Category: News

GAUTENG, PRETORIA – WARRIOR OCR events burst onto the scene in 2013, immediately spearheading the meteoric rise of obstacle course racing (OCR) in South Africa. Today, Toyota Warrior, powered by Reebok, remains at the forefront of OCR South Africa with world-class obstacles, innovative courses and over 4000 athletes competing, including many of the country’s top OCR competitors, who push their mental and physical limits with the aim to reach the pinnacle in their sport, to gain respect and recognition, to take them onto the world stage.

In support of the continued growth of the South African OCR community, Advendurance and Toyota Warrior have created an athlete programme, providing a platform for athletes to grow and develop to their full potential.

Thomas van Tonder is arguably one of South Africa’s top OCR athletes and a household name in the South African and International OCR community, so it is no surprise that Toyota Warrior have selected him as their first Warrior Brand Ambassador.

Thomas started racing OCR in 2014. He took up training with Warrior Fit Coaching on an OCR specific programme, which led him to straight victories back to back. It was clear that OCR was his sport and he has never looked back.

Max Cluer, founder/manager of Jeep Team South Africa, spotted van Tonder’s talent early on and invited him to join the Jeep Team. Van Tonder became teammates with the likes of paddling legend, ten-times World Marathon Champion, Hank McGregor, trail running champion, Christiaan Greyling, and World Multisport Champion, Robyn Owen.

Fast forward to 2018, and van Tonder’s pedigree is clear to see. Competing at the highest level in OCR for four years, his scoresheet is impressive and consistent.

Amongst many other wins, van Tonder has won 16 Warrior Black Ops Elite titles, placed second in 18 races and one third place. He won the National Championship and Series Championship in 2016 and was runner up in 2017. Van Tonder has also won all 14 of the Beast OCR elite titles since The Beast’s inception.

Internationally, Thomas has also competed in four OCR World Championships, placing Top 10 in three of them and a Top 20 finish in 2016.

Thomas will make an outstanding WARRIOR Ambassador, embodying the values of excellence, friendship and respect, and displaying commitment to giving back to the sport he loves, by setting a good example for the next generation.

Says Fritz Pienaar, co-owner of the WARRIOR Series, “Thomas is an important compass to all new athletes on the OCR scene. He is a true professional who is well-respected both locally and internationally. We want to build meaningful relationships that benefit both the athletes and the Warrior Race.”

Van Tonder will be the first Warrior Athlete in the programme with his eyes set on the first South African OCR Championship happening at Blythedale Coastal Estate on the KZN North Coast on the 14th and 15th July 2018, and future OCR World Championships.

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For more information or to enter, visit www.warrior.co.za.
See this release online – https://warrior.co.za/warrior-announces-first-brand-ambassador/
Link to Thomas van Tonder’s sport bio: https://warrior.co.za/warrior-ambassador/
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Written and distributed by Hot Salsa Media on behalf of Advendurance.
Images and Enquiries to [email protected]
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Editors Notes
Toyota Warrior Race 2018 Dates:

Warrior 5 14 – 15 July Blythedale, KwaZulu-Natal (SA OCR Championship)
Warrior 6 11 August Nelspruit, Mpumalanga
Warrior 7 20 – 21 October Meerendal Wine Estate, Cape Town, Western Cape
Warrior 8 24 – 25 November Tierpoort Adventure Farm, Pretoria, Gauteng

Toyota WARRIOR, powered by Reebok, is back with mud and obstacles built to sustain and delight the thousands of athletes, large and small, tall and short, thin and large that are ready to challenge themselves having fun building better humans.

The event calls adventure seekers from all walks of life – whether a weekend WARRIOR or an elite athlete hoping to snatch up the series title. With a Rookie, Commando, and Black Ops category on offer, WARRIOR has something for everyone.

For the first time in the popular series there will be an escape route for those who don’t find the idea of mud particularly appealing. Instead of diving into the infamous Mud Monster, participants will have the option of taking a penalty loop that will take them the same amount of time to complete. The ‘mudless’ option will not be made available to any Elite athletes, however.

Adventure seekers looking for some extra high-speed excitement have the option of entering the popular Reebok Sprint Race.

A specifically designed children’s obstacle course will be available for little adventurers, as well as a WARRIOR Kids Zone under the supervision of child-minders.

