Soweto Marathon Digimag Official Race Magazine | Page 14

RUN FOR A CAUSE
Last year, three Johannesburg firefighters ran the Soweto Marathon in their full firefighting gear in
remembrance of their fallen colleagues who tragically lost their lives in the Lisbon building fire. This
year they will be doing it again.
N
hlakanipho Khoza, 23, Siphiwe Tshabalala, 26,
and Nkosi Nzolo, 32, have decided to make
running the marathon a tradition to remember the
three firemen who died at the Bank of Lisbon building in
the Johannesburg CBD last year. The deceased firemen -
Mduduzi Ndlovu, Simphiwe Moropane and Khathutshelo
Muedi - lost their lives while battling a raging fire which
had engulfed the building. Now their colleagues, who
completed last year’s race, are preparing for another
take - albeit without their service gear this year.
“For us it [running the Soweto Marathon last year] was a
proud moment. It was the most meaningful moment of my
life,” said Khoza about completing the tough 42.2km race
in the township. “They are heroes and are our brothers.
So they are worth celebrating.” Khoza, from the Jabulani
14
Soweto Marathon | Lace Up. Conquer Your Hard
Fire Station in Soweto, said they were committed to using
the marathon to educate people about their job and the
many challenges they face on a daily basis. “This job is
not for everyone. You need to have many qualities such as
emotional intelligence ... and we want to educate people
about this career,” said Khoza.
Many were inspired by the story of the fireman
and as we prepare for 40 000 of you to
#LaceUpConquerYourHard we know there are many
who will be running the 26th edition of The People’s
Race for a chosen cause or charity! We encourage all
runners to share their cause with us on social media to
not only create awareness about their chosen cause/
charity but also to inspire others to run for more than just
themselves!