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A powerhouse lineup of South Africa’s finest professional road runners is gearing up to electrify the 12th edition of the Nelson Mandela Bay Half Marathon.
The race, which will double as the SA Half Marathon Championships, will be held at Pollok Beach on Saturday. In addition, there will also be a 5km mass-participation event.
Race organiser Michael Mbambani says the competition is fiercer than ever in the men’s and women’s races, promising a truly spectacular showdown among the elite.
“The male field will be strong this year, because the majority of the competitors have PBs ranging from 59 to 62 minutes, which is a world-class time,” Mbambani said.
“So, anything is possible for these guys to deliver on a good day. The title is up for grabs, with the first prize at R40,000 and the ASA champion’s incentive at R25,000.
“These guys are competing for R65,000.
“The route is extremely promising. Last year’s winner, Kamohelo Mofolo [from Lesotho], ran 60:52, so this is a quick route for guys who can run in 60 minutes or less.
“If they run under 60 minutes, it would be the first time an athlete has done so in South Africa.”
In the ladies’ race, Lavinia Haitope, a Namibian long-distance runner, won the race in 74:12.
The 21km race will kick off at 7am, followed by the 5km race at 7.10am.
On the female side, the defending champion Haitope is returning. Karabo Mailula, who did well on the Absa Run last season, is also taking part.
“She’s a medallist at the World Student Championships, so she wants to qualify for the World Championships, because remember this is a World Championship qualifier.
“The top four male and female finishers will qualify to run in the World Champs, and that is a big plus for our athletes.
“So, all these guys are in shape. We have seen them, and they have been performing well globally.
“We are hoping to see that they deliver some good times on Saturday.”
Mbambani said preparation-wise, everything was going smoothly.
“We are ready for Saturday’s race. We are hoping for good weather.
“We had a site visit on Sunday. We did a complete dry run with all our volunteers, marshals, marshal leaders, safety and security personnel, safety officers, and water points. We are ready.”
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