GCINIWE APPLAUDS GROWTH

MBABANE – The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Municipal Council of Mbabane (MCM), Gciniwe Fakudze, expressed her gratitude for the impressive turnout at the Mbabane Half Marathon. Fakudze made this announcement during the Mbabane Half Marathon race held this past Saturday, at the Prince of Wales Sports Ground. She noted a significant increase in participation for this year’s event.

turnout

“We are thrilled with the turnout of the race, which also coincided with Mbabane Day. We have experienced an improvement in participation; last year we had 1 200 runners, and this year we had between 1 400 and 1 500 athletes, which clearly reflects growth,” Fakudze stated. She further appreciated the public feedback, acknowledging that it demonstrates the community’s recognition of the event and their desire for its continued expansion. “We are pleased to see annual improvements and receive input on what participants would like to see and where we can enhance the event. Based on this feedback, we decided to separate the half marathon from Mbabane Day,” she added.

Moreover, Fakudze explained that it was prudent to incorporate additional sporting activities to cater to a broader audience. “We also introduced other sporting codes this year to engage individuals who prefer participating in various activities beyond athletics. We included netball, volleyball, basketball and boxing this time. Mbabane Sports Day is genuinely evolving, and we aim to emphasise this growth. Such events serve as a valuable test of our facilities, allowing us to identify areas needing improvement, such as the necessity for more restrooms and ensuring hygiene standards are maintained,” she narrated.

wellness

“Most importantly, this event promotes an agenda on wellness and encourages participation in races. With support from Athletics Eswatini (AE), we are able to discuss this event. It remains our aspiration to elevate this race to a full marathon of 42km; however, we need to increase participation numbers first. Mbabane presents a challenging terrain, and we aim to refine and enhance it further.” In her closing remarks, Fakudze thanked the public, sponsors, municipal councils, cyclists and police officers for their contributions to the event, ensuring safety throughout the race.

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