Hundreds of runners and walkers gathered at the Northgate Shopping Centre this past Sunday, July 20, for the 27th edition of the Northgate Race, hosted by the Roodepoort Athletics Club.

The Northgate Race has been a long-standing tradition within the club, with the shopping centre being the chosen venue because the club was once the only central club on the West Rand, making it an ideal location that drew participants from as far as Pretoria and the East Rand, as well as local areas.

This year’s event saw a significant increase in participation, with 300 more runners than in previous years.

The race offered two distances, a 5km and a 10km route, and by 07:30 sharp, 1 600 enthusiastic participants were ready to tackle the course with their fitness trackers ready.

Club chairperson Conrad de Buys said this was the most successful event and no incidents were reported.

“The weather was ideal for running and walking, and we had numerous stalls where participants could grab a bite or coffee.

“The JMPD did an outstanding job guiding the athletes safely from start to finish and peak timing services provided us with accurate results,” he said.

Conrad thanked the many volunteers and sponsors who contributed to the event’s success, including about 60 club members who worked on race day.

Results

Men 10km:

1. Paul Omunya 32:43
2. Kabelo Mwahla 32:59
3. Mveliso Ngqengeshe 33:00

Women 10km:

1. Cornelia Joubert 39:00
2. Taya Pelser 40:01
3. Hanri Pretorius 42:32

Men 5km:

1. Keion Venter 16:44
2. Fardinand Lensburg 17:32
3. Caleb Smith 18:28

Women 5km:

1. Louren Kruger 19:53
2. Liandri Kriel 20:19
3. Milane Gouws 21:32