Madibaz half-marathon course to produce fast and furious racing

A forgiving course will produce fast times for the 2,000 runners expected to tackle the fourth annual Bestmed Madibaz Half-Marathon and its supporting events in Gqeberha this weekend.

According to the organisers, three-time women’s race champion Refeloe Solomons has confirmed that she will be on the starting line to chase a clean sweep of titles on Saturday July 25.

She triumphed in 1:22:39 last year, and her form has been red-hot this season. Most recently, the middle-distance track specialist claimed the Volkswagen HealthCare 21,1km in 1:22:33.

Defending men’s champion Melikhaya Frans, runner-up in his event debut in 2024, took line honours in 1:05:34.

The road race, boosted by a new title sponsor, also features 10km and 5km distances.

The latter was added to the programme in 2025 to cater for novices, families and students eager to enjoy the sport.

It also aligns with Bestmed’s goal of inspiring ordinary people to make physical activity part of their wellness journey.

Sponsorship and CSI specialist Karen Pienaar emphasised that the decision to back athletics at the tertiary institution had been heavily rooted in reaching the wider Eastern Cape community.

Madibaz Athletics manager Bernard Petersen said earlier this week that the club had already processed more than 1,000 entries, a good indicator that it would reach its target.

All entrants start at the Madibaz Stadium and head towards the second traffic circle at the South Campus’s main entrance.

“We have an amazing race in store and look forward to welcoming everyone to our campus,” Petersen said.

“Be part of the experience.”

The feature and 10km events start at 7am while the 5km gets under way at 7.30am. The first 2,000 finishers each receive a race medal.

Entries cost R180 for the 21,1km, R120 for the 10km and R50 for the 5km.

Athletes (except those taking part in the 5km) not belonging to a club will be asked to pay R50 for a temporary licence.

A late-entry fee of R20 applies to those entering between 4pm and 7pm on Friday, July 24, and between 5.30am and 6.45am on race day at the Madibaz Indoor Centre. — Full Stop Communications

Enter on www.webtickets.co.za.