The Cape Town Marathon’s bid for World Marathon Major status is tarnished by a viral incident involving former winner Sihle Mapukata leading the race, highlighting safety concerns and prompting calls for a lifetime ban from Nedbank Running Clubs. Picture: Ayanda Ndamane/Independent Media
Image: Ayanda Ndamane/ Independent Media
As the Cape Town Marathon bids to become a World Marathon Major, the viral video of the ‘rogue’ Nedbank runner who was not part of the elite men’s field leading the event inside the first two minutes does not paint a good picture.
The runner has been identified as Sihle Mapukata and he, in fact, won the Cape Town Marathon back in 2003 and 2004, long before the race held the esteem it does now.
The big issue now is not so much that 49-year-old Mapukata presumably started in the wrong seeding batch, but how he was allowed to get ahead of the elite group of runners.
As TV replays are limited, it’s not clear if he did indeed cross the start line, or if he simply started ahead and joined the race a couple of hundred metres along the course. IOL has attempted to contact Mapukata to find out his version of the events, but he has not yet responded.
The fact is, no runner should be able to do this as it’s a safety concern. The elites should not have to worry about the member of the public getting too close to them.
Most of the World Marathon Majors, like the races in London, Berlin, Boston, for example, do not have fencing keeping the runners separate from the public. However, in overcrowded areas on these routes, there is additional fencing to help ensure members of the public cannot get close to the participants by hopping the barricade.
An incident like the one at the Cape Town Marathon indicates that extra fencing is definitely needed near the start of the race so no runner can simply begin ahead of the start line and then join the race at a later stage.
Earlier in the week, Nick Bester, National Manager of the Nedbank Running Clubs, sent a letter to Nedbank Running Club Cape Town calling for Mapukata to receive a lifetime ban.
“This incident caused a lot of confusion and also put the Nedbank Running Club as well as Nike in disrespect by the audience and spectators.
“His race number also reflects that it’s not an Elite race number, but it was a batch race number who should have started way down the field.
“I would ask you to give him an interim suspension and urgently hold a hearing to understand if there is any mitigation for his actions which have brought the Nedbank Club into disrepute. Pending the results of this hearing, and assuming that there is no suitable mitigation, I would ask that Mr. Mapukata is suspended for life from NRC CT. I will also send this letter to all our Nedbank Running Clubs, national and international, to not allow Mr. Sihle Mapukata to become a member of a Nedbank Running Club in the future.”
* The views expressed are not necessarily the views of IOL or Independent Media.
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