Please don’t damage your body by bingeing on booze and unhealthy food this festive season, said Mthatha magnate Dr Dan Pasiya, who sponsored a diabetes 21km half-marathon in Mthatha yesterday for about 700 runners.
The annual race is held in honour of his wife, Mirtha, who died from diabetes complications in 1996.
Pasiya and his children use the race to created awareness around diabetes. They hope this will help save lives.
Yesterday also saw 10km and 5km runs being held as part of the Mirtha Pasiya Run for Diabetes. The Dispatch was a media partner to the event.
The event took place during International Diabetes Month.
Pasiya, 84, ran and complet ed the 10km fun run.
“By hopefully saving others from my painful loss, Mirtha’s death can be given a new meaning. This race is very unique. It has a specific focus on creating health awareness, targeting mainly rural folk, who have little or no access to health awareness campaigns,” Pasiya said.
About 1500 runners and supporters turned up for the race which started and finished at Dan’s Country Lodge near Lurhasini village on the N2 between Ngcobo and Mthatha.
When the Dan Pasiya Foundation started the race four years ago, 300 people turned up.
Pasiya said: “We want to send out a message to people affected by diabetes that they can actually live normal lives, as well as to say that good h ealth habits, especially during the festive season, can prevent the scourge. Prevention is better than cure,” Pasiya said.
“It is also certainly also cheaper and less inconvenient,” he said.
The race course took in some dirt roads through villages surrounding the lodge.
“We know the Comrades and Two Oceans marathons are very prestigious and well sponsored by corporates and they take place in major metropoles. However, these events are not close enough to ordinary, poor rural folk. We want our run to give rural people an opportunity to watch and run.”
He hoped the race would lead to talent being scouted and discovered.
“Because diabetes can be hereditary, some of my children are diabetic. But we want people to be preventative and live a healthy lifestyle,” he said.
Koliswa Ntobongwana, 49, the Pasiyas’ third of four children, said keeping fit ensured she would not be attacked by the disease.
“I go to gym every day. It helps a lot. People must spread the word,” said Ntobongwana, who was one of the event organisers.
Athletes and fans voluntarily undergo diabetic, eye and blood tests by doctors an nurses.
The 21km race was won by 2014 Two Oceans first runner-up, Lungile Gongqa, with Xolile Zamkele and Vuyolwethu Madikizela in the second and third place. Ntobesintu Mfunzi successfully defended her 2014 title, with Lusanda Bomvana and Xoliswa Bici in second and third place.
Diabetes race draws hundreds
The annual race is held in honour of his wife, Mirtha, who died from diabetes complications in 1996.
Pasiya and his children use the race to created awareness around diabetes. They hope this will help save lives.
Yesterday also saw 10km and 5km runs being held as part of the Mirtha Pasiya Run for Diabetes. The Dispatch was a media partner to the event.
The event took place during International Diabetes Month.
Pasiya, 84, ran and complet ed the 10km fun run.
“By hopefully saving others from my painful loss, Mirtha’s death can be given a new meaning. This race is very unique. It has a specific focus on creating health awareness, targeting mainly rural folk, who have little or no access to health awareness campaigns,” Pasiya said.
About 1500 runners and supporters turned up for the race which started and finished at Dan’s Country Lodge near Lurhasini village on the N2 between Ngcobo and Mthatha.
When the Dan Pasiya Foundation started the race four years ago, 300 people turned up.
Pasiya said: “We want to send out a message to people affected by diabetes that they can actually live normal lives, as well as to say that good h ealth habits, especially during the festive season, can prevent the scourge. Prevention is better than cure,” Pasiya said.
“It is also certainly also cheaper and less inconvenient,” he said.
The race course took in some dirt roads through villages surrounding the lodge.
“We know the Comrades and Two Oceans marathons are very prestigious and well sponsored by corporates and they take place in major metropoles. However, these events are not close enough to ordinary, poor rural folk. We want our run to give rural people an opportunity to watch and run.”
He hoped the race would lead to talent being scouted and discovered.
“Because diabetes can be hereditary, some of my children are diabetic. But we want people to be preventative and live a healthy lifestyle,” he said.
Koliswa Ntobongwana, 49, the Pasiyas’ third of four children, said keeping fit ensured she would not be attacked by the disease.
“I go to gym every day. It helps a lot. People must spread the word,” said Ntobongwana, who was one of the event organisers.
Athletes and fans voluntarily undergo diabetic, eye and blood tests by doctors an nurses.
The 21km race was won by 2014 Two Oceans first runner-up, Lungile Gongqa, with Xolile Zamkele and Vuyolwethu Madikizela in the second and third place. Ntobesintu Mfunzi successfully defended her 2014 title, with Lusanda Bomvana and Xoliswa Bici in second and third place.
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