Good purse at stake in 1City race

A PURSE of R25 000 awaits the winners of the 1City marathon on Sunday, which carries an overall kitty of more than R100 000.

The route for the second annual race and relay between Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage has been changed due to the continuing unrest on the route and roadworks.

Last year, the races started in Uitenhage and ended in Port Elizabeth. The plan was to reverse the route this year.

Starting at the City Hall, the marathon and club/corporate relay will follow a circular route through the streets of Walmer, Pari Park and Mount Pleasant before returning to the start.

With the province’s top woman athlete, Ntombesintu Mfunzi, not participating, the door is open for another winner.

“The race is too close to the Cape Town race,” Mfunzi said. “I will be competing only in the team relay.”

Melikhaya Frans, who had an outstanding Cape Town Marathon, will also miss the 1City marathon.

Instead, he will be part of a strong Ikhamva AC relay team which includes Adrian Gerwel, Lubabalo Mdlungwana and Amos Nyongo.

This opens the door for Frans’s training partner Zolani Mabongo, who finished second in last year's Aspen Marathon in 2:24.ls.

The marathon and corporate relay start at 6.15am and the fun run at 7am. Entry fee for the marathon is R100. However, EPA-registered participants between 60 and 69 years of age will pay R50. Runners over 70 can enter free.

A temporary licence fee will cost R30 (marathon only).

The entry fee for the relay (club, corporate and social teams) is R250 while the fun run will cost R30.

Entries at sports shops in the metro closed yesterday.

Registration and late entries will take place at the Westbourne Oval from 4.30pm to 7pm tomorrow and from 5am on Saturday.

Runners can also enter online at www.whereinpe.co.za

For more information, call Irene van Eeden on 083-299-1775.