There are some exciting things in store at the 2018 TOYOTA WARRIOR SERIES, powered by Reebok:
• You can choose your own batch start times again, so enter soon to choose the batch you prefer.
• The theme for 2018 is M?ori Warrior, so expect to see a lot of tattoos and funky designs
• In 2018 the Mud Monster will not be compulsory, non-Elites can do a penalty loop and skip the mud
• Sprint Race: we have changed the Sprint Race format to make it more exciting and involve more age categories.
• Two one-day action packed events added in Bloemfontein and Nelspruit
• Warrior is going International! On 24 March 2018 we will be hosting a Toyota Warrior event in Windhoek, Namibia. Entries opening soon!

“The mountains are calling, and I must go.”
– John Muir

KWAZULU-NATAL, DRAKENSBERG – All good stories have an adventure at their core. Conceptualised by the owner of the Cathedral Peak Hotel, William Van Der Riet, the Cathedral Peak Challenge is not a call to beat or overcome the mountain; it is an invitation to reconnect with the wilderness in its purest form. Go on an adventure into the great outdoors. Challenge yourself on the trail to the top of Cathedral Peak and back down again.

Over a distance of 20km with a total ascent of 1531m to summit highest free- standing peak in the Drakensberg, at an altitude of 3005m, the Cathedral Peak Challenge requires you to be at your best and your bravest, every step of the way.

The 8th of June 2018 marked the first official run for the money – those quickest to the top and back have a chance to share in cash prizes totalling R100 000.

All 38 of the entrants made it to the start line and completed the daunting challenge to try and bag a healthy R25 000 for the fastest male, female and mixed team of 2.
Some of the big names to set their mark on the Challenge included top trail runners Mlungisi Mazibuko, Perfect Dlamini, Jeannie Dreyer, and Christiaan Greyling and Landie Greyling; top OCR athletes Thomas van Tonder, Dominique D’Olivera, Sabrina Daolio and JP Mare; top triathletes Matthew Holden, Michael Ferreira, Michael Lord and Hayden Corke; as well as Mrs South Africa 2018, Nicole Capper, seven-time Dusi winner and founder of the Change a Life Academy, Martin Dreyer, and Angela Yeung from Trek for Mandela 2018.

Make no mistake; this challenge is not for your average Joe. If you think it will be a Sunday afternoon stroll in the park, think again. A high degree of physical and mental fitness is required if you decide to #ChallengeYourself.

Christiaan Greyling had his work cut out with a late surge from Mlungisi Mazibuko who made a final sprint to the line, which Greyling won in a time of 2 hours 29 minutes and 52 seconds, only 8 seconds ahead of Mazibuko, setting a new course record, which was held by Megan Mackenzie with a time of 2 hours and 53 minutes.

In the ladies’ race, it was one-way traffic for trail runner Jeannie Dreyer, who completed the challenge in a time of 3 hours and 19 minutes, 26 minutes shy of Megan Mackenzie course benchmark set on 10 May during the route launch.

Elite Obstacle Course Racer, Sabrina Daolio came in second, 47 minutes behind Dreyer. The third lady home was Landie Greyling in a time of 4 hours and 8 minutes.

Top of the men’s leaderboard so far, Christiaan Greyling, comments, “What a beautiful experience. It’s something I would recommend to everyone and anyone. Everyone should challenge themselves on this race. It’s hard to explain all the emotions you experience on this mountain. It brings you closer to nature, draws out raw human emotion as you push your limits, but you will never regret it.”

The next date to keep in mind will be 18 July 2018, when a bonus race has been made available in celebration of Mandela Day, after which the series resumes on 28 July, 25 August and 22 September in one of South Africa’s most beautiful regions. These dates are supported race days to the summit, while the Mini Challenge, on unsupported days, follows the course to the base camp of the peak and can be completed at any time before the final day of The Challenge.

Singles can enter for only R250 and teams may enter at R400 per team. Have the chance to beat the best of the best and claim the R25 000 cash prize at the end of the series, for the fastest mixed team, male or female. Participants are welcome to enter again and again and challenge themselves to better their times, until The Challenge’s final day on 30 September – #ChallengeYourself.

While one does not have to stay at the Cathedral Peak Hotel to race, participants that do will receive a 25% discount for the duration of their stay while running the challenge, allowing those brave souls to not only challenge their limits but to renew their souls at this outstanding resort with all its amazing facilities.

