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Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series Expands in 2023

Sean FalconerNewsLeave a Comment on Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series Expands in 2023

After a fantastic 2022 season, which saw the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series back to near capacity attendance, title sponsor Absa together with Stillwater Sports, the organiser of South Africa’s award-winning road running series, are excited to welcome Gqeberha and Tshwane as host cities, elevating the series from three to five mass participation events in 2023.

The two new cities will add a fresh and exciting experience for runners competing in those events. The Gqeberha event will take place on 2 April, and will see more world class performances in a city that is well known for breaking records. Later in the year, runners will line up in Tshwane on 27 August, for an experiential mass participation event in the Jacaranda City.

“We are thrilled to welcome Gqeberha and Tshwane as host cities of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series in 2023,” says Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and Founder of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series. “Growing the series from three to five events is no small feat, and would not have been possible without the support of our title sponsor, Absa, which has been a driving force since we welcomed them onboard in 2021, and other key sponsors such as PUMA, DHL and Chery, to mention just a few.”

“Another important factor that should not be overlooked is the relationships that we have with each host city, which has contributed immensely to the success of the Cape Town, Durban and Joburg events, and ultimately the series. We are excited to work with Gqeberha and Tshwane, to further grow the status of the series,” he adds.

The full set of dates of the 2023 Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES will be:

Sunday 2 April 2023                        Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K

Sunday 14 May 2023                      Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K

Sunday 9 July 2023                        Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K

Sunday 27 August 2023                  Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K

Sunday 24 September 2023            Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K

 

Proudly South African Series

The Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series has been revolutionising the sport in South Africa since 2015. A road running celebration like no other, the series began with the Cape Town leg in 2015, with the Joburg leg added in 2016 and the Durban leg in 2017. Now, in 2023, the two new events will see the series grow to five events.

“The Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series joins elites, avid runners, walkers and individuals looking to live healthier lifestyles,” continues Meyer. “World class achievements and fun for all participants go hand-in-hand at each event. In 2023 we are both excited and proud to take the action to five major cities, growing our reach while giving more South Africans the opportunity to be part of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series experience. Emphasis will be placed on hosting mass participation road races that highlight city landmarks, include magnificent views, and feature lively performances from some of the host city’s leading performing arts groups.”

In closing, Meyer adds: “We look forward to welcoming new runners to the series, but also urge the existing RUN YOUR CITY community to join us in the new cities to give Gqeberha and Tshwane the true RUN YOUR CITY experience. We can’t wait to welcome thousands of runners from across South Africa as well as elite athletes from around the world to the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series in 2023.”

Sponsorship Goals

Absa Chief Executive Product Solutions, Geoffrey Lee, says that his team is equally excited about the expanded series in 2023. “Our purpose at Absa is to bring possibilities to life, and we believe that everyone should have access to all our sponsorships. When we came onboard as a sponsor of the biggest mass participation event in the country, our key objective was to get the country moving in the right direction, and help our communities and colleagues to aspire to change their lives and that of their community for the better. We recognise that now, more than ever, we need to play an even greater role in bringing the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series closer to the people,” he says.

“We have witnessed on many occasions how sport has consistently served as a powerful vehicle for societal change, and a great unifier in challenging times for our nation. Through our Together we can be more, Siyabangena campaign, which runs concurrently with the Absa RUN YOUR CITY series of events, Absa challenges all runners and walkers to be a force for good and actively create change in communities, while providing an opportunity to get active, reach performance goals, connect with other runners and explore our beautiful South African cities,” he adds.

Entries for all five events will open on Monday 5 December 2022 on the official event website, www.runyourcityseries.com.

Entries Open for 21st Dis-Chem Half Marathon

Sean FalconerNewsLeave a Comment on Entries Open for 21st Dis-Chem Half Marathon

Entries are open for the 21st Dis-Chem Half Marathon and Centrum 5km Dash Fun Run, taking place on Sunday 15 January 2023.This is Gauteng’s premier half marathon, and is hosted by Bedfordview Country Club Athletics.

The race route remains unchanged, winding its way through the hills of Bedfordview, Morninghill and Primrose, and providing runners with a challenging course and spectacular views. The Half Marathon starts in Riley Road at 6am, and will have a seeded start.

Race marshals will be stationed along the route to ensure the safety of runners, while simultaneously offering them encouragement, and there will be six water points, but runners are encouraged to bring their own water. Space for club gazebos as well as catering, locker and shower facilities will be available at the finish.

