With a global prize of 260 thousand meticais, the 4th edition of the Blue Race - a half-marathon organized by Standard Bank, with technical assistance from the Athletics Association of the city of Maputo, aiming to boost the development of athletics and unleash talent - will take place on September 3, in the capital of the country.

The race, part of the celebrations of Standard Bank's 128th anniversary, also aims to encourage the adoption of healthy lifestyle habits and the abandonment of sedentary lifestyles.

To this end, the race will incorporate the components of walking and aerobics, specifically zumba dancing.

At the press conference to launch the initiative, held Thursday, August 11, in Maputo, the Standard Bank Marketing and Communication Director, Alfredo Mucavela, said that the mini-marathon will have four categories, namely 21, 15, 12 4 km, the last one being for wheelchair users.

In this edition, the race will feature a new awards format, which will consist in the presentation of monetary prizes to the first and second places in each category in both genders.

In his turn, Gilberto Gomes, vice-president of the Maputo City Athletics Association, institution that technically assists the race, indicated that everything will be done in order to guarantee the realization of a race with great quality.

"We will do everything to ensure that the race has better quality and can meet all the international standards that it requires. For this year, we have the challenge of the schedule, because the start time will be at 5:30 am," he emphasized.

On the occasion, the official T-shirt of the IV edition of the Blue Race was presented. It is a t-shirt that complies with all the technical requirements that this type of competition requires and features cultural, historical and architectural elements representative of various parts of the country, such as the timbila and the Maputo-Katembe bridge. "It is a metaphorical and abstract way of saying that the whole country will be present at the event," he said.

It is important to highlight that, to facilitate the participation of all interested parties, especially those who are in other provinces or abroad, the registrations will be made only electronically, through the bank's website: www.standardbank.co.mz