ADVERTORIAL
The City2City is Back !
Following eight years of the race not taking place , the 2024 edition of the City2City Ultra Marathon on Sunday 31 March was a great success !
This year , after an eight-year hiatus , the race was back , and the most important aspects of the race that did not go well in that 2015 edition were addressed , notably the provision of sufficient water and refreshments for the runners at every refreshment station . The 50km ultra enjoyed a healthy turnout of some 1800 athletes , with a further 2000 in the supporting 10km and 5km distances .
Ntsindiso Phakathi was crowned winner in the men ’ s 50km race , taking home the R200,000 prize thanks to his 2:52:28 winning effort , with Shelmith Muriuki of Kenya taking the women ’ s title in 3:13:04 , and also taking home R200,000 . The ultra was also a Comrades
Marathon qualifier , with its hilly , point-to-point route from Tshwane to Joburg providing an invaluable experience for what athletes will experience at Comrades , especially with both races this year being so-called “ up runs .”
The atmosphere at the event was terrific , with many welcoming the return of this old favourite , and even though there were challenges experienced in the supporting races , the event enjoyed a great comeback . The City2City is a joint effort of the Gauteng Provincial Government , Gautrain , Athletics South Africa , Athletics Gauteng North and Central Gauteng Athletics , and this team is looking forward to hosting a bigger and bolder City2City Marathon in 2025 .
Images : SMacPix
Way back in 1903 , the first Johannesburg Stock Exchange Marathon was held between the cities of Johannesburg and Pretoria , covering a distance of 50km . It was next run in the 1930s , resuscitated again in 1978 , and renamed the City2City Marathon in 1988 . For many years the race was a regular fixture on the Central Gauteng and Gauteng North calendars , as the race was run in the reverse direction each year , but 2015 saw the last running of this historic event , after a number of editions had experienced unfortunate logistical problems .
The full results of the 2024 edition of the City2City Ultra Marathon can be viewed here on the FinishTime website .
23