Do you have what it takes to #ChallengeYourself?

For more information, and to register, go to www.cathedralpeak.co.za/challenge/
Follow the Cathedral Peak Hotel on:
FACEBOOK – @CathedralPeakHotel
TWITTER – @cathedralpeakhotel
——ENDS——

This June marks five years that Discovery Vitality has been a headline sponsor of parkrun SA. That’s five years of helping Vitality members become more youthful through healthier living.

Over the past five years the number of Vitality members signing up for parkruns has continued to grow, and between 2013 and 2017 Discovery Vitality members ran 9.9 million kilometers at parkruns around the country.

“Our aim of the partnership with parkrun is to build healthier communities one weekend run at a time. Running does wonders in improving not only physical wellbeing, but also mental wellbeing. We at Vitality have seen how effective running is as a stepping stone to other healthy lifestyle behaviour changes, both at an individual and at a community level,” says Dr Craig Nossel, head of Vitality Wellness at Discovery Vitality.

A recent paper titled Running as a Key Lifestyle Medicine for Longevity indicates that runners have a 30%-50% reduced risk of cancer related mortality, and a 45%-70% lower risk of cardiovascular related mortality, compared to non-runners.

Here are five reasons why running is great for you:

1. Runners live longer: The study found that after adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, alcohol consumption, socioeconomic variables, body mass index, and other types of physical activity, runners have 25% to 40% lower risk over non-runners of death by any cause.
2. Runners are far less at risk of cancer and heart disease: Those who run regularly have a 30% to 50% reduced risk of cancer-related mortality, and a 45% to 70% lower risk of death related to cardiovascular disease (CVD), compared to non-runners. If all non-runners became runners in this population, 16% of deaths by any cause and 25% of CVD mortality deaths would be prevented in the context of population-mortality burden.
3. Running is also good for your mental health: There's additional evidence that running can protect against mortality resulting from neurological conditions, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Physical activity has been found to improve cognitive function and reduce depressive symptoms, potentially lowering mortality related to some neurological or psychiatric conditions.
4. It's better than other sports at keeping you slim: Running may confer superior benefits over other types of vigorous-intensity physical activity, since it is more strongly associated with lower body weights and smaller waist circumferences.
5. Runners tend to practice other healthy habits: Runners also tend to engage in other healthy behaviours that contribute to their increased longevity, such as maintaining a normal body weight, not smoking, and consuming light-to moderate amounts of alcohol.

“Running is cost effective and is accessible to people of all ages and fitness levels and a great way to work your heart and leg muscles. All you need is a comfortable pair of running shoes and you are good to go. We encourage everyone to run their way to good health and if you are a Vitality member, you can get rewarded for it every week with Vitality Active Rewards. A big thank you to families in and around the Delta Park area who joined us for the 5th birthday celebration run at Delta Park on Saturday June 16th,” concluded Nossel.

So don’t you think it’s time you and your family got in on the parkrun action? It’s simple, just find an event near you, sign up for parkrun, link your profile and get running! Be one of 50 000 people running or walking parkrun each Saturday morning at 143 events around the country. Vitality members earn up to 300 Vitality points for completing a parkrun and scanning their barcode at the finish line.

In an unprecedented move, the Diacore Gaborone Marathon kicks off the year with a ground-breaking reward, calling on the fastest runners worldwide! It is with great enthusiasm that we announce that 1 million pula (US$100,000) will be up for grabs for the first runner to complete the 42.2km marathon in under 2 hours and 08 minutes.

This is a monumental move as it will not only put the current Diacore Gaborone Marathon 42.2km record of 2 hours and 17 minutes into contention but is also sure to attract elite runners from across the world. In continuing in its efforts to not only bolster tourism by positioning Botswana as the host of one of the premier sporting events in the region, the Diacore Gaborone Marathon has offered young Batswana athletes an opportunity that has never been seen on our shores.

The event is entering its 7th year having proudly achieved the following:

o Contribution to GDP – pula 109 million
o Social investment – pula 5 million
o Significant Development (or CSI) Initiatives connected to the Event (Pula 1 million per annum for last 3 years to charity)
o Increased awareness of Gaborone & Botswana’s tourism offering in the way of Increased visitors & media exposure
o Training and transformation of workforce
o Support to and potential to grow small businesses
o General public wellbeing – priceless!

