Soweto Marathon Digimag Official Race Magazine | Page 6

WELCOME MESSAGES
Foreword by Member of the
Executive Council (MEC): Sport,
Art, Culture and Recreation
of the Gauteng Province,
Mbali Hlophe
It is almost time again
for one of Gauteng
biggest marathon, as
the Old Mutual Soweto
Marathon takes place at
FNB Stadium, Soweto on
the 3rd November 2019.
The Gauteng Province is
excited to co-host the 2019
Old Mutual Soweto Marathon in
partnership with the Soweto Marathon Trust.
The Old Mutual Soweto Marathon continues to draw thousands more
runners from different parts of South Africa and the continent. It is one
of iconic and oldest marathon that tests endurance, tenacity, character,
and builds lasting bonds of friendship. Last year alone, it attracted 30
000 runners. This marathon has huge economic spin – offs for Soweto
and surrounding areas.
The Old Mutual Soweto Marathon is a unique and valuable event
which both promotes our province as a leisure and events destination,
but also advocates for healthy living. We are urging people of
Gauteng to come out in numbers to be part of this very special event.
Foreword by the Executive Mayor
of the City of Johannesburg,
Councillor Herman Mashaba
The City of Johannesburg
is gearing up to welcome
a record-breaking
40 000 local and
international runners to
the forthcoming Soweto
Marathon.
This major sporting event
will take runners through
the streets of South Africa’s
most famous township and
touch on places of interests such
as: the Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown,
Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, Vilakazi Street, Hector Peterson
Memorial, Morris Isaacson School, Oppenheimer Memorial and the
late Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s home, among others.
For non-running Soweto residents, this is a wonderful sporting spectacle
that includes all Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s rainbow colours enjoying
the welcome showers from the neighbourhood hosepipes and boisterous
encouragements from the locals. This is the day when Soweto comes to a
standstill and opens its hearts and cheers to visitors and friends alike.
If the runners listen intently, they might hear the Grace Bible Church
choir belting a spiritual revival number along Chris Hani Road in Pimville.
If they run a few kilometres more, they might breathe in the incense from
the Holy Cross Anglican Church in Orlando West and maybe catch a
glimpse of Archbishop Tutu visiting his former stomping ground.
6
Soweto Marathon | Lace Up. Conquer Your Hard
Twenty-five years after the end of Apartheid, Soweto’s streets are
becoming an annual canvas for unification and international celebration
of freedom, through Old Mutual Soweto Marathon attracting people of
all races, from across Africa and the rest of the world.
Soweto is not your everyday informal settlement turned city. The
township has now become something of a scenic tourist attraction in the
25 years since the end of apartheid and this year edition of the Old
Mutual Soweto Marathon will give runners such opportunity to see its
beauty, resilience and iconic heritage sites.
This is the only marathon in the country that runs across a township
touching key historic sites, and this is exciting for the Provincial
Government. Some of these sites play a significant role in preserving and
showcasing our Province’s heritage, diversity of cultures and most of all it
talks to the dynamic identity of the Province as the home of champions as
well as cultural, sporting and entertainment hub of South Africa.
The route honours Soweto’s rich history as runners will pass eight significant
heritage sites on the marathon route; namely the Chris Hani Baragwanath
Hospital, Walter Sisulu Square, the Regina Mundi Catholic Church, Credo
Mutwa Cultural Village, Morris Isaacson High School & June 16 Memorial
Acre, Vilakazi Street and the Hector Pieterson Memorial.
On behalf of the Provincial Government and all the people of Gauteng,
I would like to wish all runners the very best of luck and I urge our
people to give morale boosting support and provide refreshments to
the participants along route. I am confident that this will, once again,
be an exhilarating event.
Although running can be perceived as a solitary activity, I strongly
believe it’s a team sport, which showcases courage in the face of
adversity, encouragement for fellow runners and a perfect display of
the true spirit of unity in the pursuit of better health and fitness. Health
is wealth.
This spirit of solidarity with our fellow beings was shown last year
by three of our firefighters Mduduzi Ndlovu, Simphiwe Moropane,
and Khathutshelo Muedi who pounded the streets of Soweto in full
firefighting gear as an emotional tribute to their fallen colleagues, who
perished in the fire that engulfed the Bank of Lisbon building last year.
City officials will be on high alert during the historic People’s Race.
Scores of the City of Joburg’s Emergency Management Service
personnel, Joburg Road Agency officials and the Joburg Metro Police
Department will line up the 42.2km, 21km and 10km routes to ensure
that everything runs according to plan.
The theme for this year’s marathon “Lace Up: Conquer your hard”,
aptly sums up the ethos of running and the breaking of barriers, be
they pain or otherwise. For the runners, this is the culmination of long
hours of waking up at the crack of dawn to build up the requisite
mileage to get the limbs ready for the gruelling race.
The City of Johannesburg is proud to host the Soweto Marathon. We
thank the sponsors, Old Mutual, who have consistently backed the
People’s Race despite the prevailing tough global economic conditions.
We doff our hats to the organisers, who ensure every year that any
stumbling block is moved in order to showcase the beauty of the City
and its people to the world.
We extend a hearty welcome to all of you to the People’s Race.