LISTEN/READ/WATCH: Things run ever so smoothly at 2019 Robor Scaffolding Marathon

The 2019 Robor Scaffolding Marathon, organised by Benoni Northerns Athletic Club (BNAC), took place on the morning of April 28.

Thousands of road runners and walkers took to the suburban streets for a race that is continually growing in reputation and fast becoming a favourite on the busy Gauteng road race calendar.

Race commentator Pete van der Merwe praised the race for having one of the best starting and finishing points in the country.

For most of those who ran the 42.2km full marathon or 50km ultramarathon, the fast and flat route provided the perfect opportunity to obtain a good Comrades Marathon seeding before the qualification period ended on May 1.

According to the official timekeeping company for the race, Chamberlain’s Timekeeping, there were 4 133 finishers across the various race distances, an increase of 749 finishers from last year.

WATCH the start of the 2019 Robor Scaffolding Marathon:

Three hundred and eighty participants completed the 5km fun run and 1 000 people crossed the 10km finish line.

The full 42.2km marathon had 1 059 finishers, while 409 finishers completed the longer 50km ultra.

Julie Dekker, BNAC’s new race organiser, who took over the organising reins from stalwart Jan Jordaan, said the event was a success.

“When you interview runners at the end of a race and they’re excited to have completed the race and are full of praise for the well-marshalled route and for the water points that were full, you can call it a success,” said Dekker.

“One of the best comments I heard was from the last runner who came in and said that as a frequent runner at the back of the pack, it was the first time at a race that he was given a cold Coke and water right at the very end.

“Not running out of Coke or water was one of the things we wanted to make sure of and we certainly didn’t.

“The water points were well stocked with food as well.”

Dekker praised the title sponsor, Robor Scaffolding, for making the event possible, the Benoni City Times for being the media partner of the race for another year, and other sub-sponsors.

She also thanked Mpact Recycling, K1 Recyling and RecyclePaperZA for making the event the cleanest and greenest Robor Marathon yet through their messages of environmentally friendly running and living.

She applauded all the members at BNAC for their collaborative efforts in making the race a success.

On the competitive side of things, it was Bedfordview Athletic Club’s Mark Chapman who comfortably paced himself to victory over the 50km distance.

The veteran runner breezed into the finish at Benoni Northerns Sports Club in a time of three hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds.

Chapman finished just under five minutes ahead of runner-up Malose Mabote (three hours, 20 minutes and nine seconds) of the Kempton Park-based Rainbow Running Club.

Mabote was the 50km Robor Marathon champion in 2018 and 2017.

Master athlete Lyndsay van Aswegen of Kempton Road Runners, a Comrades gold medallist, was the first woman home in the 50km in her time of four hours, two minutes and 36 seconds.

She was followed by Chrizzel Roberts of Nedbank Running Club, who clocked in at four hours, 14 minutes and 47 seconds.

In the 42.2km marathon it was Edwin Khomkhobe (Entsika Athletics Club) who arrived home as the first man with his time of two hours, 35 minutes and 57 seconds.

He established a good gap between himself and the second-best marathoner, Jetro Sithole (Anglo), who came in after two hours, 41 minutes and 22 seconds.

The women’s 42.2km title was claimed by Vicky Hansen (Massmart), whose time of three hours, 19 minutes and 13 seconds earned her the honours.

Hansen’s Massmart teammate Hlompho Mphanje followed in second place with a time of three hours, 36 minutes and 19 seconds.

In the 21.1km half-marathon it was Andre Venter of 32Gi who crossed the line in first position with a quick time of 72 minutes and one second.

Veteran Frans Mola (running with a temporary licence) followed in second spot with his time of 72 minutes and 55 seconds.

In the shorter 10km distance it was Tuks runner Michael Pienaar who ran a blitz-quick time of 33 minutes and three seconds to claim the plaudits.

Last year’s 10km champion Evans Malepe of local club Benoni Harriers finished as the runner-up with his close time of 33 minutes and 24 seconds.

The women’s 10km race was won by Murray and Roberts runner Anet Coetzee, who crossed the finish line in a time of 41 minutes and 18 seconds.

It was a footrace to the finish line between Coetzee and Shalan Kruger (EC Active), who finished in second place by a mere two seconds.

LISTEN to Logie G’s Weekend Sports Wrap on Caxton Radio featuring an interview with race organiser Julie Dekker:

https://soundcloud.com/benoni-city-times/logie-gs-weekend-sports-wrap-april-29-featuring-the-robor-marathon-2019-race-organiser

More results here (courtesy of www.raceresults.co.za, view specific individual results at this website):