Midrand Striders’ Esterhuizen sets sights on Two Oceans Marathon in April

Midrand Striders runner Michael Esterhuizen participated in the 40th edition of the Johnson Crane Hire Marathon.

A total of 40 Striders members took part in their preferred distances in Benoni on January 29.

The run has set the tone for the road running year when avid marathon runners took to the streets and were hosted by Benoni Harriers Running Club. The Johnson Crane Hire Marathon is a popular event among runners and clubs in the running fraternity.

Runners had to choose to either take part in 5km, 10km, 21km, or 42.2km and Striders’ Esterhuizen participated in the latter. Esterhuizen said despite being a tough marathon, he now puts his focus on the Two Oceans Marathon in Mid-April.

He said he was pleased and happy that he got his qualifiers out of the way and now he can purely focus on that ‘big fish’. “Today was great, tough but great. The weather surprised us with a few drops of rain which was a good relief for us as runners. The route was predominantly flat with no relief of downhills but it’s a welcome change from the difficult routes in Midrand. I’m currently focused on training for the Two Oceans Marathon,” said Esterhuizen.

Striders chairperson Lwazi Khumalo thanked all the participants and Striders runners who took part in the marathon.
She said this shows the unity within different running clubs and as per usual the race was well attended. “The organisation of the race by coordinators and everyone involved throughout was amazing, the water points kept us runners going with ice-cold water. But the ice cream at the finish was a great finishing touch. A big thank you to all the runners and to Midrand Striders runners, as the club we remain proud of you,” said Khumalo.

Earlier this month, 56 club members started their year by participating in the Dis-Chem half-marathon 2023 held in Bedfordview on January 15.

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