KZN Provincial Government has congratulated the winners and participants of this year’s Mandela Day Marathon whose main 42 km race today once again followed the iconic route between Edendale and the Mandela Capture Site outside Howick for the eighth time since 2012.
“The human spirit has triumphed once again as the 20 000 registered athletes from all over the globe competed in various disciplines in the uMgungundlovu district where the late former President Nelson Mandela was arrested 57 years ago by the apartheid police,” said KZN Premier, Sihle Zikalala.
The winners of the main 42 km race Muhajr Haredin Sraj (Ethiopian) in the men’s category and Sofiya Shemsu Chegen (Ethiopia) in the women’s category. Chegen broke the women’s record with 2:45:21. Haredin and Chegen are a married couple. The winners of the 21 km race are Joel Mmane in the men’s category and Rutendo Nyahora in the women’s category.
The first KZN runners in the 42 is former champion Thobani Chagwe in the men’s category and Sanelisiwe Mbanjwa, and the first South Africans were Ntshindiso Mphakathi in the Men’s and Sanelisiwe Mbanjwa.
The second and third in the main 42 km race are Wondwosen Ketema Mamo (Ethiopia) and Teboho Noosi (Lesotho), respectively, in the men’s race and Salem Abere Alebachew and Sanelisiwe Mbanjwa respectively, in the women’s race.
“The Mandela Day Marathon has again demonstrated our unrivalled capacity to organise world-class sporting events that not only bring people together for a common purpose but also provide much needed economic incentives for our communities and municipalities in KZN,” said KZN MEC for Cogta Sipho Hlomuka.
The annual Mandela Day Marathon aims to celebrate and preserve the legacy of the late former President Nelson Mandela but also provide business and job opportunities for the local communities in the uMgungundlovu district. The marathon is also helping to market KZN as a tourist destination.
“Our warm congratulations go to all winners and participants of this year’s marathon. As exciting as it is to win a sporting event of this nature, the best experience is to participate and share in its communal spirit. We also applaud all visitors to the province who have come to support these athletes,” said uMgungundlovu District Mayor Cllr Thobekile Maphumulo.
The eighth edition of the Mandela Day Marathon has exceeded all expectations in terms of participants’ numbers which had to be capped in the interest of runners’ safety and facilities available to athletes and observers. The 2019 marathon has also once again benefited from a major sponsorship deal with ABSA. Results of other races are available at
www.mandeladm.org.za
For more information, please contact: KZN Cogta spokespersons Lennox Mabaso, 082 884 2403
Date: 25 August 2019
Ends.