Elana would love to see Cape Town Marathon be one of the majors
JOHANNESBURG: If Elana Meyer talking up the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon as a ‘special race’ sounds like typical PR from the event’s ambassador, perhaps it is best then to listen to the men and women who will be running the continent’s only IAAF Gold Status race.
“Of course Town Marathon the Cape is the best in the country,” says Martin Ngwenya, team manager of the renowned Maxed Elite Team, which will be sending four athletes to the race.
“We love it because it is a flat course and that means it makes for fast times. It is also a world championships marathon qualifier. But more than that, running it raises our athletes international profile as they get IAAF ranking from it.”
It is for those reasons that Ngwenya’s charges, Khoarahlani Seutlaoli, Jobo Khotoane, Mothimokhulu Hatase and Neheng Khatala, have been hard at work preparing for the September 17 race.
For most social runners, the Cape Town Marathon is the perfect Comrades Marathon qualifier due to its fast pace.
The fact it also attracts a host of international runners bears testimony to the Marathon’s elite status.
Meyer is understandably excited as she counts down to next month.
“Of course we are very happy and proud to be associated with this status,” Meyer beamed. The event is already sold out, we are expecting 23 000 runners for the marathon and the ten kilometre race for this beautiful event that will be run on the foothill of the mountain and through the city’s iconic landmarks.”
Having attracted runners from 67 countries last year, Meyer says they are expecting an even more varied field that will help confirm the IAAF’s high rating of the race.
“About 10 percent of the field is made up of international runners and this gives the race a much more global feel. One of the other special things about this race is that there are total road closures which makes this a very safe event.”
Having attained gold status, you’d expect the organisers of the marathon to be content. Far from it though as Meyer says the aim is for the event to move up a ladder. “Gold Label means we are on the second level but we would love to see this marathon become a major. There are only six marathons that belong to the IAAF majors and our hope is to become Africa’s first major marathon.”
Given how swiftly it got elevated to Gold Label Status, it will not be surprising if the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon is soon rated alongside the likes of the New York, London and Berlin Marathons to mention but three of the majors.