Helalia Johannes: For the love of running

Helalia Johannes turns 44 years old two days after the women’s Olympic marathon race in Paris.

She will be looking for an early birthday present by improving on her best finish at what is likely to be her final appearance at the games.

The decorated athlete has represented Namibia at four Olympic Games, finishing 11th at the Tokyo 2020 and 12th at the London 2012 event.

Those performances are a testament to how she has stood the test of time to rank among the best long distance runners of her generation.

A top ten finish in Paris would be a fitting end to an illustrious career punctuated by her 2018 Commonwealth Games triumph, becoming the first Namibian to win a Commonwealth gold medal.

“I’m going to try where I can. I’m thankful to God for giving me this opportunity and I’m not just going to let this opportunity go like that. I am going to fight, and God is going to lead me, like he gave me this chance,” Johannes said in a Paris 2024 promo video published by the Namibia Athletes Commission this week.

In a historic first, the women’s marathon will bring a fortnight of intense emotions to a close on 11 August, the competition’s final day, just a few hours before the closing ceremony.

This blends perfectly with the evergreen Johannes’ swansong theme in Paris, where she will become the first Namibian to compete at five Olympic Games.

“It makes me feel at ease and good about myself to be the first Namibian to compete in five Olympic Games,” she said.

Johannes qualified for her first Olympics, the 2008 Beijing Games, at age 28 and placed 40th after completing the course in two hours, 35 minutes and 22 seconds.

In London, England, four years later, she broke the Namibian national record when coming in 12th place in 2:26:09. Like many others, the Rio 2016 Olympic did not go well for her, coming 56th at the marathon.

“I’ve been to four Olympic Games, starting from 2008 when I went for the first time. It is not easy for me to be able to do the Olympics consistently. It takes dedication and for you to know what you want in life,” said Johannes, whose marathon personal best and the national record was set at the Valencia Marathon in 2020 when she ran two hours, 19 minutes and 52 seconds.

Her international portfolio also notably includes becoming the first woman to win a medal for Namibia at the 2019 World Athletics Championships when she took the bronze.

Johannes’ success story is inspired by her immense passion for running, a lifelong pursuit that brings her a sense serenity and joy in equal measure.

“Running is something I’ve loved since birth. I don’t walk, I just go running and in a short period of time, I am already back,” she recalls.

“Even when I started with preschool, I went a distance of three kilometres. So, what made me passionate about running is that I would go running to and from school.

“That is why I love running.”