The Southern Sun Waterfront Hotel hosted some of the country’s victorious captains at the Cape Times Captain’s Challenge Breakfast on Saturday.
Former Springbok rugby captain Francois Pienaar, former SA netball captain Zanele Mdodana, former Proteas captain Graeme Smith and former SA road-runner Blanche Moila accepted the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon Captain’s Challenge to participate in the race to raise funds for a number of charities.
They shared some of their favourite sporting moments and their reasons for participating in one of the world’s most beautiful, and gruelling, marathons.
Pienaar said: “I am so fortunate (because) tomorrow my number is Mr Mandela’s cell number and the one six is going to be bigger than the other sixes because he wore my six during the 1995 World Cup.”
Former SA long-distance champion Elana van Zyl-Meyer said the race will be the first International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) gold event - the highest and most stringent standard awarded by the IAAF - not only for South Africa, but for the continent.
“That is truly a dream come true to have a world-class event in South Africa with South African runners who can race with the best athletes in the world,” she said.
Former South African star athlete Blanche Moila said the marathon is a celebration of democracy.
“We have a young democracy and what a way to celebrate it and have a gold label marathon - The Sanlam Cape Town gold label marathon - in our Mother City. And, it is the first in Africa.
“It is going to be a flat and fast course so we expect some records from the men, and close times by the women,” Moila said.
Smith said, while he was participating for a good cause, he grew up in a family of athletes: “Both my parents have done the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, the Comrades Marathon, and various other things. Tomorrow I am going to tick one box they cannot have over me anymore.”
Independent Media Brand and Editorial executive Jermaine Craig said: “(We) are media partners of the event; titles like the Cape Times, the Cape Argus and the Daily Voice have been heavily involved in promoting this event.
"So far we have partnered with the hosts to launch the Captain’s Challenge Breakfast with the Cape Times - so you had incredible South African sports legends at the breakfast.
"And again a wonderful event that showcases what Francois, Zanele and Graeme are running for various charitable causes tomorrow.”