The sun came out to play on Saturday July 27 as 146 runners, ranging in age from seven to 74 took to the marked course within the grounds of Kenton Primary School for the third and penultimate leg of the Ndlambe Cross Country Development and Schools League series for 2024. League co-ordinator Vuyo Nkayi said the event had been a success and everything had gone according to plan.
“The good thing is that we have seen growth in participation from the league’s beginnings,” Nkayi said. The popular series has become a good opportunity for athletes to prove their potential to selectors. “There’s the Sarah Baartman District schools cross country event on August 10 and the EP Athletics Cross Country Championships in Gqeberha on August 3. We have runners from the league who are selected to take part there,” Nkayi said.
The championships this weekend will take place on the St Alban’s Correctional Services Sports Ground in Gqeberha. The Ndlambe Cross Country Development and Schools League was piloted by EP Athletics in 2022, found its feet in 2023 and 2024 has established the programme as a valuable component of school and community sport in the region. It was established in partnership between EP Athletics development, running clubs and the local schools.
The league was created to uplift athletics as a sport in the area, and local schools have been staging it. This year, the first event was hosted by Port Alfred School and the second by El Shaddai Christian Academy. The final event, on August 17, will be hosted by Alexandria Christian Academy. EP Athletics provide logistical and technical support to the schools hosting the events, as well as time-keeping.
The race categories are: under 9 & 10 (boys/girls 2km); under 11&12 (boys/girls 3km); under 13 & 14 (boys/girls 4km); under 15 (boys/girls 4km); under 16/17 (boys 6km/girls 4km); under 18&19 (boys 8km/girls 6km) and open category (all ages).
The entry fee to participate in the events is R20 per person and the races start at 10am. Anyone aged seven to 74 is welcome to enter. For more info contact Vuyo Nkayi on 061-889-6376. For photos from the Kenton event, please visit the Talk of the Town Facebook page. More will be coming up soon on the Kenton and Bushmans.
• This article was first published in Talk of the Town, August 1, 2024. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays.
