In a little over 18 days, the men’s and women’s winners of the new Mpumalanga Marathon which makes it’s debut on the running calendar on 14 September, will be smiling all the way to the bank with a huge R1 million rand first prize on offer. As one of the leading running teams on the African continent, Nedbank running club have assembled a strong team which will be looking at taking both titles on the day.
When the first prize of R1 million was announced, the Mpumalanga Marathon was immediately ushered into the spotlight as Africa’s top paying marathon. “When our athletes heard about it, it was not even a matter of minutes before our athletes in Kenya and Ethiopia also called in to request use to enter them for the race,” said Nick Bester, National team manager of the Nedbank running club. “We have assembled a very strong team for this race with a good mix of South Africans, Kenyans, Ethiopians, Lesotho athletes, Zimbabwe athletes and athletes from Namibia, all who proudly run for the Nedbank running club.
South Africa’s Onalenna Khonkobe will lead the South African charge. A hugely talented youngster who this year took victory at the Two Oceans Marathon, Khonkhobe clocked 2:11 for the marathon during the Nedbank Runified Breaking Barriers 50km and has his eyes set on the R1 million prize. It won’t be easy though. Making the trek from the East Africa powerhouse of running, Nedbank running club Ethiopia’s Asefa Negewo comes to Mpumalanga with a host of teammates and the fastest on paper, thanks to his 2:04:06 marathon personal best. A multiple winner of the Cape Town Marathon, Negewo has had a lot of success in South Africa and has proven that he can do it. He will be joined by Soweto Marathon winner Debe Ifa Debele who can run and win on one of the toughest marathon courses in the country.
Director of the Mpumalanga Marathon Caleb Lekhuleni is excited for the debut of the event. “The course is a bit tough for the first 23km but then after that it is downhill and we expect to see a really fast finish with athletes eyeing out the prize money on offer,” said Lukhuleni. “We want the Mpumalanga Marathon to be the voice and a catalyst for athletic runners. To be the most preferred marathon in the world and we want to see the lives of the runners changed financially. Running is the only affordable sport and it is the only hope for an African child.”
On the ladies side, the Nedbank running club will be entering 7 elite runners and who will be led by none other than Tadu Nare from the Nedbank running club Ethiopia. With a 2:17:36 marathon best, Nare’s best has her as one of the fastest female runners ever. Known for her total domination in South Africa over the Spar Grand Prix Series, the Mpumalanga marathon will be Nare’s first marathon on African soil, after brilliant performances in world renowned marathons such as the London and Chicago Marathons.
“I am really looking forward to this marathon,” said Nare. “I would like to thank the organizers for putting up such good prize money because for us as athletes, we really work hard and have to pray that on the day of competition that we can succeed but there are many of us who hope for the same thing so for really good prizes like this to be on offer, it goes a long way for us as athletes.”
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Onallena Khinkhobe – Two Oceans 2024 winner
Asefa Mengstu Negewo – Cape Town Marathon Winner (Photo by Nic Bothma)
Daba Ifa Debele – Soweto Marathon Winner (Photo by Action Photo)