SASOLBURG – Set to commence the race in the wee hours of the morning, groups of hundreds to thousands patiently waited for the gun to go off ahead of the much-anticipated running competition.
Men, women, and children draped in their athletic teams running shorts, vests, and running shoes partook in different race categories including the 42,2 km, 21,1 km half marathon, and 5 km fun run.
On the day, the suburban area of Sasolburg was abuzz with supporters along the roads cheering the running crowd.
About eleven water points every 3km along the route, nicely decorated by different companies in the area, supplied runners with liquids, fruits, solids, and supplements to keep runners on their toes.
Addressing the media, Race Organizer for the Marathon Dolf Binneman said organizing the marathon involved a lot of work.
“We together with Sasol did a lot of work in making sure that the marathon is properly hosted. From patching potholes on the routes which were set for our athletes, road cleaning and other logistic,” he said.
Binneman said the Marathon is rated the best among top ten marathons in the country and the biggest in the entire Free State.
“The marathon is among the biggest marathons in the country and number one in province. We had over 3000 athletes and it was hectic but one of our best ever,” he said.
Binneman thanked Sasol for partnering with the Sasolburg Athletics Club in hosting the marathon.
“Without Sasol as our main sponsor, we couldn’t have achieved this event and we would like to thank them for making this marathon what it is,” he said.
Sasol’s Morris Arnolds said “It is inspiring to see so many people come out to support running, this speaks to a healthy lifestyle people live and I am delighted to see the passion people have for running. I applaud the commitment and I’m sure many people will also be inspired to live a sportier life as well,” he said.
Metsimaholo Local Municipality MMC for Corporate Services Stone Makhema who also attended the event said “We are grateful to be part of this event. This is one of the longest successful events in our municipality that boost the economy and tourism in the region”.
