BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – The Mbabane Half Marathon proved to be impressive this past weekend, as 1 480 athletes showed up and participated in the event.
This was said by Municipal Council of Mbabane Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Gciniwe Fakudze, in a statement she issued today (Monday, November 25, 2024). The Mbabane Half Marathon and Mbabane Day took place this past Saturday (November 23, 2024). Fakudze said the attendance meant that there was growth in attendance of the event.
“Overall, a total of 1 480 athletes participated in the Mbabane Half Marathon, which was divided into five km, 10 km and 21 km races. This represents a 14 percent growth from the last edition of the race,” Fakudze said.
The CEO said she was absolutely thrilled to extend heartfelt thanks to all the participants, corporates, and residents who made the Mbabane Half Marathon and Mbabane Day a resounding success. “Your energy and enthusiasm lit up the event,” she said.
She congratulated all the winners in all the different sporting codes, stating that their dedication and hard work truly shone through and continued to grow the profile of the Mbabane Half Marathon and Mbabane Day.
The CEO did not forget the input made by the sponsors to ensure the success of the event. “We are very grateful to our anchor sponsor, MTN Fintech, for playing a starring role in delivering a vibrant and colourful event. We are also appreciative of the support from NTT Toyota, Swazi Plaza, Real Image, Eswatini Building Society Eclipse, Kev Couriers/ Sheer Energy Drink, EWSC – Ecowater, B3 Group, Eswatini Parking, Liberty Life, Tool Hire and others,” she stated.
Fakudze said for the first time this year, the Half- Marathon was complemented by five different sporting codes, namely golf, soccer, netball, basketball and boxing. She was humbled to note that these additional activities were well embraced, highly competitive and professionally run. As a Council, she said they were impressed by Corporate that joined the day’s festivities by exhibiting their services and also individual vending stalls all of which added to the buzz.
She said it was heartwarming to see children being entertained through games and activities, such as water slides, jumping castle, a Ferris Wheel and quad bikes. “On behalf of the Municipal Council of Mbabane, I also should thank the notable contributions made by Eswatini Athletics, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Royal Eswatini Police Services, Community Police, Health Service Providers, Cyclists, Volunteers, Marshals, associations and officials of the different sporting codes. Let’s keep this momentum going and aim even higher for next year,” Fakudze concluded.
