The Soweto Marathon trust chair, Sello Khunou, is not concerned by the slow pace of entries for the race as he expects them to pick after the Comrades Marathon on August 28.
Since entries for the Soweto Marathon were opened a few months ago, they have been slow, with runners appearing to be focusing on the Ultimate Human Race next week.
The Soweto Marathon will take place on November 6, with the start and finish at FNB Stadium.
“If there is a race such as Comrades, athletes will focus on it and we are gearing ourselves up that immediately after the Comrades, the entries will definitely pick up,” Khunou told Sowetan on Tuesday.
“We are also urging runners not to wait for the last minute. They must enter on time because what usually happens immediately after the closing date is that the runners come pleading to let them in.
“We are getting a lot of new entries, especially those who are not going for the Comrades. So the entries will definitely pick up. Right now they are a bit slow but we know for a fact that after Comrades, that’s where we will have a mass coming through.”
There has been an outcry from athletes over the price of the race entry fees and Khunou confirmed that they have now lowered them, with the 42.2km now R400, 21.1 R300, and the 10km R200.
“We heard the cries from athletes and we [came up with idea] of separating the entry fee from the T-shirt,” he said.
“The priority is to register and whoever wants to purchase the T-shirt will be there. We made it affordable for runners in that way.
“But we know that the situation is bad for everybody and we tried to keep them down. Whenever the athletes have complained, we will listen.”
After they lost Old Mutual as the title sponsor, Khunou has also called for more sponsors to support the race.
“We are calling all the sponsors to come and support the people's race. Some sponsors have promised, and some we are currently engaged in talks [with], but the majority of them tell us they have come across a bad patch.
“Some are closing shops and others are reducing their staff and focusing on their core business, but marketing and advertising is part of the business as well.”
Soweto Marathon expects entry rush after Comrades
People's race cuts entry fee after complaints
Image: Kevin Sutherland
The Soweto Marathon trust chair, Sello Khunou, is not concerned by the slow pace of entries for the race as he expects them to pick after the Comrades Marathon on August 28.
Since entries for the Soweto Marathon were opened a few months ago, they have been slow, with runners appearing to be focusing on the Ultimate Human Race next week.
The Soweto Marathon will take place on November 6, with the start and finish at FNB Stadium.
“If there is a race such as Comrades, athletes will focus on it and we are gearing ourselves up that immediately after the Comrades, the entries will definitely pick up,” Khunou told Sowetan on Tuesday.
“We are also urging runners not to wait for the last minute. They must enter on time because what usually happens immediately after the closing date is that the runners come pleading to let them in.
“We are getting a lot of new entries, especially those who are not going for the Comrades. So the entries will definitely pick up. Right now they are a bit slow but we know for a fact that after Comrades, that’s where we will have a mass coming through.”
There has been an outcry from athletes over the price of the race entry fees and Khunou confirmed that they have now lowered them, with the 42.2km now R400, 21.1 R300, and the 10km R200.
“We heard the cries from athletes and we [came up with idea] of separating the entry fee from the T-shirt,” he said.
“The priority is to register and whoever wants to purchase the T-shirt will be there. We made it affordable for runners in that way.
“But we know that the situation is bad for everybody and we tried to keep them down. Whenever the athletes have complained, we will listen.”
After they lost Old Mutual as the title sponsor, Khunou has also called for more sponsors to support the race.
“We are calling all the sponsors to come and support the people's race. Some sponsors have promised, and some we are currently engaged in talks [with], but the majority of them tell us they have come across a bad patch.
“Some are closing shops and others are reducing their staff and focusing on their core business, but marketing and advertising is part of the business as well.”
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