Prominent road runner Precious Mashele has set his sights on winning the Nelson Mandela Bay Half-Marathon title in Gqeberha on Saturday that will also serve as the Athletics SA half-marathon championships.
The 21km route has been slightly adjusted from previous years, but is fast and flat.
The first man and woman to cross the finish line will take home a whopping R112,500 and the bragging rights that come with being crowned the SA champion.
The race did not take place last year due to the pandemic.
The 30-year-old Mashele, from Limpopo, is the in-form runner going into Saturday's event, having won the national 5 000m title at the University of Pretoria two weeks ago in a time of 13:42:31.
Mashele, who is coached by Hendrick Ramaala in Johannesburg, said yesterday: “I will do whatever it takes to win the national title. I want to become No 1. The focus is not so much on the time, but about winning the race.”
Comrades Marathon champion Gerda Steyn is the favourite to win the women's race ahead of the former Spar 10km Women’s Challenge and SA cross-country winner Glenrose Xaba. Three-time Soweto Marathon champion Irvette van Zyl has also entered the race.
Nelson Mandela Bay race serves as national championships
In-form Mashele takes aim at half-marathon title
Prominent road runner Precious Mashele has set his sights on winning the Nelson Mandela Bay Half-Marathon title in Gqeberha on Saturday that will also serve as the Athletics SA half-marathon championships.
The 21km route has been slightly adjusted from previous years, but is fast and flat.
The first man and woman to cross the finish line will take home a whopping R112,500 and the bragging rights that come with being crowned the SA champion.
The race did not take place last year due to the pandemic.
The 30-year-old Mashele, from Limpopo, is the in-form runner going into Saturday's event, having won the national 5 000m title at the University of Pretoria two weeks ago in a time of 13:42:31.
Mashele, who is coached by Hendrick Ramaala in Johannesburg, said yesterday: “I will do whatever it takes to win the national title. I want to become No 1. The focus is not so much on the time, but about winning the race.”
Comrades Marathon champion Gerda Steyn is the favourite to win the women's race ahead of the former Spar 10km Women’s Challenge and SA cross-country winner Glenrose Xaba. Three-time Soweto Marathon champion Irvette van Zyl has also entered the race.