The Diacore Gaborone Marathon running program, which hosts 10 elite long distance runners, has proven without a shadow of a doubt that our nation has a treasure trove of world-class athletes. Having conquered races both locally and regionally, it is time to welcome foreign athletes and challenge them in a historic race that will be remembered as a significant milestone in African sports. What’s more, all proceeds from the 2018 event, as in previous years, will be donated to charity, truly making this Botswana’s finest hour.

Registration for the 2018 event, to be held on May 13, is currently open on www.diacoregaboronemarathon.com.

The Diacore Gaborone Marathon thanks our proud and loyal sponsors: Diacore, Stanbic Bank, Mascom, Gemmological Institute of America (GIA), Sefalana, Botho University, Grand Palm Hotel and Casino Resort and broadcast sponsor Yarona FM.

Contact: Thabo Makgato
Telephone: +267 715 099 06
[email protected]
www.diacoregaboronemarathon.com

About Diacore: Title Sponsor Diacore, a multinational diamond company, has diversified interests in the diamond industry providing rough and polished diamonds to customers around the world. The company has manufacturing facilities in Botswana, South Africa, Namibia and New York and has established its leadership in crafting rare, exceptional diamonds as well as unique high-end jewelry. The main administrative office of Diacore is based in Johannesburg, South Africa, with a global presence in Antwerp, London, New York, Tel Aviv, Dubai, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Gaborone and Windhoek.
www.diacore.com

About PGM Foundation PGM is a charitable organization whose mission is to empower young people through our sporting events in Botswana. PGM strives to give talented and determined Batswana the tools succeed by providing a wide platform to build local capacity for sporting events that meets international standards. PGM launched the Gaborone City Marathon as its first flagship event in 2010. The event has since been named Diacore Gaborone Marathon (DGM), after its Title Sponsor. DGM is the country’s largest running for charity event an important qualifier for major international races in which Botswana and international athletes participate. DGM is AIMS certified and IAAF affiliated.

RUNZONE 100 – HISTORY / BACKGROUND
Founder Members
These two Karoo boys who have known each other for over 45 years (attended Union High School in Graaff-Reinet from Sub.A to Matric) and share the same passion for running have decided to form a running recognition club for mainly South African runner’s who have achieved 100 ultra’s / marathons, but also include various other stages in a runner’s journey for all to be part of.
Gavin is a renowned International Banker who manages to fit running, cycling & swimming into his hectic work schedule. Included in his more than 100 ultra’s / marathons are: The 7 – Continents (Africa, Asia, North America, South America, Europe, Australia & Antarctic) 6 – Majors (New York, Berlin, Chicago, Boston, London & Tokyo Marathons) , Comrades , Two Oceans Ultra , Ironman & Argus Cycle.
Mike is a primary school Physical Education specialist and Sport Administrator. Included in his 100 ultra’s / marathons are: Buffs Marathon, Two Oceans Ultra, Comrades, Washie 100 Miler and holds Permanent Number in all of them.
Although living on different continents Gavin and Mike remain in touch regularly and meet up annually for runs where they have formed even further greater memories journeying on the road together.
ABOUT RUNZONE 100
The Runzone 100 concept is new to S.A but internationally there are numerous other 100 marathon clubs. The Runzone 100 Club was formed mainly to give recognition / rewards & initially some limited memorabilia to the achiever of 100 ultra’s / marathons with various categories to include all those involved in running, without leaving their own specific running clubs.

JOINING CATEGORIES AND FEES (page 1)
1. Supporter – free to belong to the RUNZONE 100 facebook group and if the demand is great enough then some sort of supporter’s shirt can be done at a cost to those interested. (family and friends who are non-runner’s but support the runners craze fully).

2. Challenger – free to belong to the RUNZONE 100 facebook group and if the demand is great enough then some sort of challenger memorabilia can be done at a cost to those interested. (runner’s who are content with lesser distances, but their achievement is just as great, or aiming to do their first ultra / marathon).

3. Contender – free to belong to the RUNZONE 100 facebook group and if the demand is great enough then some sort of contender memorabilia can be done at a cost to those interested. In this category there are also two joining categories : (a) Partial membership if achieved 1 – 49 ultra’s / marathons. R150.00 once off fee and if done 10 (Red Status) or 25 (Blue Status). Then a certificate and badge for the first category will be provided free on joining, after that the member may purchase further badges on completion. (b) Associative membership if achieved 50 – 99 ultra’s / marathons. R150.00 once off fee and if done 50 (Bronze Status) or 75 (Silver Status). Then a certificate and badge for the first category will be provided free on joining, after that the member may purchase further badges on completion. When moving from one membership to the next then just the difference would be the payment.

