A RUNNER who would have been part of the third annual Chillie Lifestyle Race but never made it to the start line was recently honoured by the club who praised her determination.

Over 2200 runners lined up for the race, which was claimed by Siyabonga Ndlovu in a time of 28:41 for the men’s title, while Busisiwe Chamane came in for the ladies at 35:49. Before the race could start, a moment of silence was held for the female runner who was coming from Bergville to be part of the race.

“She was fatally struck by a vehicle on Saturday while on her way to pick up her race pack,” said race director Siyanda Sibiya. “We wanted to honour her and her family who were present on race day. She wanted to be there, and she was among the first to register for the race.”

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With all the runners united in mourning for the lost runner, the race took off with the 10km athletes setting the pace for the social runners. Sibiya said, “This was the biggest participation numbers we’ve had for the race so far and it really warmed our hearts, after the work put in. It’s good for the club, the sport and the running community.”

Sibiya hailed the success of the event and said they are already in preparation for next year’s event. He said there were no regrets in adding the 5km run. “The race was exceptional from my end as the organiser – certainly a great day of running. With 5km being the new addition to the offering, it widens the race’s appeal – thus attracting more people,” said Sibiya.

He added, “The future is solidified – June after Comrades Marathon, we will be back bigger and better than before, ensuring more sponsors are on board.”

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