With the official announcement of an elite wheelchair race for the 16 October marathon, Ernst van Dyk has joined the Cape Town Marathon as a race ambassador.
The Paralympian, world champion, and 10-time Boston Marathon wheelchair race winner, who has raced on the world stage for the past three decades, is thrilled to play his part to bring elite wheelchair racing to the African continent.
“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.
“I am overjoyed that my wheelchair racing family will finally have an opportunity to participate on African soil, and I am excited to show them how diverse and accessible the Mother City is. The world of para-athletics has evolved over the years, and we are now in a place where there is an appetite to see differently abled athletes in action.”
“The wheelchair race is fast and technical, so will start a few minutes before the elite runners for safety reasons,” Van Dyk adds.
Cape Town Marathon General Manager, Barry van Blerk, says that the organising team is honoured and excited to welcome Van Dyk as elite wheelchair race ambassador.
“As a world champion and Paralympian with decades’ of experience, Ernst is perfectly placed to help us ensure that the marathon course is primed to host the world’s best wheelchair athletes when we welcome them to the Mother City in October.
“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”
“The Cape Town Marathon race course is on par with the TCS New York City Marathon, so one can expect similar finish times of around 1:30:00.”
“The Cape Town Marathon already meets many of the requirements set by the Abbott World Marathon Majors, and the addition of the elite wheelchair race is an example of the exciting changes we are making to take our event to the next level,” Van Blerk continues.
“Achieving the status as an Abbott World Marathon Majors will be a fantastic boost for Cape Town, South Africa and Africa.”
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