Victor Mecoamere

Victor Mecoamere

Hundreds turned up at the Mapetla Sports Centre on a cool Workers' Day morning to make the fun-filled, family-oriented inaugural Sowetan Big Walk a resounding success.

A project of the the Aggrey Klaaste Nation Building Foundation, the event was accredited by Central Gauteng Athletics and powered by Coca-Cola South Africa in association with the Loop en Val Athletic Club, Jozi FM and Johannesburg Water.

Young and old, mostly mothers, fathers, and their children and even grandchildren, lads and lasses of all shapes, heights and sizes, added colour and variety to the Sowetan Big Walk.

About 20 contestants of the Face of Soweto Pageant brought glamour to this brainchild of Madimo Promotions, which commemorates 20 years of Sowetan's nation-building activities and work and honours the memory of legendary runner Mathews "Loop en Val" Motshwarateu.

With professional walkers taking part, the event also helped give walking a huge boost as a competitive and Olympic sport and promoting walking as a family and youth health and fitness tool.

The professional walkers, though outnumbered, helped the crowd of about 2000 ordinary and mostly first-time walkers to understand and comply with the finer points of the sport.

The following winners in various categories shared R10000 in prize money:

lFor the Open Section Men - Mojalefa Modise, Thami Hadebe and Thapelo Mofokeng;

lOpen Women - Thembeka Khethekile, Siyabonga Phakathi and Matshediso Matladi.

lVeterans Men: Trust Langa, Abraham Sonqishe and Johannes Moshe;

lVeterans Women: Thembeka Khethekile, Mamsy Sibanyoni and Hlamalane Nyambi;

lJuniors Men: Lebogang Shange and Sanele Mathonsi;

lJuniors Women: Siyabonga Phakathi;

lGrandmaster - John Moroka.