International big guns to turn out for NMB Half Marathon
Big names will make their way to SA to take part in the Nelson Mandela Bay Half Marathon, taking place at Pollok Beach in Summerstrand on June 4.
Among the top foreign male contenders is Meshack Kiptoo Lelgut of Kenya.
He holds a personal best half-marathon time of one hour, two minutes and 28 seconds, which he ran in the Prague Half Marathon in April 2022, finishing 12th.
Meshack was inspired to start training by his cousin, Nicholas Kimeli, who is an Olympic finalist.
His first international race was the 2021 Cape Town 12km where he was a pacer and finished fourth.
His last international race was in Prague.
Other international contenders are Ayele Kebede Eshete of Ethiopia and Kenya’s Kenneth Kemboi Rotich.
Kebede ran his personal best half-marathon in Spain in April, clocking a time of 1.04.36, to finish 10th in the Movistar Medio Maraton de Madrid.
He finished third at the 2022 National Cross-Country Championships and made his debut in road running at the 2022 Madrid Marathon, where he ran his personal best time.
Rotich, 30, made his road running debut at the 2016 Nairobi Standard Chartered Half Marathon, finishing third with a time of 1.03.27.
This was followed by two consecutive wins of the Khon Kaen Half Marathon in 2017 and 2018, and wins at the 2019 Amazing Thailand Marathon Bangkok and 2019 Palermo Marathon.
On the women ’ s front, the strongest contender is Ftaw Zeray Bezabh of Ethiopia.
Her personal best halfmarathon time this year is 1.07.42, which she obtained in the Adizero Road to Records Half Marathon in Herzogenaurach, Germany.
Ftaw started running at school in 2012 when she was 10.
She made her international debut in 2016 at the Helong Half Marathon, in China, where she finished third.
The NMB Half Marathon holds World Athletics Elite Label status and will also serve as the ASA Half Marathon National Championships.
EPA is gearing up for about 1,500 athletes after only 250 athletes were allowed in 2021 due to Covid-19 limitations.
Nelson Mandela Bay sport and arts political head Bass Kamana has endorsed this event organised by EP Athletics.
“Our municipality continues to play a key role in developing local talented athletes in the region and the seeds of the Legacy Project are now bearing fruit,” Kamana said.
“Boosting sports tourism is high on the city’s agenda, and partnering in high-profile events which achieve international participation and exposure — like the NMB Half Marathon — is well suited to this goal.”*
In 2021, Precious Mashele narrowly beat Stephen Mokoka with an impressive finish in 1.01.17, with the foreign contingent ensuring fast times in the women’s contest.
Brillan Jepkor Kipkoech of Kenya dominated the women’s battle to win in 1.07.32, with Sisay Alemaddis of Ethiopia second in 1.08.04.
The race is justifiably credited as the fastest half-marathon in the country and with generous prize money fast times can be expected again.
At stake is not only the SA title, but also valuable World Athletics Ranking points and an enticing R80,000 for first prize and a total prize pot of R277,500.
In addition, SA athletes will be vying for the lucrative ASA Championship prizes totalling R152,100, which includes R15,000 for the first South African male and female to finish the ASA Half Marathon Championships.
The route is fast and flat and runs on the coastal road. Runners will start from 7.30am and complete a circular route.
Athletes can enter online on www.webtickets.co.za or at major sports stores.
The first 400 athletes will receive a Nike T-shirt, and all finishers will receive a medal.
The closing date for online and manual entries is Saturday.