Weekend Witness Maritzburg Marathon and Half Marathon on Sunday 26 February 2012. Eileen Hall meets the mayor.
Already three foreign entrants have been identified with these folk making their way to Pietermaritzburg from Victoria, Canada; London, England and Mumbai in India.
Deputy Mayor of Pietermaritzburg, Thobani Zuma (left), Eileen Hall of the Weekend Witness Maritzburg Marathon and Half Marathon organising committee and Mayor of the KZN Capital, Chris Ndlela study the poster which has been circulated overseas and displayed in the 2011 fourth quarter issue of Distance Running, the official periodical of the Association of International Marathons and Distance Running. © Weekend Witness Maritzburg Marathon and Half Marathon
Deputy Mayor of Pietermaritzburg, Thobani Zuma, Eileen Hall of the Weekend Witness Maritzburg Marathon and Half Marathon organising committee and Mayor of the KZN Capital, Chris Ndlela study the poster which has been circulated overseas and displayed in the 2011 fourth quarter issue of Distance Running, the official periodical of the Association of International Marathons and Distance Running.
The Weekend Witness Maritzburg Marathon and Half Marathon, which is powered by Clover, take place on Sunday 26 February 2012. Entries are available on line, at Comrades House and in various sports shops. Entries for both distances close on Wednesday 8 February 2012.
The Indian entrant has an interesting history. At the age of 55, Anand Anantharaman first ran the Mumbai marathon. Soon followed marathon runs in Singapore, Hong Kong, Seattle and Dubai. Somewhere down the line he came to know there are more exotic runs than straight city runs. He has since run the Great Wall of China as well as the North Pole Marathon and around Ayers Rock in the Australian Outback.
Anantharaman has completed seven marathons on seven different continents and is now attempting six on six continents - BAREFOOT! He has selected the Weekend Witness Maritzburg Marathon and Half Marathon as his African marathon. You can find out more about this interesting character at http://www.barefootrunnersindia.org/about-us/anand-anantharaman
The Weekend Witness Maritzburg Marathon and Half Marathon attracts some 4000 entries annually and more Comrades runners use this marathon as their qualifier than any other race. It is also a Two Oceans qualifier.
It is the ideal opportunity to achieve a good time for seeding or to attempt "my first marathon or half marathon".
Although organised completely by volunteers in the truest sense of the word, the standard of organisation is comparable with the best on offer.
For further information and on line entries, visit www.pmb42.co.za.
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