A challenging yet exciting 2024 Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains 4-in-1 Marathon took place on September 28.
Bella’s Athletics Club hosted this much-loved and well-supported race. This third edition did not disappoint and as always, it gave the runners a challenging route with beautiful scenery.
The runners could choose from four distances: the 42.2 km, a qualifier for the Comrades Marathon and Two Oceans, the 21km, 10km and 4.9km.
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This unique race took place in a Unesco World Heritage site – the Makhonjwa Mountains in Barberton. The race started in eSwatini and finished at Coronation Park, Barberton, traversing the picturesque Bulembu Pass, which spans both eSwatini and South Africa.
Over the past two years, the Barberton Makhonjwa Mountain Marathon has become a highly anticipated event, significantly boosting the local economy – accommodation in Barberton was fully booked.
The winner in the men’s marathon was Victor Kipkemei Chepkwony, and the women’s winner was Gladys Jepchirchir. The men’s half-marathon winner was Samuel Kalalei, and the first woman was Millicent Kemunto Nyaberi. The men’s 10km race winner was Siyabonga Ndlovu and the first women’s runner in this category was Nomvula Sithole.
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The marathon’s organising team is dedicated to community outreaches, including athlete development programmes, a school shoe initiative and a sanitary towel project in collaboration with GRIP. On Mandela Day, the team was involved in a project at Gugulethu Old Age Home in Elukwatini, painting the centre, donating wheelchairs and engaging the elderly to have them be active.
