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Balwin Properties launches Marathon Series, Four Races, Four Cities.

Tanika LaskeyNewsLeave a Comment on Balwin Properties launches Marathon Series, Four Races, Four Cities.

Road running receives R2 Million annual injection for the next 10 years with the launch of the Balwin Sport Marathon Series; and to top it you could win a fully furnished apartment worth R800k! 

Balwin Sport will be investing R2 million annually over the next 10 years as the title sponsor of four iconic races in South Africa, Jeppe, Cape Peninsula, Phobians Pretoria, and Dolphin Coast  marathons. All these marathons are Comrades qualifiers, with the first three races being Two Oceans Qualifiers. 

Balwin Properties, a developer that cares about environmentally responsible building practices and the delivery of high-quality apartments to its valued clients, has launched Balwin Sport, a division of the Group aimed at promoting a healthier lifestyle amongst its clients, staff, and all South Africans.

Steve Brookes, CEO and founder of Balwin commented, “Since the pandemic we’ve explored ways of promoting a healthier lifestyle amongst all South Africans. Through the careful re-allocation of existing marketing budgets, we were able to launch Balwin Sport, which will inject more than R2 million into South African road running annually, by becoming the title sponsor of some of the country’s oldest and most iconic marathons over the next 10 years.”

Road running legend Barry Holland – holder of a record 49 consecutive Comrades medals to date – and race director for Dolphin Coast Striders, has been appointed as the overall race co-ordinator for the series. “Road running is one of the most accessible sports and allows anyone, from weekend warriors to elite athletes to compete. I am very excited about the opportunities that Balwin Sport’s title sponsorship will unlock, not only in growing road running across the country but also in uncovering the potential top talent of the future through the respective clubs’ development work,” says Barry.

The first Balwin Sport-sponsored marathon kicks off on 11 February 2024 with the two-lapper Jeppe Marathon, followed by the Cape Peninsula Marathon on 18 February 2024, the Phobians Pretoria Marathon on 25 February 2024, and finally, the Dolphins Coast marathon on 17 March 2024.

All the title marathons are Comrades and Two Oceans Marathon qualifiers except for the Dolphin Coast marathon, where participants can only qualify for Comrades. The marathons are some of the country’s oldest, with the Cape Peninsula Marathon being run for the 56th time in 2024, having been founded by Celtic Harriers in 1964.

To further motivate participation, runners over any of the title event distances (5km, 10km, 21.1km, or 42.2km) could qualify to win a fully furnished Balwin apartment when they visit one of the developer’s show units after the races, with participants being given more than 7 months to boost their chances after the events.

Ryan Kalk, MD of Balwin Sport and Balwin National Sales Manager explained, “Our key objective is for people to participate and get healthy. Participants who enter and complete any distance on the day of the race and follow this up with a visit to any of our show apartments at our developments countrywide will stand a chance to win a fully furnished apartment to the value of R800,000.”

Bruce King of Jeppe Athletics Club says, “The Balwin Sport Jeppe Marathon is the first event in the series, but as a race it comes with a long 40-year history. We are looking forward to this tremendous new period in the race’s history. Balwin and Jeppe have a common ethos and we look forward to this becoming the marathon series of choice for runners.”

Glenn Muller of Celtic Harriers Running Club says, “The Cape Peninsula Marathon, hosted by Celtic Harriers is the oldest marathon in Cape Town and takes runners along an awesome route with the Atlantic Ocean a constant reminder of what a privilege it is to run this race. We are excited beyond words to have Balwin Properties as the title sponsor on board and their mantra of ‘Lifestyle Experience’ will elevate the Balwin Sport Peninsula Marathon to a must-do event where thousands of human stories of accomplishment can be interwoven into this iconic brand.”

Grahaeme Gertschof of Phobians Athletics Club says, “The Pretoria Marathon has been around for over 30 years, as one of the most prominent running events in the city. Hosted by Phobians Athletics Club, we want to grow the race to become a “big city” marathon – a nationally recognised, not-to-be-missed event on the running calendar.”

