Makhanya ready to step up in Soweto Marathon

HAVING won the Soweto halfmarathon (21km) last year, Mapaseka Makhanya,

has set her eyes on a bigger race and prize this year.

Speaking at the launch of this year’s race, where the race committee announced its new partnership with Old Mutual, in Kliptown, Soweto yesterday, Makhanya said she is raring to go big this year, 42km big.

“I have always wanted to run the full Soweto Marathon. And since I don’t have any other races before this one I’m going for it. “Because normally, I would run the Gauteng Marathon, but with that race being cancelled, I decided to go for it.”

With Old Mutual coming on board, the prize money for the race has been doubled; something that Makhanya believes has been missing and will attract top athletes this year.

“We have seen many marathons in the country paying much more money. I think the Soweto Marathon was the only one paying around R100 000.

“It was about time they stepped up. Because it has been there for a long time. Others have just begun and they pay a lot of money.

“Most of us love the Soweto Marathon, and if you want to see all the top athletes coming to compete here, you must raise the prize money.

“You can’t expect to pay athletes what you used to pay them 10 years ago,” said Makhanya.

The 2014 Sportswoman of the Year is gearing herself up for next year’s Olympic Games in Rio and she reckons the Old Mutual Soweto Marathon will be a perfect platform for her to get ready for the Olympics.

“It is at a great time for my Olympic preparations.

“Because it will be in the beginning of November, I can rest for the whole month after the event.

“And start my training in December until April and run another marathon before the Olympics.

“So the timing is prefect and running the race is part of my long term preparations as I head to Rio.”

Old Mutual Chief Marketing Officer Mokaedi Dilotsotlhe, was delighted with the new venture the company has taken and believes the event will grow enormously with this new partnership.

“We are the title sponsors for the next three years.

“We bring stability because the event itself has struggled to attract sponsors for some time now.

“We are looking to take the Old Mutual Soweto Marathon to a higher level,” said Dilotsotlhe.

The registration for the races are still open, with the event set to take place on 1 November.