l to r: Melakhaya Frans, Ntombesintu Mfunzi, Lusapho April
Nelson Mandela Bay’s top marathon runner Lusapho April is targeting a fast time at the SA Half Marathon Championships in his home city on the 1st of May to punch his ticket to one of the world’s premier marathons.
Speaking at the launch of the Municipality’s Legacy Project road running series at City Hall on Thursday, April said a time of around 61 minutes at the SA Half Marathon will ensure his position on the start line at the New York Marathon in early November.
Counterparts Melakhaya Frans and Ntombesintu Mfunzi were also at the launch and said they’d be approaching the SA Half Marathon Champs from Pollok Beach, Summerstrand, very differently.
Frans said that if anything, he’d use the race as a leg-loosener for the Copenhagen Marathon some two weeks later.
Mfunzi may be knocking on the door of the 40-year-old brigade but said she’s still full of running and ready to go toe-to-toe with the younger athletes.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Half Marathon/SA Half Marathon Champs has been afforded Elite Label status which brings the event on a par with the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon – effectively bumping it up from Bronze status to Gold Status immediately.
As far as the Legacy Project is concerned, the NMB Municipality announced that its up-coming Legacy Road Running Series would consist of four 10 km events as well as the SA Half Marathon.
Prize money has been allocated to the top five male and female athletes in the 10 km events, as well as the top three positions in the age groups ranging from Juniors to 70+ athletes.
There will also be a Legacy Cross Country Series consisting of meetings spread across April, May and June to prepare athletes for the upcoming National Championships.
The Legacy Project is a successful partnership between EP Athletics and the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality which started in 2015 and which aims to take the sport of athletics to the people of the Metro.
This year is the first year that Track and Field events have been incorporated into the Legacy Project to ensure an even broader audience is reached.
