There is nowhere else in the Eastern Cape that comes quite as alive with the patter of running feet as does Mdantsane, particularly for this historic and colourful settlement’s flagship race.
Real Gijimas started the Mdantsane 10km on a shoestring budget some nine years ago and on Sunday they will celebrate the 10th running of an event that has blossomed dramatically and will continue to do so. The sponsorships are many and the runners receive real quality for a budget entry fee.
The race has attracted many top runners over the years, in every age category, both men and women. South African Champions and Olympians have graced the streets that are filled with the history of an era that epitomised the triumph of human spirit over adversity.
What better way to celebrate such triumph than offering a community event that will attract young and old, fit and not so fit, fast and not so fast, big, of medium build or small of stature?
There is also a 5km which incorporates a meaningful schools challenge.
In the early days of running in Mdantsane the pioneers were mostly young men, with a few young women. Those stats have changed dramatically in later years and a club like Real Gijimas, who were once teased by friendly opposition about their male dominance, probably will have more women running for them than any other local club.
What better way to bid farewell to August, being Women’s Month, than see all the women of the region gathering together in Mdantsane.
The singing and dancing of the runners at the start of this race is well worth experiencing, be it as a spectator or among the throng.
Makaya Masumpa, who started running in Mdantsane when still at school and came to prominence in his early teens, is now 50 years old and still going strong.
Indeed he was the second in his age group at the South African Half-Marathon Championships in Port Elizabeth last month.
Masumpa, who has run for both Border and Free State, will be in the lineup on Sunday.
Monde Tutani, one of the most versatile runners ever produced in the province and a star of track, cross-country and the road, will be returning to his youthful stomping grounds from Cape Town where he now lives and works.
He has run for three provinces – Border, Eastern Province and Western Province.
A stroll through the streets and malls in Mdantsane will invariably lead to encounters with some of the all-time greats of the region, inclusive of the likes of Sindisile Tshaka, Phillip Hodi, Bassie Mbenya, Davis Skepe, Mthobeli Sigaji, Mphumezi Bomvana and Mlamli Nkonkobe.
The first black woman to come into the running spotlight from Mdantsane was Lizbet Ntozini who took on many of the region’s best female runners and would often win, while Buzelwa Mnyanda came through to set a number of provincial records – she held the Buffs Marathon record for many years until Frith van der Merwe finally broke it.
Mnyanda was invariably barefoot in her races and frowned upon by some, but embraced by many more knowledgeable folk today.
To this backdrop of colourful, vibrant history, it is expected that in excess of 1000 runners will line up on Sunday and tackle the terrain that Mdantsane offers.
The course, while challenging, is nowhere near as difficult as the half-marathon run down to Bridal Drift Dam in January.
Gijimas all set for the M'sane starting blocks
Real Gijimas started the Mdantsane 10km on a shoestring budget some nine years ago and on Sunday they will celebrate the 10th running of an event that has blossomed dramatically and will continue to do so. The sponsorships are many and the runners receive real quality for a budget entry fee.
The race has attracted many top runners over the years, in every age category, both men and women. South African Champions and Olympians have graced the streets that are filled with the history of an era that epitomised the triumph of human spirit over adversity.
What better way to celebrate such triumph than offering a community event that will attract young and old, fit and not so fit, fast and not so fast, big, of medium build or small of stature?
There is also a 5km which incorporates a meaningful schools challenge.
In the early days of running in Mdantsane the pioneers were mostly young men, with a few young women. Those stats have changed dramatically in later years and a club like Real Gijimas, who were once teased by friendly opposition about their male dominance, probably will have more women running for them than any other local club.
What better way to bid farewell to August, being Women’s Month, than see all the women of the region gathering together in Mdantsane.
The singing and dancing of the runners at the start of this race is well worth experiencing, be it as a spectator or among the throng.
Makaya Masumpa, who started running in Mdantsane when still at school and came to prominence in his early teens, is now 50 years old and still going strong.
Indeed he was the second in his age group at the South African Half-Marathon Championships in Port Elizabeth last month.
Masumpa, who has run for both Border and Free State, will be in the lineup on Sunday.
Monde Tutani, one of the most versatile runners ever produced in the province and a star of track, cross-country and the road, will be returning to his youthful stomping grounds from Cape Town where he now lives and works.
He has run for three provinces – Border, Eastern Province and Western Province.
A stroll through the streets and malls in Mdantsane will invariably lead to encounters with some of the all-time greats of the region, inclusive of the likes of Sindisile Tshaka, Phillip Hodi, Bassie Mbenya, Davis Skepe, Mthobeli Sigaji, Mphumezi Bomvana and Mlamli Nkonkobe.
The first black woman to come into the running spotlight from Mdantsane was Lizbet Ntozini who took on many of the region’s best female runners and would often win, while Buzelwa Mnyanda came through to set a number of provincial records – she held the Buffs Marathon record for many years until Frith van der Merwe finally broke it.
Mnyanda was invariably barefoot in her races and frowned upon by some, but embraced by many more knowledgeable folk today.
To this backdrop of colourful, vibrant history, it is expected that in excess of 1000 runners will line up on Sunday and tackle the terrain that Mdantsane offers.
The course, while challenging, is nowhere near as difficult as the half-marathon run down to Bridal Drift Dam in January.
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