Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 101, December 2017 | Page 20

ROAD RUNNING
VERY MUCH THE
PEOPLE’S RACE
The Old Mutual Soweto Marathon once again lived up to its nickname when over 25,000 runners lined up on 5 November
for the start outside the FNB Stadium – or the Calabash, as it is more famously known – for the 2017 edition of ‘The People’s
Race.’ From the front runners to those who needed a bit more time to finish, the resounding feedback was that “the support
along the route was just something else!” – BY MANFRED SEIDLER
T
he men’s race was won by Lesotho’s Tsepo Mathibelle in a time of 2:19.41, but it was
the women’s race that really grabbed the attention. Local favourite Mapaseka Makhanya
held the lead for the first 36km of the race, but then Irvette van Zyl passed her to take
line honours in 2:41:06 and become the first South African woman to win the race since René
Kalmer in 2009. Mapaseka came home second in 2:44:37, and said, “It was the crowd who
carried me today. I grew up in Soweto, so this race has particular meaning for me, and I only
regret not having run this race before.”
That sentiment was echoed by so many other runners, and their faces said it all as they
ran past the historical monuments of Baragwanath Hospital, Hector Pieterson Memorial,
the houses of Madiba and the Arch (Archbishop Tutu) in Vilakazi Street. And at the finish,
or on social media after the race, the other resounding sentiment was, to quote Arnold
Schwarzenegger, “I’ll be back.”
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ISSUE 101 DECEMBER 2017 / www.modernathlete.co.za