Runners cry foul over prizes
Elroy, Irvette still not paid after three months
Organisers of the OR Tambo Marathon are allegedly evading athletes over unpaid prize monies from the popular race that took place in Bloemfontein in October.
Top local distance runners Elroy Gelant and Irvette van Zyl are some of the athletes who confirmed that they were still owed their cash rewards despite several promises.
The two are owed R30 000 purses each for winning the 21km race, while 42km champions Bernard Kipsang Chumba and Joan Rotich, both of Kenya, are also chasing their R80 000 prizes for clinching their respective categories.
Gelant said he was promised he’d be paid last Wednesday but that did not happen. He was the first to enquire about payments via e-mail.
Van Zyl – through her husband, Olympian LJ van Zyl – said she invoiced the organisers “a few times” without joy.
Sowetan has seen the e-mail correspondence from race director Steven Swarts, dated November 28, instructing the Free State sports department to pay athletes.
“Can you please facilitate payment to athletes as discussed,” wrote Swarts in a direct instruction to Kagisho Moeca from the provincial sports department. Athletics Free State were also copied.
Sowetan has tried numerous times, without luck, to source comment from Swarts and Moeca.
The two neither answered calls nor responded to detailed text messages and email enquiries.
Swarts is the father of world 400m champion Wayde van Niekerk.
A top official who was involved in the organisation of the race said he has been inundated with calls from irate runners, including the Kenyans.
“Athletes were supposed to have received their payments at least end of November, subject to the doping results. None of the athletes tested positive [for banned substances] hence the instruction to pay was issued,” confirmed the official who spoke to Sowetan on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.