JOINING CATEGORIES AND FEES (page 2)
4. Finisher – free to belong to the RUNZONE 100 facebook group and if the demand is great enough then some sort of Finisher memorabilia can be done at a cost to those interested. Full membership if achieved 100 ultra’s / marathons. R300.00 once off fee (Gold Status). Then a certificate, badge, beanie, licence & bumper sticker for the 100 ultra’s / marathons will be provided free on joining, after that the member may purchase further badges on completion. Only full members may where the official RUNZONE 100 Club Finisher badges or memorabilia. A medal is at present being designed which can be purchased, the cost will be known at a later stage on the facebook group. Other memorabilia that is been planned for is a jacket, hoodie, cap, togbag and vest.

Yours in Running
Gavin Opperman & Mike Morgan

After over a year of planning, the 2018 Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon is set to take place on 31 March in Cape Town, in spite of the drought in the Western Cape and the imminent likelihood of the city reaching Day Zero early in April and the taps running dry.

In a statement released 25 January, the organisers of the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon say that as one of the City of Cape Town’s premier events, the ongoing severe drought has presented a harsh reality for the event, its stakeholders and participants.

“We are aware of the concerns voiced by worried citizens, and we take saving water – and the event’s overall water impact on the City – incredibly seriously. We have been, and still are working closely with the City of Cape Town and its disaster management team, as well as our sponsors, to put the appropriate provisions and solutions in place for the 49th OMTOM event, as part of a very comprehensive water management plan.

We can confirm the following solutions in the meantime:
1. No municipal water will be used for any of our events.
2. There will be no showers at the Finish.
3. There will be refill stations available for hydration pack users – and we encourage all runners to be as self-sufficient as possible.
4. We are reducing the number of refreshment stations, while still being well within the range – more than the limit, in fact – of IAAF / ASA water point regulations.

We understand that Capetonians are worried, especially since approximately half of the entry field are from outside of the Cape Town Metropole. However, we are also required to consider the economic boost for the City (over R675-million, together with thousands of jobs being created during this time) and the charities that partner with the event (over R3-million is raised every year).

It is also important to consider that Cape Town welcomes thousands of visitors from across the globe on a daily basis – not just during major events like the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon – who play a vital role in the economic growth of the City.

A formal announcement detailing all our interventions will be made as soon as we have concluded our agreements with the relevant role-players. While we are working hard behind the scenes to finalise these details, we as fellow Capetonians remain fully committed to saving water and use less than our allocated 50 litres per person per day.

Through our close collaboration with the City and relevant stakeholders, we pledge to host the event responsibly and not impact negatively on our scarce resources.”

Runners can visit www.twooceansmarathon.org.za for more information. Alternatively they can contact the entries team at [email protected] or 087 740 5260.

With the original entry cap of 20-thousand for the 2018 Comrades Marathon having been reached last night, due to unprecedented demand, the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) Board has decided to increase the entry cap to 21,500.

This applies to both online and manual entries. The decision is in line with the CMA’s Runners First initiative, aimed at being an all-inclusive sporting event and in order to cater to those athletes who were not expecting such an early closure of the entry process.

The original entry process was intended to run from 1 September to 30 November up until such time as the 20,000 cap was reached. CMA Race Director, Rowyn James has advised that entries have never been taken up as quickly as they have been this year. “We have decided to extend the entry process to include 1500 more entries for next year’s Down Run. This decision has been taken with due consideration of the integrity of the event and the safety and wellbeing of participants. Those runners who have entered the race in time will still get to enjoy an ultimate race day experience.”

James adds, “The major attraction for next year’s event being the finish at the iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium offers world class facilities for our runners as well as stringent safety requirements. That has been a top priority for the CMA.”

Please visit www.comrades.com for more information.

Just days after announcing their title sponsorship of the Colin Mayer Tour mountain bike stage race in Mauritius in October, Grit Real Estate Income Group (GRIT) announced its sponsorship of the 4th annual Oakley X-Over event, powered by Sharp, cementing the GRIT brand firmly within the family sporting community in Mauritius and South Africa.

