Skukuza’s wildest race raises the pace for conservation
A maximum of 2 000 runners were allowed to participate in the wild marathon.
If you were to ask any runner for a list of their ‘must-do’ races, the Skukuza Castle Lager Half Marathon is bound to be near the top of almost every list.
Held for the first time in 1989, the Skukuza race starts within the staff village and presents runners with the unique opportunity to run in the Kruger National Park (KNP) – an experience that simply cannot be replicated elsewhere.
Because the race is run within the park itself, a lot of logistics go into preparing for race day.
According to organiser and Kruger Park Marathon Club (KPMC) secretary, Ruda van der Westhuizen, the days leading up to the race are spent monitoring the area around the staff village to ensure it is safe for the participants. On race day, trained park rangers are stationed along the route to monitor wildlife activity and provide an added layer of protection for runners.
In spite of thorough preparations ahead of this year’s event, held on Saturday, August 2, a determined herd of elephants caused a minor delay to the start.
There were elephants along the route, so we held back the start to ensure we could guarantee participants’ safety. We would’ve never let the race start if it wasn’t safe,” Van der Westhuizen said.
Once the route was cleared, the runners set off on a demanding course that offered a true taste of the wild – an experience unlike any other.
With tough cut-off times to beat, the participants were pushed to the limit. In the men’s race, Abednico Mashaba (Uniwisp) crossed the finish line first in 01:09:46, with Samuel Mathebula (Bella’s Athletics Club) close on his heels with 01:10:05. Third place was taken by Sifiso Ngcobo in 01:12:19.
In the women’s category, Marelise Retief (Phobians AC) claimed pole position with a time of 01:27:51, outrunning Shanice Peens (Nedbank Running Club CG), who finished in 01:28:34, and Gillian Farquharson (Runzone AC), who clocked 01:31:42.
Maretha Claasen (AS Eagles) represented the GG Masters (70+ years) ladies, finishing at 02:30:02. While the GG Masters men’s best time was claimed by Peter Kisbey-Green (Fourways) who crossed the finish line in 02:01:17.
Van der Westhuizen emphasised that the marathon forms part of ongoing conservation efforts, with a maximum of 2 000 runners allowed.
Each year, the KPMC identifies which conservation projects need support. We then meet with park management to determine funding priorities and put plans in place to raise those funds,” she explained.
Since becoming a fundraising initiative for the KNP in 1993, the race has supported numerous conservation projects in the park.
“We aim to run the event as cost-effectively as possible so that the maximum amount can go directly towards conservation.”
This year, no less than R300 000 has already been donated, with a further R100 000 expected to follow.
