Johannesburg - The president of Athletics South Africa (ASA) James Moloi remains hopeful that the South African National Marathon Championships taking place in Durban this weekend will be a thrilling affair despite poor representation.
By Tuesday there were only 68 athletes registered by 11 out of the 17 member provinces of the country’s athletics governing body. The six provinces that had not yet registered any athletes were - Limpopo Athletics, Athletics North West North, Border Athletics, North Western Cape Athletics, Athletics Transkei and Athletics South Western Districts.
“I think up to so far we have good support from the provinces because they are aware that we are going to use the event as qualifiers for the Budapest World Championships as well as the Olympics. So they are aware of the importance of sending their athletes to the event,” Moloi said, adding that they have urged the provinces to do their best to provide their athletes with the opportunity to qualify.
He acknowledged though that the championships, which are incorporated into the Durban International Marathon that is taking place on Sunday, are happening very early in the year when the provinces are still trying to find their feet.
“Some of the provinces do not have money because it is early in the year and they have not yet sold enough runners’ licences which is their main source of income. Provinces such as Central Gauteng (CGA) and Gauteng North (AGN) as well as the Western Province are strong financially and are able to send a big team. But the smaller provinces just don’t have the finances.”
The trio have so far registered the biggest team of the lot with AGN sending 13 athletes and the other two set to be represented by 12 each. The host province KwaZulu-Natal will have 10 athletes running in their colours, among them the women’s reigning champion Jenet Mbhele.
Winner of the championships in a pedestrian time of 2:41.36 last year, Mbhele was reluctant to speak about her ambitions for the race.
“I’d rather speak after the race, not before,” she said tersely before adding she will be happy running a PB.
Given that her 2:40 Personal Best time in the marathon is a mere minute faster than her winning mark from 2022, there seems little chance of Mbhele attaining the World Championship qualifying time of 2:26.50.
Not even the massive incentive of $10 000 (about R182 000) put aside by the organisers would appear appealing enough to see Mbhele running out of her skin.
The men’s defending champion Tumelo Motlagale has, according to the list released by ASA, registered for the race despite having earlier been reported to have chosen to rather run next month’s Boston Marathon.
A winner of the open race via a 2:11.15 by default after Zimbabwean Isaac Mpofu, who had crossed the line first, was disqualified for failing to wear a race number/licence, Motlagale must no doubt be eager to show his worth as champion by winning this year’s edition outright.
His dreams of glory though will not be that easy to achieve, not with a number of much faster East African athletes set to toe the start line, two of those boasting 2:07 and 2:06 PBs. Motlagale was said to have already booked his place in the SA Team for the world championship with his victory last year.
But the likes of Gladwin Mzazi, Philani Buthelezi and Sboniso Sikhakhane will be out to earn their tickets to Budapest and will have to dip under the requisite 2:08.10 time, a tall ask it must be said.
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It’s a pity a good number of provinces will not be sending teams to the championships but Moloi said going forward the governing body will find ways to ensure that this does not happen again.
IOL Sport