Athletes urged to register for Mandela Day Marathon

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Pretoria - Athletes interested in running in this year’s Mandela Day Marathon must register before the closing deadline of Thursday, 31 July.

KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Nomusa Dube- Ncube said they have already received entries from athletes from neighbouring countries such as Zimbabwe, Malawi and Ethiopia. Athletes from Germany, the United Kingdom and US have also sent in their entries.

The marathon – the first after Madiba’s passing -- will take place on 31 August. It will also be an occasion to commemorate the 52nd anniversary of President Mandela’s capture. The marathon will be broadcast live on SABC 2.

“This year’s marathon is bound to be a thrilling occasion with entrants from across the world making their way to KwaZulu-Natal to immortalise the legacy of Madiba, one of the greatest icons to grace planet earth,” said MEC Dube-Ncube.

Her department, together with uMgungundlovu District Municipality, is charged with overseeing preparations for the marathon.

MEC Dube-Ncube said the marathon will also be an occasion to celebrate the 20 Years of Freedom for which Mandela laid a firm foundation.

“The marathon in a way symbolises the tenacity and dedication of Mandela in his long walk to freedom,” she said.

Prizes have doubled to more than R1 million from the previous year.

Leading the pack to keep the Mandela Day Marathon gold medal is the 2014 Comrades Marathon winner Bongumusa Mthembu, who is expected to battle it out with other top international athletes.

There will also be a 5km VIP race; 10km race; 21km race and the flagship 42.2km main event.

Entries are available on the Mandela Marathon website,www.mandelamarathon.co.za. - SAnews.gov.za