The popular, 2-day Oakley X-Over sports-celebrity event took place 20-21 July as part of the J-Bay Winterfest and comprised three vastly different disciplines – a 15km mountain bike race, a surfing contest, and 9-holes of golf.

This year’s sporting celebrities was a star-studded list of Who’s Who in Sport – Jean De Villiers, Dale Steyn, Greg Minnaar, John Smit, Jordy Smith, Ryan Sandes, Garreth McLellan, Giniel De Villiers, Raynard Tissink, Ruan de Smidt, Lance Isaacs, Nick de Wit, Kerim Fitzgerald, Butch James, Seabelo Senatla, Tonderai Chavhanga, Australian wildcard, Tom Whitaker, and radio and TV personality, Ryan O’Connor.

In the mountain bike race, multiple Downhill Mountain Bike World Champ, Greg Minnaar, rode into the lead to stay ahead of last year’s overall winner, Raynard Tissink, with Giniel De Villiers finishing in third.

The surf event held at Kitchen Windows was unsurprisingly won by Australian surfer, Tom Whitaker. He put on an innovative display in the Kitchen Windows surf, defeating Dale Steyn and Greg Minnaar, who finished second and third respectively.

In the last event, the X-Over Golf Tournament at the Links Golf Course, South African golfer, Ruan De Smidt, took the win ahead of Butch James and Garreth McLellan, aka Soldier Boy, MMA’s favourite champion.

Once the final tally was calculated, Greg Minnaar was crowned the overall winner of the 2017 Oakley X-Over. The competition runner-up was former South African rugby player, Butch James, and third place went to ex-Springbok captain, John Smit.

Said GRIT Director, and former pro-surfer, Greg Pearson, “This brand association was perfect for GRIT. Here were the toughest sporting individuals in the world taking on each other in disciplines other than their own, and fighting to the end. Similarly, as a company, we compete in the toughest industry and go to war every day for our clients, challenging beliefs on what is possible, proving it’s not what you do that counts but who you are that makes the difference. And we are the best. It takes guts, resilience, initiative and tenacity to succeed – real grit!”

Recently, Grit Real Estate Income Group rebranded from Mara Delta to better reflect the current and future growth ambitions of the Company.

The new brand positioning captures the Group’s entrepreneurial and determined spirit, and its ambitions for growth in Africa while entrenching international appeal and stature. Grit has experienced substantial growth over the last few years, having recently paid its sixth consecutive distribution and has set even bolder growth ambitions for the near future, including listing on the London Stock Exchange.

“The Oakley X-Over Celebrity Challenge strongly aligns with our motto of ‘work hard and play hard’ and we are very excited to be associated with the event,” comments Pearson.

The J-Bay Winterfest took place from 12-23 July, and comprises the Oakley X-Over, the Corona Open J-Bay World Surf League Championship Tour event, the J-Bay Loggers Classic surf contest, the Endurade J-BayX Trail Run, the J-Bay Wind Farm MTB Classic, the Coldwater Classic open-water swim, fishing, kite festival, motocross and more.

About Grit Real Estate Income Group

Grit is the largest and only pan-African focused real estate income group listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and the Stock Exchange of Mauritius.

The Company focuses exclusively on real estate assets on the continent (excluding South Africa), underpinned by US Dollar and Euro denominated long-term leases with high quality tenants, delivering strong sustainable income.

Grit manages in excess of US$ 600 million worth of assets (post transfer of current acquisitions) with access to numerous acquisition opportunities. These include a strong pipeline of quality assets in Mauritius, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, Morocco and others.

The Company’s immediate strategy is to consolidate opportunities within current countries of operation before expanding into other geographies.

www.grit.group

The fight against doping in sport will continue to be robust in spite of full accreditation again being withheld from the local laboratory which does testing, says the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS).

For the past year SAIDS has already been sending drug test samples from local athletes to World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited laboratories in various countries, including Qatar, Belgium, Italy and the USA.

This has been done since WADA initially withdrew accreditation from the SA Doping Control Laboratory at the University of the Free State for 12 months in May last year. The 12-month suspension period is now over and – in spite of a temporary and partial relaxing of the suspension by WADA in August 2016 that allowed blood analyses – the full accreditation has again been withheld. The laboratory will continue to do testing of blood samples but not urine.

