Qacha’s Nek, Sept. 14 —The Mountain Marathon 21 (MM21), once hailed as a landmark sporting event in Lesotho has been postponed to 2026 following nearly a year of unpaid winnings from its 2024 edition and mounting frustration from athletes and officials alike.
The inaugural MM21 held on October 26, 2024 in Qacha’s Nek promised unprecedented rewards, M150,000 for first place and M20,000 for fifth.
Olympian Tebello Ramakongoana dominated the men’s race in 1:10:04, while Olympian Mokulubete Makatisi led the women’s division in 1:27:46, followed by Olympian Neheng Khatala (1:30:20), ‘Malineo Mahloko (1:31:09), Likeleli Majara (1:31:35), and Ntebaleng Lets’ela (1:36:09).
But almost a year later, many winners remain unpaid. Olympian Ramakongoana, the men’s champion has yet to receive his prize, even as some lower-placed men eventually received late payments.
Athletes were initially promised prize money by December 24, 2024, then reassured it would arrive by February 14, 2025. Both deadlines passed without resolution, leaving several athletes in financial distress and angry at repeated broken promises.
The women’s category was further complicated by a doping scandal. Olympian Makatisi tested positive for the banned steroid Epitrenbolone. Her disqualification reshuffled placements, with second-place finisher Olympian Khatala promoted to first.
A subsequent letter dated January 31, 2025, urged organizers to expedite payments based on the revised results. Yet, as of September 2025, none of the women’s winners have been paid.
In a letter seen by the Agency, MM21 director Andries Sehloho addressed Federation of Athletics Lesotho (FAL) President Ts’eliso Pheta, writing: “MM21 remains committed to finalizing the payments for remaining prize monies. We sincerely appreciate your understanding and patience as we work diligently to bring this matter to a successful close.”. . . .
Ends/MAPM
