84 BRAVE COLD IN PARKRUN

MBABANE – The spine-chilling morning winter breeze could not hold them back. That is story of 84 daring runners who braved yesterday’s cold weather for the weekly timed 5km Mbabane Club Parkrun, which is increasingly gaining momentum. Having started with only 35 runners, the attendance has grown to a minimum of 80 participants each week.

Yesterday’s attendants included a team of dedicated volunteers who play a significant role in the organisation and success of the weekly event. Yesterday’s champion was Swazi Slojos athlete, Siyabonga Masuku, who clocked 17 minutes. He has a best record of 16:59 minutes and has completed 19 Parkruns. Finishing second was Nklosingathi Nkambule, who scanned his bar code after 17:14 minutes. Mduduzi Dlamini reached the winning point 20 seconds later.

The ladies were led by University of Eswatini (UNESWA) athlete Gcinile Magongo, who crossed the finish line in 24:29 minutes. The champion expressed her excitement after winning her first Parkrun, adding that it was a motivation to improve as she was preparing for the KwaMagogo 10km Race to be held in the next three weeks.

“I am very excited to have won first place. My next competition is in three weeks and I’m targeting a podium finish,” she said.

participation

 Meanwhile, the Parkrun is open to all members of the public and participation is free. The run starts at exactly 8am every Saturday at Mbabane Club. It leads the enthusiastic runners to the nearby Mbabane Golf Course. The run or walk is suitable for people of all ages.

The event is an initiative aimed at bringing people together with the purpose of promoting health and fitness through exercise. It is not a competition against each other but against time as runners get the chance to monitor and record their finishing time and set a new record. Most athletes use it as part of their training routine.

 This week’s volunteers, who contributed to the Parkrun’s success were Samuel Atemba, Petros Nkomo, Gohe Gebremariah, Rhona Healy, Nonhlanhla Makhanya, Bongi Maziya, Chris Morgan, Neil Robinson, Frankie William and Sebenzile Zwane.

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