Marakele marathon a success! 

Thabazimbi – South African National Parks (SANParks) teamed up with the Marakele National Park to deliver the 12th successful long-distance running competition. 

The annual Marakele Marathon is fast becoming quite popular on the calendar of those who enjoy pushing themselves to the limit. 

The marathon was held on Saturday 7 March and attracted many participants. 

Professional long-distance runners were also among those who took part in the main 42.2km competition, which is also an official qualifying race for both the Comrades and Two Oceans marathons.  

Other participants also had the choice of competing in either the 5km fun run or the 10km half marathon. 

There was plenty of enjoyment, both for the competitors as well as those who watched from the side-lines.    

Runners competing in the 42.2km started at the gate of the park and had to follow a scenic route through the facility – which is only habitat of the Big Five but is also home to the second-largest colony of Cape Vultures in the world. 

This route took runners around the park and back to the gate, where they started off.  
Rangers were present throughout the route to keep runners safe and ensure they remained hydrated throughout the gruelling marathon. 

 Othaniel Phalaneemerged as the winner in the men’s race with a great time of 2:37:12 hours while Innocent Mavesere came out on top in the women’s race in 3:10:44 hours
A big thank you to all the sponsors for playing a key role in the success of the event.