Lesotho Athletes Withdraw from Mountain Marathon 21 Over Unpaid Prize Money

James McKirdy, coach of Lesotho’s long-distance runners, confirmed that all his athletes will not participate in the Mountain Marathon 21 (MM21) again. The decision comes after nearly a year of unpaid prize money from the 2024 inaugural marathon, which ran from Ha Noosi to Melele Ground.

McKirdy coaches several top athletes, including three of the top-five finishers from the race: Olympian Tebello Ramakongoana, Kamohelo Mofolo, and Thabang Sekonyela. Prize money ranged from M150,000 for first place to M20,000 for fifth. While Mofolo and Sekonyela eventually received late payments, Ramakongoana, the male champion from Qacha’s Nek, Ha Mohlapiso, remains unpaid.

The next edition of the marathon has been postponed to 2026. Sponsors said the delay allows time to resolve issues from last year and properly prepare and market the event. MM21 director Andries Sehloho wrote to the Federation of Athletics Lesotho (FAL) president: “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.”

McKirdy expressed strong criticism of the event’s management in an interview with the Agency. “We will never run a race event sponsored by this construction company again. This is a firm decision. At this point, my athletes and I don’t even speak about the race. There’s no point.”

He stressed that future participation would only occur if documented proof exists that prize funds are secured in the race account beforehand. “Anything less than proof are empty promises, and we don’t have time for that nonsense,” he said.

Describing the situation as a “systematic failure,” McKirdy added, “We’ve been lied to, deceived, and purposely made to feel the athletes don’t matter. The sponsor lies through his teeth and tells a new story every time asked. How anyone can trust that man is beyond me. Unfortunately, this also means we can’t trust the race to ever pay the athletes what they are owed. And that’s very unfortunate.”

The withdrawal of Lesotho’s top runners highlights concerns over accountability and financial transparency in regional sporting events and raises questions about future participation in MM21.