Under Armour Levels Up Menlyn Mall

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A New House. Under Armour Levels Up Menlyn Mall.

Bigger and Better than ever before, experience the latest in Innovative Apparel Technology with Under Armour’s Grand New Store Opening
 
Under Armour, the renowned athletic brand synonymous with innovation and high-tech performance footwear and apparel, proudly announces the exciting debut of its refreshed and reimagined store located at Menlyn Mall, Pretoria. The official unveiling took place on September 16th, ushering in a new era of athleticism, innovation, and community engagement.
 Under Armour is committed to empowering those who strive for more. The event commenced with a 5km run featuring a diverse group of Under Armour athletes, as well as a select group of high-profile guests who also had the opportunity to experience the latest in apparel offerings featured in Under Armour’s latest collections such as the Journey To Compete men and women’s collection – with particular focus on the high-impact bra for women and base layer for men. After the invigorating run, attendees had access to exclusive training pods, providing an immersive experience of Under Armour’s dedication to enhancing athletic performance.


Officiated by Head of Retail, Brent Venter, the grand store opening unveiled a ‘New House’ that showcased Under Armour’s new cutting-edge city concept. This new concept boasts a palette designed to reflect the Under Armour brand elements and embodies three specific design principles: Authentic, Strong and Active.

 “Not only are we focused on growing our distribution footprint but we are also challenging ourselves to show up significantly better in our existing doors. I’m really proud of the team who have brought this concept to life. I’m sure that you’ll agree that this new space optimises our efforts to inspire and delight our athletes with a powerful assortment of premium technical products to service their performance needs. We’re enjoying some excellent brand momentum at the moment. I’m excited to see our strategy playing out. More to come in the coming months,” states Darren Cooke, Managing Director of Brands, Ares Holdings (Pty) Ltd. 

The ‘New House’ plans are a testament to Under Armour’s rapid expansion across Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), since establishing a presence in the market just over a decade ago. Under Armour’s EMEA revenue at the end of its latest financial year is 60 per cent larger than pre-pandemic levels. This makes EMEA the fastest-growing Under Armour region globally, with a strong focus on South African team sport athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike.

In keeping with its focus and goal of helping athletes to level up, the final store concept features performance products across popular co-gender train and run collections such as RUSH, Iso-Chill, HOVR, FLOW, and many more. For Under Armour, every new store is an opportunity to push athletes further, showing them what it takes to be the best, as well as providing them with the best apparel to do just that.

Acknowledging his roots growing up in the rural town of Tweefontein, an hour’s drive from the capital Pretoria; Under Armour Athlete and Paralympian, Ntando Mahlangu took centre stage, alongside Blue Bulls Rugby Player, Mpilo Gumede, as Under Armour frontrunners at the grand opening – proud representatives unveiling the store’s rejuvenated design.

Under Armour believes in the transformative power of sport to unite, inspire, and change the world. For two decades, “Protect This House” has served as a rallying cry, instilling pride and determination in athletes worldwide. It represents the unwavering commitment to push limits, achieve greatness, and embrace the “we” mindset, fostering teamwork and mutual trust. Through the unveiling of the ‘New House’ Menlyn store, the brand hopes to remind their friends of the brand, Under Armour athletes and shoppers alike, of the sense of ‘team’ and generate a welcomed feel when they step into the store. 

Under Armour invites you to be part of this exceptional celebration of athleticism and innovation at the “New House” store in Menlyn Shopping Centre. 

Find us at Menlyn Mall Shopping Centre, Shop G173 Menlyn, Pretoria, and experience the future of athletic excellence.

