Clearwater Mall and Panorama Running Club fill the streets with annual 10km spectacle
Ethel Sibanda and Windfried Mutiro win Open categories as well as King and Queen of the Mountain
Bodies bobbed and bright-coloured soles bounced as the streets of Strubens Valley and Little Falls filled with runners.
Clearwater Mall, in partnership with Panorama Running Club, held their annual 10km and 5km fun run to rapturous success on August 13. A total of 1 755 runners created a column of athletes that snaked up, down, in and around the streets of the idyllic suburbs.
Beginning at 07:00, a stream of joggers filled the left-hand extremity of Hendrik Potgieter Road before turning left into Fredenharry Road. From there is was suburban asphalt before the climbs that would determine the King and Queen of the Mountain titles. In the 10km showpiece, Ethel Sibanda’s 38 minutes 19 seconds made her the Open Women’s winner as well as the Queen, while Winfried Mutiro’s time of 31 minutes 39 seconds bagged himself the Open Men’s medal and the King crown.
In the junior female section, Hoërskool Monument’s Kaitlyn du Plessis came home with a time of 43 minutes 17 seconds followed by Hoërskool Noordheuwel’s Chanelle Axsel in 46 minutes 12 seconds. Categories existed for each age group with Maphuti Phaka’s 43 minutes 01 second, Ezna Flatter’s 47 minutes 46 seconds, and Elsabe Sheppard’s one hour six minutes and 20 seconds were good enough for the Vets, Masters and Grandmasters category winners, respectively.
In the male categories, Jaden de Wet was the quickest Junior with a time of 37 minutes 50 seconds while Omo Hlungwane won the Vets division in 34 minutes 03 seconds. Jacques Burger won the Masters category with a time of 42 minutes 30 seconds, and David Khoza clocked the best Grandmasters time. Each successful runner earned a cash prize to go with their commemorative medals.
“I would like to thank Jess Denner and her team, as well as the management of Clearwater Mall for making this event possible. This event has been around for almost 10 years now and is a favourite among the local and running community. To all the walkers and runners, we highly appreciate your participation and enthusiasm, and a special thank you to the Little Falls community for their understanding and patience during the event,” said Panorama Running Club chairman, Andrew Morrison-Young.
Thanking the sponsors as well as the administrative and logistical assistants, Morrison-Young added, “Without this team, this event would not be the success it was”.
Elated at the event’s triumphant turnout Denner, who is Clearwater Mall’s Marketing Manager said, “This event is a Clearwater Mall favourite, and we were so excited to bring it back this year. It was a fun morning spent with families from our community which is what we enjoy most. We are grateful to everyone who participated and we look forward to 2023, bigger and better.”
