WATCH/READ: Exclusive drone footage as thousands take on the 2019 Johnson Crane Marathon
Check out our exclusive footage of the 2019 Johnson Crane Marathon from above.
The ever-popular Johnson Crane Hire Marathon has become a mainstay on the South African road running and walking race calendar and has for decades now attracted thousands to the streets of Benoni.
The 2019 running of the race was no different with participants coming from all over the country to take on the notoriously flat and fast Benoni race routes on January 27.
Cool and overcast morning conditions, ideal for a road race, greeted the 9 000 athletes who took on either the 42.2km or the 21.1km distances while a further 4 000 people took on the shorter 10km or 5km routes.
Annually organised by Benoni Harriers Athletic Club (BHAC), the race routes have gone through many changes and adaptations to best suit the needs of both professional athletes and the average Joes.
The Johnson Crane Marathon 42.2km has earned its popularity as an early season race due to it being the first big marathon qualifier of the year for both the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon and the Comrades Marathon.
Respected running coach and administrator Norrie Williamson, who designed the routes, explained some of the changes for the 2019 Johnson Crane Marathon include two newly modified scenic laps (avoiding Snake Road and the Benoni City Centre), one entrance for all races with just 230m of running on grass, a new straight line and wiser start on Woburn Avenue and new, faster 10km and 5km routes.
The new changes proved to be a big hit for the majority of the athletes who were also impressed by the tremendous support along the side of the road as they made their way to the finish at Willowmoore Park.
WATCH, we partnered with Motion Media for exclusive drone footage from the 2019 Johnson Crane Marathon:
On the results side of things it was Philani Buthelezi, from the recently launched Murray and Roberts Running Club, who stormed in with a time of 31 minutes and four seconds to win the 10km race while Cornelia Joubert from Boxer Athletic Club was the first woman home in the 10km with a quick time of 36 minutes and 54 seconds.
In the half-marathon (21.1km race) it was again runners from Murray and Roberts and Boxer who took podium places.
Boxer’s Lucky Mogale bagged first place in that race with his rapid time of one hour, nine minutes and 15 seconds while Murray and Roberts’ Olympian marathon athlete Christine Kalmer claimed the top women’s spot with her time of one hour, 18 minutes and 50 seconds.
In the hotly contested full marathon it was Joseph Manyesi of Anglo American Athletic Club who claimed first position overall with his time of two hours, 23 minutes and 47 seconds while 2016 Comrades Marathon women’s champion and 2018’s Johnson Crane Marathon women’s winner Charné Bosman (now running for Murray and Roberts) defended her title with a quick time of two hours, 44 minutes and 52 seconds.
Bosman evidently enjoyed the modified route, taking 10 minutes off of her winning finish time from last year.
Full results are available at www.championchip.co.za
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