of big names like Mbatcha Eric (2-time winner), Essombe Lyonga and Ngwalem Glory (last year's No. 1), who were among the first three winners in both categories at last year’s preparatory race. 

18-year-old Muffo Jeremiah stole the show when he arrived in 2 hours 27 minutes. 

The Lebialem born who has no strategy but to run said, “I have been training in a more difficult environment. I train from four hours above.”

2016 champion of the race Ndungeh Simplice came second. He was happy coming in second, up from the 9th spot last year. “This year I feel stronger”, Simplice said. 

The first female runner took more than 1 hour 30 minutes to arrive at the finish line. Noga’a Brigitte arrived at 12.14 pm, thanking God in the end.  

Talking to Esuka Reginald, Lyonga Essombe’s (one of the competition’s prolific participants) trainer, he said:

“Lyonga Essombe sustained an injury premeditated. I think they really wanted to hamper him from running the race. The guys said they had come to kill him. God saved him from dying after he was seriously wounded. The bullet on the leg, the fingers cut, and the head. 

“The doctor gave us some hopes that he may run, but my fear is that he is not training. As his trainer, three years ago I didn’t want him to go beyond 3rd position, but I really wanted him to participate and win this year.

Lyonga who is an army officer was shot in December 2017.

2017 test race winners: Mbatcha Eric (right), Simplice (middle) & Lyonga Essombe (son to Sarah Etonge Queen of the Mt Fako).

Note that Lyonga Essombe has been second runner up twice, in 2015 and 2017.

In an interview with our reporter, Daniel Ekonde, the regional president of athletics for the South West Region, Eteki Njoh, said:

“I am very happy with the pre-selective race today. Despite the efforts of the regional league of athletics for the South West Region, many people are still superstitious towards the competition. They believe in witchcraft and not performance. 

“But I can confirm that Mbatcha Eric has been sick, Essombe Lyonga is not well, and because of this we may have a new champion.

The race did not have an ambassador. The athletic federation thought that we should have Mike Short as our ambassador. The foreigner won the race in 1984 and 1985.

The 2018 edition of the Mount Cameroon Race of Hope takes place on February 17.