Runners are unfortunately prone to suffering overuse injuries, due to the repetitive nature of long distance running, and the fact that running places high-impact stress on your body. Fortunately, there are a few ways to prevent these injuries from happening. – By Sean falconer
For every ten minutes of movement logged by users on the adidas Running App, adidas is pledging to donate €1 – up to €1.5 million – between 10th and 22nd May.
Users can log time against over 100 sports including the likes of Handball, Zumba Fitness, Padel and many more.
Partnerships with Common Goal and the UN Climate Change Sports for Climate Action to support projects that offer sustainability education and help to make sports facilities more resilient against extreme weather
South Africa, May 2, 2024 – Today, adidas announces the return of Move For The Planet – its global initiative harnessing collective movement to create collective impact. adidas is calling on all athletes at every level across the world to track their physical activity across a variety of sports to raise money for projects in areas impacted by heat waves, flooding, and other extreme weather conditions.
Extreme weather conditions are having an increasing impact on the places people play and practice sport. From the neighbourhood pitches to global sports venues. Statistics reveal that by 2050, almost one-fourth of the English football league team’s stadiums (23 out of 92) are projected to be partially or completely flooded every year. Further research by the UN states that approximately half of former Winter Olympic host cities will likely be unable to host future games in the same timeframe.
In 2023, over a million people took part in the first year of Move For The Planet, with the leading activities for minutes recorded including running (63.1%), walking (17.9%) and cycling (9.2%).
This year adidas has expanded the initiative to include over 100 sports including Football, Kayaking, Jump Rope, Powerlifting and many more.
In 2024, for every ten minutes of movement logged on the adidas Running App between 10th – 22nd May, adidas will donate €1 – up to a total of €1.5 million. These funds will be used to help create real world change, through education on sustainability and the enhancement of facilities to make them more resilient against extreme weather conditions.
Ashley Czarnowski, Senior Director, Global Purpose Marketing at adidas said: “We’re excited to build on the success of the first year of Move for The Planet, which brought together a community of over one million people across the world.
This year people can record movement in over 100 sports and we are expanding the impact of the programme to include a new set of projects and initiatives. Whether it’s taking part at the grassroots or competing at the highest level, we all have a deep connection to the places we play. Together we can unite as a global sporting community to help some of those places, by making sports facilities more resilient to extreme weather conditions and providing education on sustainability.”
Common Goal is a global impact movement that aims to shift society towards a more sustainable and equitable future through sport – who unite Community organisations, athletes, clubs, brands and other stakeholders to collaborate towards the wellbeing of our people and planet.
Olivia Baston-Pitt, Senior Impact Sponsorship Manager at Common Goal said: “We’re thrilled that the Move For The Planet initiative is back for a second year. The success of last year meant we were able to increase the accessibility of sport for individuals who haven’t always had that privilege.
Take the Cancha Violeta sports space in San Pedro Xalostoc, Mexico, where we were able to support the installation of a brand-new multi-sport pitch and a drainage programme that collects water for the neighbouring grass pitch and garden.
Alongside Common Goal, adidas will also be supporting UN Climate Change – Sports for Climate Action to develop a series of training modules for sports and NGOs operating in the nexus of sport and development. The UN Climate Change is the United Nations entity tasked with supporting the global response to the threat of climate change. The partnership is centered on using sport to educate and engage communities on climate-related topics and sustainable practices.
The funds created by Move For The Planet will go towards creating publicly accessible training materials as well as the hosting of training sessions with networks of NGOs and other organisations to enable them to transform communities in the service of future for sport on a thriving planet.
For more information on how to join in or for more on the initiative itself, please visit https://www.adidas.co.za/sustainability.
By Karien Jonckheere
Rogail Joseph added her name to the list of automatic qualifiers for the Paris Olympics at the SA Athletics Championships in Pietermaritzburg last week.
But it wasn’t until she was called in for a dope test that she realised she had achieved the qualifying mark.
