The town of Nkandla in Zululand lies in the heart of the KwaZulu-Natal Battlefields Route and is surrounded by world renowned historical sites, but on Sunday August 18 the town will be the venue of a fight for the Nkandla Mayoral Race title.
The 10km and 5km road races which are based in the town will see a sprinkling of top athletes fighting for the victory and the R10 000 first prize that goes with the honour of victory.
The 10km event starts at the Vumanhlamvu Clinic and ends at the Nkandla Sports Ground in the town of Nkandla. The 5km starts midway along the 10km route on the road from Eshowe to Nkandla.
Sponsored by the Nkandla Municipality, this event takes place in the heart of Zululand in an area steeped in historical and ecological significance, as well as natural beauty. Runners will have the opportunity of running through some spectacular scenery during the event, and then can take in some world famous sites after their early-morning exertions.
According to the Nkandla Municipality website, the town “is situated in a remote area of breathtaking mountain beauty.”
“The area has a wealth of undisturbed forests which boast many indigenous species. Nkandla has a claim to be the ‘cradle’ of Zulu history from Malandela to Shaka, to Dingane and Cetshwayo, Nkandla has been at the centre stage of the Zulu nation’s history. The graves of Inkosi Sgananda and Cetshwayo are at Nkandla.
“Nkandla offers exquisite natural beauty (with) beautiful mountains, hills and indigenous forest with birding routes. Nkandla is a home of high-quality, world-class tea, monuments, traditional crafts, history, customs and religion.”
The racing up front in the 10km event is expected to match the significance of the area with some quality racing as the athletes battle it out for the R10 000 first prize for the top men and women. The second-placed finishers will earn R5 000 down to R1 000 for the fifth-place finishers in both the men’s and women’s categories. The top three juniors and winners in the various age classes will all also earn cash prizes.
Online entries are via www.webtickets.co.za or Pick n Pay outlets. The 10km starts at 8am and the 5km fun run sets off an hour later. Race registration and late entries are from 10am to 4.30pm on Saturday, August 17, at the Nkandla Municipality or from 5am to 7am on the morning of the race at the start venues.
The race is timed by FinishTime.
