Athletes in 100km run to honour Madiba
ONE hundred athletes, including the inspirational amputee Xolani Luvuno, who ran and finished the Comrades Marathon this month, will tackle 100km – all in honour of the late former President Nelson Mandela next month.
Rasta Elias Chinomwe will attempt to run the distance backwards, while the famous team of Hilton Murray will be pushing Anita Engelbrecht in a wheelchair from Clarkebury near Ngcobo to Mandela’s birthplace in Mvezo on July 15.
They are some of the athletes who will start their run at 4am from Clarkebury High School, stopping at Mqhekezweni Great Place, Qunu and Bumbane Great Place before finishing the social run in Mvezo around 7pm.
The “100km4mandela100” run is part of Madiba’s centenary celebrations.
They will take to the road for a good cause as they will donate to Clarkebury, Qunu and Mvezo.
Marathon organiser Prince Vulithuba Bandile Sangoni of the AbaThembu’s AmaQiya clan under the umbrella of Health is Wealth Athletics Club (HiWAC), said Jongintaba High School – named after Madiba’s childhood guardian – and Clarkebury High School, which he attended, were in serious need of renovations.
“We are appealing to the community to pledge R1 per km to be completed on 15 July to raise enough funds to buy 100 school shoes, 50 pairs for Clarkebury and Mqhekezweni’s Jongintaba High School,” said Sangoni.
The HiWAC pioneered the “100km by 100 runners for 100 years of Mandela” concept as a celebratory heritage run, which seeks to honour the global icon through running.
“The social run is aligned to the centenary, hence the 100km by 100 runners.
“The marathon seeks to trace the historic landmarks in the life and times of Madiba, the institutions and places which shaped his leadership skills in his formative years.
From Clarkebury, the athletes will run to Mqhekezweni Great Place, where the 12-year-old Mandela was raised by his guardian, the AbaThembu regent, King Jongintaba Dalindyebo.
Mqhekezweni is 48km from Clarkebury and will be the halfway mark of the race and the main water station.
On July 14 the runners will tour the 100km route so as to familiarise themselves with it before hitting the road the following day.
For more information:
● Contact Sangoni at sangonib@gmail.com or 073 299 9140;
● Visit https://www.backabuddy.co.za/charity/profile/healthwealth or
● Visit www.100km4mandela100.org.za.