The fourth George Bizos Mini Marathon attracted 650 participants this year.
The participants competed in a 4.2km and 8.4km race on Sunday, September 27.
The event was held to raise funds for the George Bizos Saheti Scholarship and Bursary Fund (GBSSBF).
Saheti High School sports manager, Mr Philip Venter, said the fund is given to the school’s needy pupils.
“The fund attracts and assists pupils of outstanding ability who are in financial need to access secondary education at Saheti School,” he said.
Malvern Primary School participated in the race as that is where Advocate George Bizos completed his primary schooling after arriving in South Africa with his father in 1941.
He started schooling in 1944.
Adv Bizos said he arrived as a refuge of war.
He did not go to school for more than three years after his arrival and instead worked in a shop.
“A photograph of my father and I appeared in the newspapers. The story was about how my father had saved the New Zealand soldiers who would have been trapped after the German occupation of Greece,” said Adv Bizos.
He said his life changed after he served a then Malvern Junior High School teacher.
“The Malvern Junior High teacher, Miss Cecilia Feinstein, came to the shop and I served her. She asked me if I was the boy in the picture. I said yes. She asked me which school I was going to. I said I was not going to school. She was furious. She went to my boss and threatened to report him to the inspector for employing an under-aged person. She said she would come the following Monday and take me to school. She told me to wear my best on Monday because at 7:30 she would come and pick me up. She told my boss to buy me a uniform. She took charge of me for two years. I passed standard 6 and 7 at Malvern,” said Adv Bizos.
He said his teacher arranged for him to go to Athlone High before she relocated to Cape Town.
“She changed my life,” said Adv Bizos.
This year’s 4.2km men’s winner was Dimitri Gonatas, while the women’s winner was Andrea Zayannakis.
Saheti High School’s men’s winner for the 4.2km was Chris Valarakis, while the women’s winner was Christina Marnakos.
Saheti Primary School’s 4.2km winners were Tristan Marle and Hannah du Sautoy.
The school-going, non-Sahetians category was taken by Keegan Dally and Carmi Vermaak.
The 8.4km adult race was won by Nowell Mbotwa and Gwen Muller.
Saheti High School’s 8.4km male winner was Evan Marinakos, while the female winner was Sinead Mason.
Saheti Primary School’s male winner was Thomas Gibson. Zoi Komninos took the female category.
The school-going, non-Sahetians winner was Ronald Molepo. Rachel Brodkin took the female category.
Adv George Bizos called on all people who value education to support initiatives like the GBSSBF.
