News

On Saturday, 8 April 2017, over 600 runners gathered for the annual Marakele Marathon. This unique Comrades” qualifier which takes place in Marakele National Park, where the Big 5 roam, saw Phineus Mothoa and Zanie van Rensburg emerge as winners in the 42 km men and women”s race respectively.

In his address to the athletes during the prize giving ceremony, Mr Lombard Shirindzi, General Manager of the Northern Region Parks, which includes Marakele National Park said “The main objective of the marathon is to give back to the community of Thabazimbi, today marks a new era that seeks to use the marathon as a catalyst to attain socio-economic development and environmental protection.”

This was the best event yet since the inception of the marathon over seven years ago and this was due to the atmosphere at the event. “We want people to enjoy the national parks and make them a place of rest, and therefore over and above the official races we make sure that we provide fun for the whole family, and extend the invitation to everyone who is yet to visit Marakele and any of our national parks to come and have fun”.

Shirindzi further thanked Coca Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) for the sponsorship that contributed significantly towards the success of the race. CCBSA donated an amount of R260 000.00 towards the race of which some amount will go towards conservation issues in the Park.

Shereno Printers, Siemens Healthineers, BestMed and Hlanganani Contractors are some of the sponsors that made this marathon possible. Next year”s race will be bigger and better “we have decided that since Marakele is a Big Five National Park, we should offer participants an opportunity to collect all the big five medals” Shirindzi concluded.

The top five winners in the 42km Men”s race were:

1. Phineus Mothoa 2h32min55
2. Pharson Magaghane 2h37min42
3. Wesley Mutai 02h38min35
4. Lucas Donyana 02h39min50
5. Harmans Mokgadi 02h40min41

The top five winners in the 42 km Women”s race were:

1. Zanie Van Rensburg 03h49min11
2. Dawn Hadebe 03h50min47
3. Nataly van Dyk 04h23min54
4. Moksie Pelser 04h23min57
5. Natasha Coetzee 04h32min46

The 21km, 10km and 5km fun runs also drew a large crowd of people and parents with small children had so much entertainment for them throughout. The date for next year”s race is 3 March 2017 and registration will open soon.

Issued By

SANParks – Northern Region Communications

Media Enquiries

Divhani Maremba
Regional Communications Manager – Northern Region
Tel: (012) 426 5304; Cell: 074 588 5789
[email protected]