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FIRST TIMER WINS 90TH PARKRUN

27/01/2019 11:05:00 BY PHOLSILE HLOPHE

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MBABANE – Eswatini Umbutfo Defence Force’s (EUDF) Saneliso Zwane won his first Parkrun yesterday.

He stunned 97 runners who attended the 90th Parkrun, completing 5km in 16:58 minutes. Last week’s parkrun champion, Swazi Slojos’ Sibusiso Shabangu eagerly pursued the champion to the finish line, arriving only five seconds later.
Finishing third and fourth were two more army athletes, Ntokozo Dlamini and Siyabonga Masuku, who fell through in 17:10minutes and 17:16minutes, respectively.
The champion said his first park run was fun and refreshing. He resolved to attend the weekly run and swore to invite more army athletes.

experience
“It was a fun experience for me and the weather was cool, which made it even more exciting. Next week I hope to bring more of my colleagues and hope to improve my finishing time,” said Zwane.
Swazi Slojos’ Gugu Mthembu was the first lady to cross the finish line, scanning her bar code in 23:59minutes, followed by first time park runner, Thobile Shabangu, who also made it a point to participate on a weekly basis. Mthembu, who has made a name for herself in the weekly run, said she was impressed with her finishing time which is improving with each week.

healthy

“Running is my sport of choice and it keeps me fit and healthy. Improving my finishing time is quite fulfilling and my target is to clock in within 20 minutes next week. I would also like to thank the organisors of this event for this fitness initiative,” said Mthembu.
The Mbabane Parkrun is a weekly event which starts at 7:45am every Saturday and is open to runners of all ages. Participation is free of charge.

The event organizer, Leon Drinkwater said he was impressed with the increasing number of runners each week because it shows that people are taking charge of their health through exercise.
“I would like to invite more people to join the Parkrun and also register before every run so that they can easily monitor their finishing time and be added in our data base. The Parkrun is definitely gaining momentum as we welcome new runners each week,” said Drinkwater.