Sat, 17 Jul
|Madiba's Qunu Home
35km Cycling Race
Cycling race. 35km MTB starting at Madiba`s Qunu home at 09h00 NO HELMET - NO RACE. Temporary licenses are provided at a fee. Cut off time is 3 hours. ENTRIES OPEN DECEMBER 2020
Time & Location
17 Jul 2021, 09:00
Madiba's Qunu Home, Qunu, 5105, South Africa
About the event
INTERESTING FACTS FROM THE ROUTE:
103km Start - Clarkebury Institution this is where his grand father Mandela was born in Clarkebury.
This is the school he attended for 2 years at the age of 16 in 1934.
He stayed with the school headmaster Rev. Harris in his first year at Clarkebury SSS
The classroom he was in is now a science lab.
One of his duties was to ring the school bell every morning.
Madiba also started the sport of long distance running in high school, a sport he was quoted as saying " it gives me discipline and solitariness" attributes he were to later use in his fight for inequality.
Mqhekezwen Landmark: following the passing of his father Chief Gadla Mandela, his mother Nosekeni Mandela took him to live with his uncle regent King Jongintaba Dalindyebo Mtirara at Mqhekezweni Great Place when he was 12 years old.
In 2018 it was recognised as a National Heritage site under current Chief Zanomthetho Mtirara (great grandson of regent King Jongintantaba)
The rondavel Madiba lived in with his cousin brother Justice (son of the regent King) at Mqhekezweni is still preserved and open to tourists.
The trees where the royal meetings and tribal courts were held are still preserved. This is where Madiba says he used to sit as a young boy and watch the proceedings of the tribal courts and learnt the principles of fairness and justice.
35km start Qunu Home - This is the village where he first attended schooling at the age of 7 and received the name Nelson from his teacher.
The home was built after his release from prison. It was built from the blue print of his Victor Verster prison
He is currently laid to rest at this home alongside his parents. The Nelson Mandela Museum is the exhibition building overlooking the tiny villages surrounding Qunu.
12km start Nelson Mandela School of Science - School in Mvezo , Madiba's birth village.
7km start Lewanika Makgatho Primary School - Formerly Mvezo Junior School (you may google info) a school in Madiba's birth village that is situated 3km from
his birth home (Mvezo Komkhulu).
Mvezo Komkhulu -A national heritage site is 3 km before finish line. This is the home where Madiba was born on 18 July 1918.
Athletes will run/cycle past this home on their way to the finishing line.