Cape Town marathon adds elite wheelchair category with Ernst van Dyk as the ambassador

For the first time in its history, the Sanlam Cape Town marathon will include the elite wheelchair race category this year to its race set to take place in October.

The marathon organisers announced that they will be joined by the world champion, Paralympian, 10-time Boston Marathon wheelchair race winner, Ernst van Dyk, as their ambassador. General Manager, Barry van Blerk, said the organising team is honoured and excited to welcome Van Dyk as the elite wheelchair race ambassador and the elite wheelchair race category will add another layer of excitement. “Seeing the world’s best wheelchair athletes in action is truly something to behold, and local marathon fans are in for a treat. But even more important, we hope that this will expose young local para-athletes to a whole new world of possibility,” he said.

He added that while the addition of the elite wheelchair category is one of the criteria that needs to be met by the event to become an, it has been a long-time goal of the race organisers to create an environment for a more inclusive event. To ensure that the race runs smoothly, he said they are currently working closely with the City of Cape Town to enhance the marathon route.

Van Dyk said she is overjoyed that the wheelchair racing community will finally have an opportunity to participate on African soil, and she’s looking forward to show them how diverse and accessible the Mother City is. “It has always been my dream to help create a platform for South African and African wheelchair athletes to race against the world’s best, and the inclusion of the elite wheelchair category to the Cape Town Marathon will do just that,” she said.

South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Cape Town International Airport voted best airport in Africa, againCape Town International Airport voted best airport in Africa, again Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula has congratulated Cape Town International Airport after winning best airport in Africa accolade
Source: TheSAnews - 🏆 25. / 59 Read more »

Drone soccer taking off in Cape TownDrone soccer, first invented in South Korea, is now an official international sport of the World Air Sports Federation. I shall alert Hogwarts that they have competition.
Source: eNCA - 🏆 49. / 51 Read more »

BUILD-UP | Cape Town Stadium abuzz ahead of blockbuster URC final | SportBUILD-UP | URC final: Calm before the storm... gates open as fans flock in at Cape Town Stadium | Sport24news
Source: News24 - 🏆 4. / 80 Read more »

Cape Town areas without electricity due to maintenance next weekThese areas will be without electricity next week as the City of Cape Town continues necessary ongoing routine maintenance on the city’s electrical infrastructure:
Source: CapeTownEtc - 🏆 17. / 63 Read more »

WATCH | Cape Town residents mop up after a month's rainfall in one dayCape Town mayor Geordon Hill-Lewis said a month's rainfall hit the city in one day, leaving several areas waterlogged.
Source: TimesLIVE - 🏆 28. / 59 Read more »

Never miss a Cape Town moment: Our Top 10 stories of the weekThe stories this week were almost as wild as the weather here in the Mother City. As always, we're making sure you never miss a Cape Town moment. Here are our Top 10 stories of the week:
Source: CapeTownEtc - 🏆 17. / 63 Read more »