 

Tshwane Confirms SPAR Grand Prix Expectations

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With her fourth consecutive win in the 2023 SPAR Grand Prix Series in Tshwane, two-time defending series champion Tadu Nare of Ethiopia wrapped up her third series win in a row. Meanwhile, the Tshwane leg of SPAR Women’s Challenge made a welcome return after its COVID-enforced hiatus, and thousands of women took to the roads for either a 10km or 5km outing.

Tourist in My Own Town

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When they talk about a scenic race with a stunning view, they normally don’t mean running straight up a skyscraper, but if it’s a view you’re after, then the Ponte Challenge is well worth the climb. It may not be specifically running-related, but it is an interesting fitness challenge, and in a quite iconic location in Joburg, for good measure. – By Juliana Ambrosi with Sean Falconer 

Long Wait Finally Over

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They say that if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again until you do. Well, Eugene Lekay must have that advice imprinted on his psyche, because the man who has started the Comrades Marathon 21 times in the last 25 years finally earned his 10th medal in 2023 and claimed his Comrades race number 17696 in perpetuity. This is his story of a quarter of a century journey to a Green Number, with numerous challenges along the way, but also a testament to one runner’s determination to achieve his goal. – By Sean Falconer 

What a World Champs! (Just not for South Africa…)

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The 2023 World Athletics Championships took place in Budapest, Hungary in the last week of August, and what an incredible meet it turned out to be! We saw nine days of World Records, Championship Records, Area Records, National Records, season bests and personal bests, watched enthralling competitions and incredible moments of sporting camaraderie, and basked in what was one of the best World Champs meets of all time. (OK, it wasn’t so good from a South African perspective, but that aside, it was a great meet.) Modern Athlete had two reporters at the event, courtesy of PUMA South Africa, doing daily coverage and interviews, and now it’s time for a look back at some of the highlights of wonderful week of athletics action. – By Sean Falconer & World Athletics 

Heat Slows Marathoners as Terrific World Champs Wrap Up

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South Africa’s men’s marathon team of Melikhaya Frans, Simon Sibeko and Tumelo Motlagale were the nation’s only athletes in action on the last day of the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on Sunday. Hopes were high that they could do well, after Frans finished 18th with a fast PB at the last World Championships in Oregon, but the Budapest heat took its toll on the trio.

All our World Championship coverage is proudly fuelled by PUMA South Africa.

Motlagale was the fastest on the day, finishing in 51st place in 2:22:14, with Sibeko the last runner to cross the finish in 60th in 2:31:59. Frans decided to withdraw from the race after 30km, and was one of a total of 23 athletes that failed to finish in the scorching conditions.

After the race, which was won by Uganda’s Victor Kiplangat in 2:08:53, Motlagale explained: “The conditions were very brutal, but we had to get to the end and finish the race. I started feeling [the heat] after 25km. It was pretty good at the start of the race, but after the 25 mark, that’s when it started to rise and we started feeling the heat.”

Speaking about the fact that the South Africans all ran their own races rather than working as a team, Motlagale added: “We did have a team talk towards the beginning of the race, but sometimes the race just unfolds [differently]… We don’t really train together, so during the race, the plan starts to scatter around, and everybody decides to go on their own plan. If we were together maybe two months or three months before, maybe the race plan could have been a bit different and we could have run as a team.”

After dropping out of the race around the 30km mark, Frans said: “It was so tough for me. The first 5km my body didn’t respond very well. I didn’t know what was happening, but I tried my best and I said to myself, no, I want to go to the finishing line.”

“After 30km my body was giving up and I told myself, this is enough, I can’t suffer… Let me not finish it, because I was really struggling. I wanted to finish the race, but I saw I was not running, I was walking. It’s like my inside was running, but my outside body was not running. Then I said, no, let me not finish it, because my body is not feeling well.”

