2002 Soweto Marathon men's podium - (from left) Maringe, Lebopo and winner, Mutandiro (© Mark Ouma)
This coming weekend offers plenty for fans of marathon running with one of the world’s largest races the New York Marathon, the pioneer of modern day big city races taking place. Also, being held on Sunday 2 November will be the Athens Marathon which with the 2004 Olympics being held in the city has particular significance this year over and above its usual attraction as the birth place of this classic event.
Yet away from the 'big city' spotlight there are two other major international races taking place this weekend in Soweto, South Africa and Nairobi, Kenya. While unlikely to produce the fast times of their American and European rivals both races hold great significance for the gneral development of running and the organization of major sporting events on the African continent.
Soweto
The Old Mutual Soweto Marathon celebrates its twelfth year on Sunday, and is the richest marathon in South Africa. The event offers prize money totalling 294,000 South African Rand, including 40,000 first prizes for both senior men and women category winners.
The Soweto Marathon started as a dream, which became reality on December 5, 1993 when Olympic and World track and road race mutiple medallist Elana Meyer set a white dove of peace free to signal the start of the race and the beginning of a road running tradition.
This first race was a huge success, mainly due to the great disposition of the people of this city. The scene of so many violent and illogical acts, Soweto was shown to be a city that can open its welcoming arms as wide as they can stretch.
The 1994 Soweto Marathon was one of the most memorable races on South African soil. It developed into a peace rally at the height of the country’s transition. Thousands of children, teenagers and adults lined the streets with hands touching hands and with beaming smiles yelled: "Peace, brothers and sisters, peace."
All that cheering, smiling and joking gave one hope, and though nothing quite like those scenes have been repeated since the people of Soweto still come out to support.
The race starts and finishes at Nasrec and consists of a 42km marathon, a 42,2 km race walk, a 15km road race and a 5km fun run.
The Old Mutual is now a festival of running "by the people for the people", with special features such as musical bands and entertainment and a massive development project to encourage the younger runners to participate.
The entire event has been designed as a "runner friendly" event with no time limit to finish the 42 km, but runners must be through half way in three hours. Participants do not have to belong to a club to enter the race. Walkers are welcome to enter the new 42,2 km race walk; the 15km road race and the 5km fun run.
Last year Zimbabwe’s Elijah Mutandiro (2:19:43) and Farwa Mentoor of South Africa (2:50:33) emerged as the winners, and while these were slow times by international standards the comments of Leonard Chuene, the African Area Representative on the IAAF Council, after the race rang clear.
“We want to build Soweto Marathon into one of the big international marathons. First we aim to make it the premier marathon in Southern Africa, then extend it to the whole continent. This is our contribution to the bigger picture of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD).”
Click here for the 2002 race report
Nairobi
A similar Marathon adventure is also underway in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi this year, which on Sunday hosts the inaugural Standard Chartered international marathon.
Just as in South Africa the authorities want the race to establish a prominent place on the international calendar of races, and as such the event will be transmitted live on television.
IAAF Council member and chairman of Athletics Kenya (AK) chairman, Isaiah Kiplagat, one of the leading forces behind the event confirmed viewers will be able to receive minute by minute updates as the race progresses.
As in Soweto, the event aims to provide a festival of running with a Half Marathon and a 10km race, as well as the classic distance of 26 miles 385 yards on offer.
With major international sponsors like Standard Chartered there is also the plan to increase prize money in future in a bid to attract the world’s top runners. Currently the prize money stands at 500,000 Kenyan Shilling 500,000 for the winners, Sh200,000 for the runners up, while third placed runners will pocket Sh100,000. Winners of the Half Marathon category will earn Sh80,000 with runners-up pocketing Sh50,000. Prize money for the 10km event stands at Sh40,000 for the winner.
IAAF
