Ouagadougou: The Governor of the Liptako-Soum region, Comrade Abdoul Karim Zongo, commended the perseverance and resilience of Comrade Hama Hamidou Dicko, promoter of the first edition of the Dori Atypical Marathon (MADO), who successfully met the challenge of organizing this unique competition. The event took place on Saturday in Dori.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the Dori Atypical Marathon brought together 45 runners from the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) and the civilian population. Through this competition, the organizers aimed to promote the values of peace, resilience, living together, and armed forces-nation cohesion.
The first MADO race took place over a distance of approximately ten kilometers, run as a relay in the city of Dori by nine teams of five runners each. Comrade Hermann Venegda, a member of the “Entente” team, was the first to cross the finish line. In the overall standings, the “Entente” team took first place, followed by “Famille” in second place and “Paix” in third.
The winning team received gold medals and 55,000 FCFA. The second-place team received silver medals and 45,000 FCFA, while the third-place team was awarded bronze medals and 30,000 FCFA. The fourth and fifth teams each received 25,000 FCFA.
According to MADO’s promoter, Comrade Hama Hamidou Dicko, the idea for this event arose from the observation that such a competition was absent from the Liptako region’s sporting scene. For him, the successful completion of this first edition represents the realization of a dream. He expressed his gratitude to all the individuals and organizations who believed in his initiative and supported its implementation, promising to learn from this first experience to improve future editions.
The representative of the sponsors, Comrade Namagnan Traor, Regional Director of the National Police for Liptako, praised this excellent initiative, which brought together the security forces and civilians through sport. He assured everyone of the sponsors’ availability to support the event and ensure its long-term establishment on the regional sporting calendar.
Presiding over the ceremony, Governor Abdoul Karim Zongo commended the promoter’s perseverance and the resilience of the entire organizing committee. The region’s top official also paid tribute to the runners for their commitment. Given the enthusiasm and excitement generated by this inaugural event, the governor pledged his support for future editions of the Dori Atypical Marathon. The MADO (Dori Atypical Marathon) is thus establishing itself as a new platform for promoting sport and strengthening peace, resilience, and social cohesion in the Liptako-Soum region.