With no South Africans competing in the final session on Sunday night, it meant the team finished a third consecutive World Athletics Championships with no medals. However, local fans of the sport were still treated to another scintillating day’s action, culminating with the Dutch taking a fantastic come-from-behind win in the women’s 4x400m relay, with Femke Bol going from a distant third to narrow first in a home straight sprint for the line as she anchored her team home. Jamaica had to settle for the silver medal, with the British team taking bronze.

This came after Bol had fallen just short of the line in the mixed 4x400m relay in the opening days of the World Champs, and lost the baton in the process, thus going from sprinting for the gold medal to not officially finishing the race. However, she bounced back strongly to take the gold medal in the 400m hurdles race, then claimed a second gold with the relay team, and her sheer joy after the last race of the meet seemed a fitting way to wrap up an incredible week’s action.

 

Watch All Our Athlete Interviews!

Our team on the ground at Budapest have been interviewing all South African athletes after their respective events. To get an inside view on their thoughts about their performances and the World Champs experience, click the button below!



Watch athlete interviews


Watch Day 9 Highlights

SA’s Relay Woes Continue as Duplantis Soars Again

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South Africa’s last shot at a medal on the track at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest went up in smoke as the men’s 4x100m relay team failed to complete their race in the showpiece final on Saturday night. There was a distinct sense of déjà vu, as a similar dropped baton scenario as the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 played out on the back stretch of the track.

All our World Championship coverage is proudly fuelled by PUMA South Africa.

This time it was the second changeover between Benjamin Richardson and Clarence Munyai that proved to be the problem, as Akani Simbine stood waiting on the home straight for the baton that never arrived. Explaining what happened, Munyai said: “It’s not nice obviously because we did quite well yesterday [in the heats], and coming into today, we were looking forward to competing.”

“Obviously, it’s my mistake, because I’m the senior guy and the change wasn’t good – he missed my hand, as my hand was moving. I was looking forward, so I didn’t see at the back, but I take the blame, it’s one of those things where it happens in sport, but you just have to bounce back and hopefully the next one we can put it together.”

Both the men’s and women’s 4x100m relay titles were won by the USA, with Noah Lyles anchoring the US men home and claiming a third gold medal to go with his winning efforts in the 100m and 200m finals. In the women’s team, Sha’Carrie Richardson added a second gold to her haul, having won the 100m and finished third in the 200m.

Earlier in the day, Irvette van Zyl “survived” the blisteringly hot conditions to finish the marathon in her first World Championship appearance. She crossed the line in 2:38:32, thus securing 45th place out of 77 starters. Having failed to finish two Olympic marathons and not even making the start of the third that she was supposed to compete in because of injury, just reaching the finish in Budapest was Van Zyl’s main mission on Saturday.

“It was just proving to myself today that I can,” she said after the race, which was won by Ethiopia’s Amane Beriso in 2:24:23. “I knew I wasn’t in the shape I wanted to be, but I just wanted to show to myself if I pitch up injury-free, I can cross the finish line. It was a bit of torture on the route, but I really enjoyed it. It’s a beautiful route, and overall I’m really pleased… I don’t think I had a plan today apart from survive and finish.”

Ischke Senekal’s best second-round throw of 16.20m in qualification was not enough to see her through to the women’s shot put final after finishing 32nd overall.

Without a doubt, one of the highlights of the day’s action was Mondo Duplantis winning the men’s pole vault, retaining the World Champs title he won in 2022 in the USA. He is thus still the reigning Olympic, World and World Indoor Champion. Having won the competition on the night in Budapest with a winning height of 6.10m, he asked the officials to push the bar up to 6.23m, so that he could try to improve his own World Record. His next three jumps saw him come very close to rewriting the record books yet again, but for now his World Outdoor Record of 6:21m and his World Indoor Record of 6.22m remain the highest marks jumped to date.

Watch All Our Athlete Interviews!

Our team on the ground at Budapest have been interviewing all South African athletes after their respective events. To get an inside view on their thoughts about their performances and the World Champs experience, click the button below!



Watch athlete interviews


Watch Day 8 Highlights