CAPE TOWN – Arthur Jantjies and Ethiopian Bize Beyira Negassa won Sunday's first Nelson Mandela marathon in Cape Town, an event in which more than 30 000 athletes participated across various distances.
Jantjies, from the Pan African Resources club, won the men's 42 km race in 2:15:14. Negassa won the women's race in 2:36:42.
Route through historic Cape Town
The marathon started at the Grand Parade and ended on Darling Street. The route went through District Six, past Parliament, through the Company's Garden and the Bo-Kaap, and then through parts of the city and along the coast.
The programme also included a 21 km race, which incorporated the existing Slave Route Challenge, as well as 10 km and five km races and walking events.
Mandela's legacy
The event was presented under the theme "Rise. Remember. Run." by Golazo in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation. According to the organisers, the aim is to commemorate Mandela's values of dignity, justice, equality, solidarity and freedom, and to use sport to unite communities.
All proceeds from the Cape Town event go to the Nelson Mandela Foundation. The organisers plan to expand the marathon to other cities worldwide in the future.
Photo and report: Johan Maree
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