The 24-year-old finished second in the 400m hurdles behind Zeney Geldenhuys in a time of 54.84 which meant she’d dipped under the required 54.85 by one hundredth of a second.
That was well under the 55.39 she ran to take gold at the recent African Games in Ghana where she had the honour of securing South Africa’s 100th medal of the event.
It’s still sinking in that she’ll be packing her bags for Paris in around three months’ time.
“It’s still unbelievable for me to think that I’m an Olympian and I’m so proud of myself now I know that there is even more in store for me,” she told Modern Athlete.
Joseph said both she and her family were in tears after the race. “They were crying and my family can’t stop talking about it. They are really proud of me,” she explained.
Speaking about the race itself, the coaching science student explained: “It was one tough race and really competitive. It was one of the best races in my life and the first time I came so close with the first place [at senior nationals].”
Joseph did indeed push Geldenhuys for much of the race, with the winner being full of praise for her rivals.
“You can’t always just go into a race and think I’m going to run and win by 100 metres so it is very exciting to know that there are girls pushing me because without them it’s difficult to run great times,” said Geldenhuys.
“I think it’s great to know that the juniors are coming up and that the women’s 400m hurdles in South Africa is growing.
“They keep you on your toes because you know it’s anybody’s race… the race isn’t over until you’re over that finish line and it’s fun to know that it’s a fight.”
While Joseph grew up in Worcester in the Western Cape, where she described her community as a rough one where gangsterism is rife, she made the move to Potchefstroom to study and train and that’s made all the difference. While she admits to missing family and friends back home, she knows the move has been worth it to pursue her passion.
As for what the next few months hold, Joseph is headed to the World Athletics Relays in the Bahamas from 4-5 May, where the South Africans are looking to qualify their relay teams for the Olympics, and will then look to gain experience in Europe.
“The goal is to run a PB of 53.9,” she said. “I know it’s possible with God next to me.”
If you are a runner, I am sure that you have experienced that fear of missing out (FOMO) from missing a race at least once in your life. Well, let me tell you, I recently experienced FOMO level one hundred for this reason! – By Carla Farina
My wonderful experiences climbing and trekking in Pakistan in the 1990s had a major impact on my decision to take part in an organised running adventure in Pakistan, which is why I signed up for the Khunjerab Pass Marathon in 2019. Allow me to take you on a little trip down my running memory lane. – By Scott McIvor
At the beginning of March, after a massive lifestyle change and investment in my long-term health over the past two years, I tackled one of the greatest physical challenges I have yet attempted, the 4x4x48 Challenge, to raise funds to change the lives of kids with cerebral palsy. It turned out to be another life-changing experience for me as well. – By Mike Said
An intrepid group of South Africans recently jetted off to Sweden to take on the Ice Ultra, a five-day adventure on foot in the remote and hostile wilds of Lapland, above the Arctic Circle. With no experience of running in snow, it was always going to be huge challenge for the African runners, but running for a great cause and having each other for support got them to the finish line. – By Cordi Van Nekerk
Since its inception in 2019, For The Long Run in Fisantekraal, just outside Durbanville in the Western Cape, has been on a remarkable journey to help individuals become better humans, friends, parents, family members and colleagues, all through running. Christine Le Roux, who founded the non-profit organisation and running crew with husband Gerhard, explains how it all works.
The third edition of the annual Spartan Baby Badass Ultra (SBBU) will take place in Johannesburg towards the end of April, with runners attempting this incredible challenge in order to raise funds for CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation SA. Rob Riccardi, who has already earned two of the coveted SBBU finisher’s belt buckles, explains what the challenge is all about… and be warned, this story involves really hot chillis, fly-fishing snares, bagpipes and many, many cups of cement!
The recent SA 10km Championships delivered some fantastic performances, but also produced yet another case where our sport appeared to shoot itself in the foot! – By Norrie Williamson