The race has previously sold out within a couple of weeks of entries opening. There are 6500 entries available for the 21km race and all entrants will receive a moisture-management race T-shirt. Athletes can also choose to purchase a commemorative medal for the 21km. Entries will close on 15 December, or once the 6500 available entries are sold. The Centrum 5km Fun Run will also be back, and the first 600 entries will get a Centrum-branded moisture-management T-shirt.

Thanks for the Support!

Race Director Charn Swart says, “Bedfordview Country Club Athletics looks forward to celebrating the 21st anniversary of the race that kicks off the 2023 running season. What a fantastic journey with Dis-Chem and co-sponsors that enable races like ours for novice and seasoned runners alike to enjoy.”

Stan Goetsch of headline sponsor, Dis-Chem, adds, “We are extremely proud of our 21-year sponsorship of the event. The promotion of a healthy lifestyle, our emphasis on overall well-being and our support of the sport, has always been paramount to us at Dis-Chem. Through our long-standing relationship with Bedfordview Country Club Athletics, who continue to deliver a first-class event, we trust that we have achieved this.”

The organisers would also like to thank the following co-sponsors: Centrum, Norflex Gel, smecta, TransAct, ViralChoice and Biogen for their continued support, which has spanned many years. Their contributions remain crucial to ensuring the continued success of the event.

Funds will be raised for the two race charities: Lambano Sanctuary for orphaned children with HIV, and the Namaqua Dog and Donkey Foundation, which undertakes the sterilisation, vaccination and treatment of animals in informal settlements on the East Rand. All donations by runners, over and above their entry fee, will be matched by the Dis-Chem Foundation.

Enter online now at https://dischem21.co.za. The 21km race general entry fee is R200, while the 5km Dash race entry fee is R100 (and thereafter R70 without a T-shirt). If you have questions, please mail the organisers at [email protected].

Soweto Marathon is the biggest One Day Race in 2022!

Roxanne MartinNewsLeave a Comment on Soweto Marathon is the biggest One Day Race in 2022!

Having surpassed the 16 000 entry mark, the 27th edition of the Soweto Marathon is now this year’s biggest one day
race.

Soweto Marathon Trust Chairman, Sello Khunou takes tremendous pride from this achievement, and is grateful to all
those who have entered; “There is no denying that Covid put all events in jeopardy of shutting down. Through tremendous dedication, we are proud to host the 27th event and endeavour to do so to the high standards that our fans have come to expect. This latest achievement is a testament to our loyal fans entering once more – we absolutely cannot wait to have them back come 6 November. And to those who will be running for the first time: We welcome you and wish you a great race in South Africa’s biggest one-day race this year!”

There is Still Time To Enter!

After numerous calls from athletes requesting an extension of the race entry cut-off date, Soweto Marathon organisers heeded the call and so the extension was granted due to public demand. The 27th edition of The People’s Race has made the bold move to extend the closing date of entries in order to allow participants to enter their chosen distance of 10km, 21.1km, or 42.2km.

Entries will remain open until the entry cap is reached, so says Soweto Marathon Trust Chairman Sello Khunou;
“We understand the pressures that our valued runners are under – and as such we are allowing them to enter to participate in their beloved People’s Race. We take note too of their recent participation in other races and know that once the athletes have recovered adequately, they’ll be wanting to hit the streets once more! The Soweto Marathon promises to deliver another top event and I strongly encourage runners from all walks of life to enter – let us celebrate our ability to move, our health, our spirit and our beautiful country.”

So if you would like to be part of making history in out post-COVID-19 era, click here to Enter Today!

Entry Options:

Option 1: With the T-shirt included

The Marathon (42.2km): Entry Fee R550

The Half Marathon (21.1km): Entry Fee R450

The 10km: Entry Fee R350

Option 2: Without the T-shirt *

The Marathon (42.2km): Entry Fee R400

The Half Marathon (21.1km): Entry Fee R300

The 10km: Entry Fee R200

* If you change your mind about the T-shirt, you will still be able to buy one later.

STILL MORE SAVINGS FOR YOU…

Every runner that enters this year’s Soweto Marathon, no matter the distance you choose, will be given an online 20% discount voucher from Totalsports on performance shoes priced R2000 and above. That’s a minimum saving of R400 off your next pair of running shoes!

Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon Entries Open 1 November

Sean FalconerNewsLeave a Comment on Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon Entries Open 1 November

The much-anticipated news has broken that entries for the Western Cape’s most prestigious road race and Africa’s biggest running event, the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon (TTOM), will open at midday (12pm) on 1 November 2022.

