The third annual Kaya FM 67KM Relay for Nelson Mandela Day, held on Sunday 6 September 2015, was a resounding success, proving that everyday can indeed be a Mandela Day. The race started by the executive mayor Mpho Parks Tau with a total of 12 000 runners, each team ran five legs in pairs, and each runner ran 6.7km, totalling a distance of 67km per team.
The winners of the Kaya FM 67km Relay are:
- Team North-West University PUKKE
- Team Cool Running
- Team Monama Pharmacy
Managing director of Kaya FM, Greg Maloka, said “We as the Kaya FM team are excited that our third annual Kaya FM 67Km Relay turned out as well as it did. We changed the venue and the date, and we succeeded in proving that South Africans are making every day a Mandela Day. All proceeds raises were donated to the Nelson Mandela Foundation, who is the sole beneficiary of the event.
“We are grateful to all corporate teams for choosing to honour the memory of Madiba, by taking part in today,” said Moloka. “Because of your contribution, we have been able to donate such a substantial amount to the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Here’s to the man who gave of himself to ensure a better nation for all, and to the thousands who today, walked 6.7km in his shoes of selflessness,” he added.
Race organisers, GSE, gave the proceedings a big thumbs-up. “We introduced the new diamond change-over area and it was so much smoother and easier for one pair of runners to hand the baton over to the next pair. All our emergency units reported no serious injury or medical challenge, and we are glad to report that the Kaya FM 67km Relay 2015 went off without a hitch.”
The race included a 1.67km Family Fun Run, which celebrities like Dineo Ranaka and Thato Molamu and took part in. Other celebrities who ran the full relay for Madiba included a team from Native Rhythms (The Soil); celeb photographer – Anele Papu; Trek4Mandela trekkers and media personalities Gerri Elsdon and Penny Lebyane; Club 808’s Cyprian Ndlovu; and model-turned-actor Masego ‘Maps’ Maponyane.
The cast and crew from the soapie, 7 de Laan also took part, joining the Kaya FM Afropolitan presenter-family in running the relay. The race was preceded by a live music concert, where runners wound down to the sounds of Rhythm Sessions, MXO, Sliq Angel, DJ 1-D, and Max Hoba.
“An event of this nature would not have been remotely possible without the commitment and shared vision of our sponsors and partners,” said Linda Reddy, Kaya FM COO. In recognising the varying role of all the partners, Reddy expressed the combined thanks of both Kaya FM and the Nelson Mandela Foundation. “We are grateful to the City of Johannesburg, who shares the vision for an active and healthy lifestyle for residents of the metro. Thank you to executive mayor, Parks Tau for your commitment to this cause.
“To the JMPD and all JOC partners, we thank you for ensuring the complete safely of participants and spectators. To our new partner, Global Special Effects, thank you for outstanding thought and preparation in all logistics. To aQuella, our hydration partner – thank you for your team’s tirelessness throughout the day. And to all partners and supporters, you too have contributed to the legacy of a phenomenal man. Thank you.”
In 2016, the Kaya FM 67KM Relay for Mandela Day will once again be hosted at Nasrec Expo Centre, in commemoration of Madiba.
