CELEBRATING A VICTORIOUS YEAR

Having recently celebrated its first year of existence, the Murray & Roberts Running Club can look back on an outstanding first year of racing that delivered more than 100 wins and 250 podium positions and gold medals in all the major races in South Africa.

INSTANT SUCCESS
At the first official outing for the club at the Dis-Chem Half Marathon in Johannesburg in January 2019, Philani Buthelezi announced the arrival of the new club by winning the men’s title, with teammate Benedict Moeng finishing third. In the women’s race, Charne Bosman led a wave of Murray & Roberts athletes home to sweep up positions two to eight! On the same day, Nolene Conrad won the Nutribullet Bay to Bay 15km in the Cape, and a week later Kesa Moletsane finished first in the women’s 10km race at the SA
Cross Country Trials in Pretoria.

WOMEN SWEEP THE PENINSULA
In February the Murray & Roberts women’s team put on a display of dominance in the Cape Peninsula Marathon in Cape Town, with the first five positions going to the team, and a further two in the top 10. First home was Jenna Challenor, followed by Charne Bosman in second place (and first veteran), and Kerry-Ann Marshall rounded off the podium, with Mia Morrison fourth and Janie Grundling fifth. Finishing seventh was second veteran on the day, Ulrica Stander, to claim the Western Province Champs title in the process, and she was followed home by Salome Cooper (third veteran).

MIDDLE DISTANCE MEDALLISTS
Continuing his fine year, Philani Buthelezi won the national 10 000m title in April at the SA Senior Champs in Germiston. Two days later he lined up in the 5 000m and added a silver medal to his haul. Another Murray & Roberts silver medallist was Tumisang Monnatlala, who finished as runner-up in the men’s 3 000m steeplechase, while Kesa Molotsane, in her first race back in SA after representing the country at the World Cross Country Championships in March in Aarhus, Denmark, earned a bronze medal in the women’s 5 000m.

THE NEXT GENERATION
Athletes from the Murray & Roberts Vorentoe Running Academy raked in a number of medals at the SA Schools Championships in Port Elizabeth and the SA U18 and U20 Championships in Paarl, both held in March. This included national titles for Tshepo Ntuntwana (Boys’ U18 2 000m steeplechase), Lethabo Makgoga (Women’s U20 3 000m steeplechase) and Frans Matlala (Men’s U20 400m), and Dipuo Mashamaite (Women’s U20 5 000m).

GOLDRUSH AT COMRADES
The club made an impressive debut at the 2019 Comrades Marathon in June, with eight women in the top 20, several podium positions across the different categories, as well as first place in the women’s team competition and third place in both the elite and veteran men’s team competitions. The highlight of this was Jenna Challenor finishing sixth in the women’s race (and first KZN woman over the line), with Charne Bosman (eighth and first veteran) and Mary Khourie (10th) also claiming gold medals. Val Watson won the women’s grandmaster category.

VORIES RETAIN THEIR TITLE
At the annual North Vaal Cross Country meet in Pochefstroom in August, the Murray & Roberts Vorentoe Running Academy continued its mastery of this prestigious meet. Having won no less than 17 overall titles in the previous 18 years, the Vories youngsters weathered the early pressure from several strong schools to once again take the title for a record 18th time.

OUR FIRST WORLD CHAMPS ATHLETE
Having already represented SA at the 2015 Track and Field World Champs in Beijing, Benedict Moeng became the firstMurray & Roberts club member to make Team SA for the World Champs when he was selected to run the marathon in Doha, Qatar, at the end of September. With his personal best of 2:10:21, run in 2014 in Xiamen, China, Benny is one of just 21 SA men ever to post a time of 2:10 or faster for the marathon.

END OF YEAR AWARDS
In November, the club celebrated by holding its inaugural Annual Awards and top road, cross country and track performers, Kesa Molotsane and Philani Buthelezi (pictured), walked away with the 2019 female and male athlete of the year awards respectively.

THE GIFT OF MOVEMENT THROUGH THE TOPS AND TAGS INITIATIVE

The Tops and Tags initiative began in 2017 and encourages employees to collect plastic waste that would otherwise end up in landfills. For every 450kg of plastic collected, we are able to donate a wheelchair to an organisation that cares for patients with mobility challenges.

The Little Eden Society provides life-long care to approximately 300 children and adults with profound intellectual disability and was the recipient of our second wheelchair.

After several fittings, the wheelchair was given to Jabu from the Boitumelo Wing. Jabu was born in 1993 and has been at Little Eden since 1997. He is a happy child and loves to receive visitors. He loves cars and spends most of his time reading magazines and will call you to “come here” to look at the pictures with him.

Jabu was overwhelmed with his new wheelchair and had to be calmed down before being helped into his chair. The Tops and Tags campaign continues and while we may think nothing of throwing away plastic bottle tops and lids, for people like Jabu and the Little Eden Society, that piece of plastic makes a world of difference and brings enormous happiness.