Despite a R1-million purse, this year’s Mandela Day Marathon and associated events are expected to lure thousands of competitors motivated more by an opportunity to honour Madiba’s legacy.
Now in its third year, the marathon celebrates triumph of the human spirit over adversity and is described as “one of the hardest marathon routes in the world” by race administrator Johan van Staden, of KwaZulu-Natal Athletics.
Around 10 000 athletes and 25 000 spectators are expected to converge on the Midlands on 31 August, while millions more will enjoy live television coverage on SABC2.
“The envisaged economic impact is R80-million, with benefits for the local rural community, hospitality industry, transport and service suppliers,” said uMgungundlovu District Municipality’s Mayor, Councillor Yusuf Bamjee, at the official on-site launch on 12 June.
Race administrator Johan van Staden, uMgungundlovu District Municipality municipal manager Sbu Khuzwayo, uMgeni District Municipality speaker Cllr Thandiwe Mchunu, KwaZulu-Natal MEC for CoGTA Nomusa Dube-Ncube, brand ambassador and 2014 Comrades Marathon winner Bongumusa Mthembu, uMgungundlovu District Municipality Mayor Yusuf Bamjee
In her speech, the MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs in KwaZulu-Natal, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, said the marathon would showcase KwaZulu-Natal to South Africa and the world.
“They will see our province as an example of rapid socio-economic development and increasing prosperity, and as a desirable destination for domestic and international tourism and investment,” she said.
The KwaZulu-Natal Athletics Association, official hosts of the event, said it is “fully committed to delivering a fully IAAF-compliant race, with strong emphasis on safety and security”.
The route starts at the Manayi Hall in Imbali, where Mandela gave his last speech as a free man in 1961, uttering his now-famous quote: “One person, one vote – amandla awethu (the strength is ours).” The race ends in Howick, at the official capture site where Mandela was stopped at a roadblock on 5 August 1962.
In addition to the 42.2km Mandela Day Marathon there will be a 46664 race for invited celebrities, members of Parliament, national and provincial sponsors and VIPs; a 10km race and, for the first time, a 21km race.
The 2014 Comrades Marathon winner, Bongumusa Mthembu, joins veterans Bruce Fordyce and Willie Mtolo and a number of radio personalities, who have been chosen as brand ambassadors for the race.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for CoGTA Nomusa Dube-Ncube, brand ambassador and 2014 Comrades Marathon winner Bongumusa Mthembu, uMgungundlovu District Municipality Mayor Yusuf Bamjee
“It will be very humbling for me to run in this race for the first time, commemorating this great man. I am not out to win, but will be supporting others along the way,” said Mthembu.
On the day before the big races, Saturday, 30 August, there will be a 5km children’s race, 10km and 42km mountain bike races, and a 10km trail-running race.
Of the prize money, the overall male and female marathon winners will each receive R50 000, while the first South African and first KwaZulu-Natalian home will also be rewarded.
The race was conceptualised in 2011 by the local uMgungundlovu District Municipality, in collaboration with the KwaZulu-Natal Athletics Association and sponsors, to provide a platform to showcase local athletics talent and in time, to create a world-class marathon event.
Proceeds of the marathon will be used to bolster the many philanthropic projects initiated by Nelson Mandela in support of the less fortunate.
“The marathon proves not only that Madiba’s legacy lives on, but that we, as its custodians, are taking it further as we embark on the second phase of post-apartheid transformation, in which the triple challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality are addressed and ultimately resolved,” concluded Dube-Ncube.