Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 101, December 2017 | Page 21

What They Said…
Jotina Faith Mukaro: The community was awesome. They need a thank you from the organisers.
Salvatoris Thabile Mnyawe: I really enjoyed my first 42km run, although it was very tough. We made it
to the finishing line with a lady from Zambia we met, and ended up helping each other to finish the race.
It really is the People’s Race, and we are now friends with her.
Ubuntu in
Soweto
By Stuart Mann
Rialine Steyn: We decided to run Soweto as a family – five brothers, sisters and cousins all together.
Four different clubs, we travelled from four different provinces to run together and it was amazing.
#familythatrunstogether
Mashilo Mashilo: Especially loved the kids cheering us on!
Khulani Simphiwe Buthelezi: The improvements in this #OldMutualSowetoMarathon are just amazing,
and that is the reason why it is such a popular marathon on our athletics calendar.
Tsungai Rachel Chinyoka: The people of Soweto were amazing, the hosepipes, salt, cold water… it was
hot, but a good challenge. Keep getting better, I will definitely be back next year.
Gwen Gonya Williams: Soweto is amazing and was amazing!
S
oweto has a buzz that is difficult to describe,
very different from other big marathons, and
although not the prettiest of routes, what Soweto
lacks in natural beauty is more than compensated with
personality – and this is further complemented with
plenty of historical interest and cultural appeal. It is
perhaps the best way an average middle-class white guy
from the suburbs can experience ubuntu. It’s also one of
the few Gauteng races that attracts runners from other
parts of the country.
This was the second year that runners got to finish
inside the Calabash, a.k.a. FNB Stadium, a.k.a. Soccer
City. For those who aren’t professional football players
and have an aversion to spending a night in jail after
mounting a pitch invasion, the Soweto Marathon is the
“easy option” to experience what it’s like to be on this
famous field. However, the one challenge when finishing
in a large stadium for someone like me with no sense
of direction is that I am totally clueless as to which exit
is closest to my car – and picking the wrong exit could
result in your marathon quickly turning into an ultra. I
made what I considered to be the logical decision and
headed straight for the exit that was also signposted
“Beer Garden.” This proved to be a good choice, as it
was fairly close to my car, and I could enjoy an ice-cold,
rehydrating beer as I hobbled along.
Soweto offers something different to other big races,
local or international, and I would strongly recommend
all runners take an “on foot” tour of Soweto at least once
during their running careers. If you’re not scared of heat,
hills and altitude, Soweto provides a unique cultural and
historical race experience that you won’t get anywhere
else.
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