In a Covid-19 pandemic, everything seems plausible and possible. Last Sunday (18 October), that thought was justified when Edward Mothibi and Ann Ashworth were crowned winners of the Potchefstroom leg of the elite section of the 2020 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon.

See the video here:

In a pre-Covid-19 world, the likelihood of the Cape Town Marathon taking place at the North-West University Campus in Potchefstroom would have been zero.

Now, the North-West University was afforded the golden opportunity of hosting one of the country’s most prestigious marathons and they did not disappoint. Potch hosted one-third of the race, with Pretoria and Cape Town also sharing host duties. A 4.2-km route around campus and its various famous landmarks, like Lovers’ Lane and the Law Building, greeted runners early in the morning.

The well-known oak trees on campus also created a beautiful spring setting and provided shade in the 30-degree celsius temperatures. “We tried to make the course as shady as possible with the trees. The athletes enjoyed it too,” emphasised the NWU High-Performance Institute manager, Jean Verster, in a video interview on the NWU Sports Facebook page.

It is no wonder that Edward Mothibi (Nedbank) took the win in great running con- ditions with the fastest time of 02:13:11 beating Jeremia Moshwetsi (Impala) in 02:21:14 and Peter Muthubi (Nedbank) in 02:25:22 in the 10-lap race. In the women’s race, Ann Ashworth (Mass-mart) took the win in 02:41:51, beating Lebo Phalula (Boxer) with a time of 02:57:16 and Melinda Jansen van Vuuren (Massmart) in 03:03:37. According to the director of sport at the NWU, Sheldon Rostron, the success of the race showcased the hard work that everyone put in. “This was an opportunity to show what we are about as a university. It is also a privilege to work together with the Cape Town Marathon. The race showed that we can use innovative ways to present sport. We are grateful for all the departments that have collaborated here. We look forward to hosting more events in future and, hopefully, with spectators that will enhance the atmosphere,” he stated. Here are the full results in the elite section in all three locations (Including altitude adjustment) Men: 1. Edward Mothibi (Nedbank): Alt. Adj. 02:13:11 2. Phillimon Mathiba (Nedbank): Alt. Adj. 02:14:49 3. Philani Buthelezi (Murray & Roberts): Alt. Adj. 02:17:26. Women: 1. Annie Bothma (ATC Multisport): Alt. Adj. 02:33:35 2. Ann Ashworth (Massmart): Alt. Adj. 02:41:51 3. Nontokozo Mkhize (Arthur Ford): 02:46:42. Potchefstroom: Men: 1. Edward Mothibi (Nedbank): 02:16:47 2. Jeremia Moshwetsi (Impala): 02:21:14 3. Peter Muthubi (Nedbank): 02:25:22. Women: 1. Ann Ashworth (Massmart): 02:46:14 2. Lebo Phalula (Boxer): 02:57:16 3. Melinda Jansen van Vuuren (Massmart): 03:03:37.