October 22, 2004
By Lucky Sindane
ENTRIES for South Africa's richest standard marathon, the Old Mutual Soweto Marathon - more popularly known as The People's Race - are now open.
About 4 000 runners are expected to take part in the annual 42km road race on Sunday, 7 November, starting and ending at Nasrec.
"We are expecting 4 000 runners for the 42,2km marathon, 3 000 runners for the 10km race, 1 500 for the 20km walking event and 1 000 for the 5km fun run," said Athletics South Africa's events manager, Linda Ferns.
Total prize money for this year's event has been increased to R420 000 for the three distance events. The first male and the first female marathoners to cross the finish line will each win R50 000, while first place finishers (both male and female) in the 10km will receive R5 000.
Sponsors for the event include Old Mutual, Coca Cola, PowerAde, Adidas, Total Sports, King Pie and Clinix.
"We are very excited about this year's event. This is the last event on the Athletics South Africa calendar and it will be part of our strategy to celebrate 10 years of democracy," said Athletics South Africa's chief executive officer, Banele Sindani.
Because of the increasing number of entries the marathon will no longer start at gate 2 of the Nasrec Expo centre. Instead, it will start in Nasrec Road.
The marathon route has also changed after the 18km mark. Organisers have planned for runners to take in some of the sites of significance in Soweto. So, instead of running along Mtipa Street, the athletes will now go along Vilakazi Street - past Archbishop Desmond Tutu's house and Nelson Mandela's first house - then turn right at Maseko Street and on to Khumalo Street from the Hector Pietersen Square, before rejoining Vilakazi Street. After turning left at Butshingi Street, the runners will rejoin Mtipa Street to follow the old route.
The starts of the 10km race and the 20km walk will still take place outside gate 2 at the Nasrec Expo centre.
Entries are R55 for the marathon, R30 for the walk, R25 for the 10km race and R10 for the fun run.
Entry forms can be collected from the Athletics South Africa offices in Houghton and from the Totalsports shops in the Westgate shopping centre, Southgate mall, Eastgate shopping centre and the Menlyn Park shopping centre in Pretoria.
Postal entries close on Friday, 22 October.
"Other entries can be dropped off at hall 10, Nasrec Expo centre, before the day of the race. We would like to encourage participants to enter early and no entries will be taken on the day of the race," said Ferns.
Entries will also be taken online at www.athletics.org.za.
For more information contact the ASA office on 011 880 5800.
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