THE uShaka Half-Marathon returns on October 1 with the addition of a 21.1km race route as well as the 5km and 10km routes offered last year. The race coincides with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and participants can opt to ‘go pink’ by adding an extra R10 onto the race entry.
This will support PinkDrive’s work in promoting awareness and early detection of gender-related cancers. Race director Protas Mkhize said close to 1 000 runners had signed up for the race by Monday.
“We are looking at extending the number of entries available, but it will be guided by how many entries we receive this week,” he said.
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All routes – 5km, 10km and 21.1km – start and end at uShaka Marine World, and the final stretch of the race for each category will take runners along Durban’s scenic promenade.
Cancer survivor Janice Benecke is the KZN Administrator for PinkDrive.
“The R10 donation supports PinkDrive, so we can continue to run free clinics each month in rural areas. We offer a free educational talk, and breast examinations are done. If the nurse picks anything up, the patient will receive a referral letter for them to have it investigated further,” said Benecke.
Early detection saved my life
Benecke fought cancer twice in her life. In 1994, she was diagnosed with germ-cell cancer.
“A golf-ball-sized growth was discovered on my codex bone, growing up my spine, and I also had lung cancer,” she said.
After a lengthy battle with chemotherapy and surgery, Benecke was in the clear, but 14 years later, she would fight cancer again. In 2009, Benecke was diagnosed with breast cancer.
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“They removed 18 lymph nodes, and I have a 15cm cut under my arm to my nipple. They managed to save my breast,” she said.
Now Benecke works with PinkDrive to help others catch cancer early through screenings.
Race registration
Entrance fees range from R150–R220 for the 5km, 10km and 21.1km categories. Tickets are available via Webtickets. Participants can collect their race numbers on September 29 and 30 at Wahooz restaurant at uShaka Marine World. For more information, contact Mkhize at 078 446 6355.
