About 3000 roadrunners are expected to descend on Sabalele village in Cofimvaba today when the fourth edition of the Chris Hani Marathon takes centre-stage.
All three previous editions of the women’s race were won by South Africans with Lousa Leballo from Pretoria taking it back to back in 2014 and last year. The Pretorian will be out to make it a treble this year but should face stiff competition from Magdeline Shaurie and Zintle Xiniwe who trailed her at second and third place in 2015.
Race spokeswoman Thobeka Mqamelo said they were expecting the race to be bigger and better this year. “We expect the race, in its fourth year to continue on a growing trend that it has shown in the past three years,” said Mqamelo.
“Among other things, we expect the turnout of athletes to rise from the record number of 2600 we saw in the 2015 edition.”
Indeed the race has been growing in term of participants with entries having started at just 1000 in its maiden year – 2013 to more than double that number last year.
Mqamelo credited the race to the hard work put in by race organisers – Chris Hani District Municipality – and to the fact that activities of this nature were scarce in rural areas.
But over and above the race growing, Mqamelo emphasised their priority was to ensure it becomes developmental. Among other things, she said the municipality was busy engaging race sponsors for a possible donation of computers in schools from the area.
“By that we mean it should leave a lasting legacy in the Sabalele village, a legacy that will benefit the people of the area. It would be tragic for people of the area not to benefit from something done in the name of their son Chris Hani.”
The race starts and finishes at the Sabalele Multipurpose Centre with R25000 up for grabs for the first male and first female to win.
For those whose stamina and gas may not last for 25km, a 10km event is there with first prize-monies worth R10000 for both male and female sections. The race starts at 8am this morning with prize-giving expected to take place at noon. — zingisam@dispatch.co.za