Top day for top runners at the Cell C Day of Races in Emmarentia
EMMARENTIA – Runners at the Cell C Day of Races were encouraged to beat their personal best finishing times.
The Cell C Day Of Races took place at Roosevelt High School in Emmarentia on 11 June. Jeromy Andreas and Mamorallo Tjoka were the ultimate winners of the day winning the men and women’s elite 5km races respectively.
Andreas achieved a lighting fast time of 00:13:57 while Tjoka completed her race in 00:17:10.”I’m a track and field athlete. My focus is on 1 500m and 5 000m. My goal was to run a fantastic time and hopefully make the top three,” said Andreas.
“The entire field was my competition. My plan was to stick with the lead group until the 4km mark and then break away. The race was fast, but magnificent. I wish we had more of these events. With all the top road runners competing, this could become one of the top road races in South Africa.”
Gladwin Mzazi came in second while Desmond Mokgobu finished third. The women’s race was dominated by Tjoka. Although her focus is on longer distances, Tjoka proved to be a force to be reckoned with leading the race from about the 2km mark.
“There were a lot of younger runners on the start line today,” said Tjoka. “My plan was to run fast from start to finish. One other runner kept up with me for the first 2km. From there I ran alone. I had a very good race and really enjoyed it.”
Liziwe Mabona came in second while Kataza Shipalana finished third. The Cell C Day Of Races granted entrants the unique opportunity to ‘find their fit’ by selecting the start wave that suited them best. There were different options available for runners, walkers, fitness enthusiasts and fun seekers, depending on their fitness level.
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Rather than going for gold, runners were encouraged to beat their personal best finishing times, be social, take photographs and videos at designated points on route, share it on the event’s social media platforms and stand a chance to win magnificent prizes.
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