Gijima are the Real McCoy again
Mdantsane club get stars out on the road in 10km
REAL Gijimas march on and celebrate the launch into their 35th year of existence with the Mdantsane 10km road race and 5km Schools Challenge on Sunday morning.
Gijimas will again be supported by Amanz'abantu and numerous other long-serving sponsors, many of them community-based. Races in Mdantsane have been a strong feature of the Border calendar for many years, inclusive of the dark days of apartheid.
The first “big” (by local standards) sponsored race was introduced in 1990 when the then Border Road Running Association teamed up with Real Gijimas to host the Ciskei Building Society 15km.
The changing circumstances in the land as democracy approached meant that the race only survived for three years, but in that time it attracted many a class running act, inclusive of Ezeal Thlobo and Michael Scout from Port Elizabeth as well as the great Vincent Rakabaele of Two Oceans fame. It also broke down barriers well ahead of most sporting codes.
Top local runners, Mzwandile Shube, Thabang Baholo and Mthunzi Dyonase all played meaningful roles in creating history on the sprawling and hilly terrain of Mdantsane.
The leading women included Lizanne Holmes and Diane Sandford who tended to dominate women's running at that time. The current 10km race emerged as SA’s democracy took hold and it has been a huge success and one that many local runners term as a favourite event.
Housed for 10 incident-free years at Sisa Dukashe Stadium, the club has been forced to move the race venue, in what must rate as one of the most bizarre municipal decisions of all time in respect of local sporting circles.
Alex Kambule, the chairman of Real Gijimas, confirmed yesterday the race will now start and finish across the road from the old stadium at the Masizakhe Children's Home. The club has partnered with the home for eight years in respect of financial assistance.
Both the club and the sport has overcome many obstacles and it is unlikely that a venue change will in anyway dampen the spirit that is part of the DNA of the Mdantsane community, or the 1 000-plus runners at this flagship road race.
The weather has been somewhat unsettled lately as winter attempts to blow itself out, and chilly starts are not uncommon to this event. The weather too is not going to smother the enthusiasm of Sunday morning.
For those who may not have celebrated out Mdantsane way, there should be an expectation of loud singing, dancing and swaying as runners come under starter’s orders.
Entries are currently available at most sports shops and as always the entry fee is more competitive than many other local races.
10km running is always a great gauge of fitness and with the Tony Viljoen Masters Marathon just a week later and the Legends 68km, 60:11 Half-Marathon and 10km, among numerous other races being important to many who will be in the Mdantsane field, it should become a report card of what to expect going forward. the runners on