The laboratory is run independently of SAIDS and reports to the University of the Free State. SAIDS is its primary customer for the analysis of doping control samples. SAIDS remains committed to supporting the ongoing efforts of the University of Free State to regain the full accreditation of the doping control laboratory.

“SAIDS is disappointed to learn of WADA’s decision not to restore the laboratory’s full accreditation, clearly the steps taken to ensure compliance have still fallen short of WADA’s standards” said SAIDS CEO Khalid Galant.

“Drug testing in sport in South Africa has not been significantly affected but the cost of testing has increased substantially, mainly due to overseas courier costs,” said Galant.

“SAIDS would like to reassure national sports federations and athletes that protecting clean sport is our priority and that drug testing will continue along the robust lines that have become expected of us,” said Galant.

In a glitzy media launch last night in Durban, Stillwater Sports, the organisers of the FNB Cape Town 12 ONERUN and the FNB Joburg 10K CITYRUN, officially launched the FNB Durban 10K CITYSURFRUN, taking place on Sunday 8 October 2017, as part of its popular ‘Run Your City’ series. This race has the potential to become one of the fastest 10km events in the world, and with a significant prize purse on offer, it is already attracting the attention of the top South African road runners.

The FNB Durban 10K CITYSURFRUN will highlight the beauty of Durban while granting entrants the unique opportunity to explore the city. In addition to exciting on-route entertainment and a vibrant event atmosphere, entrants can look forward to running past iconic landmarks such as the Moses Mabhida Stadium, People’s Park, Old Fort, Juma Mosque, Durban Maritime Museum, City Hall, Human Rights Memorial Hall and the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“With the FNB Cape Town 12 ONERUN currently in its third year and the FNB Joburg 10K CITYRUN in its second year, we are extremely excited to launch a third mass participation road run – with a twist – this time in the bustling city of Durban,” says Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports. “Following the blueprint of its sister-events, the FNB Durban 10K CITYSURFRUN will hero KwaZulu-Natal’s largest city. In addition to astonishing on route entertainment and rubbing shoulders with some of the world’s best middle distance runners, entrants will experience a 10km journey through the city, past a number of Durban’s iconic landmarks.”

“The FNB Durban 10K CITYSURFRUN route will be fast and flat,” continues Meyer. “Add to the mix near perfect weather conditions, and our goal of making this the fastest 10km in the world becomes even more achievable. We will be targeting some big name athletes to race through the streets of Durban in October, meaning South Africa’s best athletes will have another opportunity to race against the world’s best, ultimately uplifting the standard of South African middle distance running. We look forward to welcoming runners to an unforgettable event that encourages all to ‘Run the 031’.”

South African 5000m Record Holder and Olympian Elroy Gelant is brimming with excitement about the new event. “This is exactly what we need to boost middle distance running in South Africa, opportunities that reward our efforts in terms of prize money and opportunities to compete at home against the best in the world. Racing these top guys makes us even hungrier, and I am really looking forward to racing in Durban on 8 October.”

Howard Arrand, Provincial Head of FNB Business in KwaZulu-Natal, says, “The province boasts one of the most diverse destinations in the world in terms of offerings to a tourist. The diversity in cultures, subtropical climate, cuisine, natural landscapes and history is astounding, so what better way to show off the city than to invite the world to take part in a run that shows off this gem. FNB takes community building seriously, as it is well aligned to our brand values, and the sponsorship of the FNB Durban 10K CITYSURFRUN is a proof point where we answer our own call, how can we help you?”

According to Brett Bellinger, Marketing Director of PUMA South Africa, his company is proud to extend its partnership with Stillwater Sports and FNB by hosting a third major road running event. “With running continuing to be one of the major focus areas for the brand, both globally and locally, we are excited to carry the success of the FNB Cape Town 12 ONERUN and FNB Joburg 10K CITYRUN over to Durban. The ‘Run Your City’ series supports PUMA’s strategy of growing PUMA Running and bringing exciting running events to South Africa.”

The new FNB Durban 10K CITYSURFRUN will take place on Sunday 8 October, starting at 8am in front of Moses Mabhida Stadium in Masabalala Yengwa Street. The race will finish on the Beachfront Precinct adjacent to Moses Mabhida Stadium. Entires have already opened, and will close on Monday 25 September. For more information mail [email protected] or visit www.durban10k.com.