Athletes drawn from Cameroon, Africa and the world at large, will brave the Chariots of the gods on Valentine’s Day (February 14, 2015) for the 20th edition of the Guinness Mount Cameroon Race of Hope.

The date was made public by the President of the Cameroon Athletics Federation, Emmanuel Motomby Mbome, and the General Manger of Guinness Cameroun, Baker Magunda, during a press conference.

Addressing pressmen and women, the President of the Cameroon Athletics Federation said, apart from the prize money and the registration formalities that will be maintained, the 2015 race will witness sweeping innovations among which are; the caravan tour with the Olympic Flame to some five Regions of the country.

The tour of these Regions, namely; the Adamawa, West, Northwest, Centre and Littoral, Motomby said, will set the pace for the 2015 edition of the Guinness Mount Cameroon race, before the grand race in the Southwest Region on February 14.

The tour of the Olympic Flame will be accompanied by Guinness Cameroon. In each of the visiting Regions, the corporate-friendly company will perform some of its corporate social responsibility such as; constructing water catchments, schools and hospitals, among others.

The move, the GM of Guinness Cameroon believes, will not only touch the population of these Regions in a particular way, but it would also enable the fallouts from the race to trickle down even to the people at the grassroots level. In this perspective, the 2015 edition of the Guinness Mount Cameroon Race is expected to produce a multiplier effect.

Apart from the aesthetic touch that will be given to Buea before the race, Motomby has equally expressed the wish to make Buea the hub of Cameroon’s cultural diversity, by inviting traditional dance groups from all the Regions in Cameroon to converge on Buea and thrill the population.

According to Motomby, the return of Guinness to the Mount Cameroon Race has not only restored hope and pride, but it has equally restored the lost glory, competitiveness among athletes and the effervescence that the population of the Southwest Region used to enjoy.

His words were corroborated by the General Manager of Guinness Cameroun, who said Guinness does not only want to restore hope, but also to make the race famous not only in Cameroon and Africa, but the world at large. He invited other companies to come on board and sponsor the race, because, according to him, Guinness cannot shoulder the responsibility alone.

Representing the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, the Director of Norms in that Ministry, Blaise Omgba, said Government will continue to support the event and urged the organisers to ensure that all the promises made come to fruition.