To enter, runners can go to the event website, www.twooceansmarathon.org.za, when entries open for their category or event draw, and click ‘enter here.’ Runners must first create a user profile, if they do not yet have one on the system, and then follow the prompts.

Fees, Licences and Tees

The 2023 entry fees have been ratified by the TOM Board, take note all South African runners for the Ultra need to be licenced athletes and belong to a running club. All TTOM 2023 Ultra and Half Marathon runners will receive a complimentary, high quality running T-shirt courtesy of title sponsor, Totalsports.

The pricing structure for entry fees will be the following:

Entry Type Ultra Half
Licensed SA Athletes R735 R390
Unlicensed SA Athletes n/a R390 + temp licence fee, to be confirmed by WPA
African Athletes R900 R725
International Athletes R2700 R1890

 

Ballot System for SA Entries

The ballot system will be retained for both the Ultra and Half Marathon for South African runners, in line with international best practice. Runners may enter only one event. The ballot opens on 1 November 2022 at midday and closes on 14 November at midnight. At certain stages of the ballots, the draws will be weighted in favour of various categories of runners, including Blue Number Club members, Yellow Numbers (those doing their 10th, 20th, etc) and club runners. The various rounds of the ballot draw all take place on 15 November 2022.

Runners entering via the ballot pay only once their name has been successfully drawn. Runners have until 5pm on 15 December 2022 (one month) to make their payment. Otherwise, the runner forfeits their entry and it will be allocated to another runner.

International and African entries open on 25 October 2022 and close when capacity is reached. International and African runners do not enter via the ballot system, and can pay for and secure their entries straight away. Last but not least, charity entries open on 18 November 2022 (at midday), and fees will be uploaded once final charity partners have been confirmed.

Qualifiers and Seeding

For the Ultra Marathon, runners need to run a standard marathon (42.2km) or a longer distance race on an officially timed and measured course, and any time posted from 1 July 2022 onwards can be used. The maximum allowed qualifying time for a standard marathon is five hours, and the race website contains a list of qualifying times for longer distances, at www.twooceansmarathon.org.za/event_route_info/seeding.

The time submitted by runners will used to seed them into starting batches, with faster runners in the front and slower runners at the back. The cut-off date to submit your qualifier is 6 March 2023 at 5pm, and take note that the Race Office will be conducting spot-checks to verify qualifier information submitted. If you do not see your race on the TTOM entry system, you can e-mail [email protected] for assistance.

In the Half Marathon, qualifying times are also used to seed you, so that faster runners start at the front and slower runners further back. We strongly advise you to provide a seeding time, otherwise you will unfortunately start at the back. Seeding is based on a previous 10km, 15km or 21.1km run after 1 July 2022, and again, the Race Office will be conducting spot-checks to verify qualifier information submitted. More info at www.twooceansmarathon.org.za/event_race_day/seeding-2.

If You Have Questions…

For more information on entering or other race information, you can read the list of FAQs on the event website at www.twooceansmarathon.org.za/event-info/faqs., or you can contact the event office on 021 2000 459 (general queries) or 087 133 2285 (race-related queries), or email [email protected].

How to Track Your Runner at the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon

Roxanne MartinNews, RacingLeave a Comment on How to Track Your Runner at the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon

Tracking runners for this weekend’s festivities in Cape Town is easy thanks the UltimateLIVE App!

To make it even easier we have created these easy for you to download the app, add the event you would like to follow, and even how to add your runners! 

Step 1:

Download the UltimateLIVE App from wither the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.



 

Step 2: 

Using the search tab on the home screen, search for “Cape”

This will show you, the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon Trail and Peace Runs (Saturday Events) and the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon (Sunday) event.

Click on the event you would like to track a participant in.

  •  

Step 3:

To track your  runner, you simply search for them, using either their name or race number, under the Name / Number search bar.

Once you have found them click on their name and then press the Star to add them to your favourites. 


 

Step 4:

If you wish to receive push notifications for your favourites, press the bell icon and you will receive a notification for each split point that they pass.

The App will reflect the running time of your selected runners (i.e. from when they started the race).

Impossible is Nothing!

When we feel empowered to tell our stories, there are no limits to how much we can inspire others. Through BEYOND MY IMPOSSIBLE, adidas is empowering 11 women to cross their first marathon finish line, at the 2022 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon this Sunday! We have been following the journeys of all these phenomenal women and now you can track them as all 11 take on this amazing feat! To make it easy to find, we have all the ladies race numbers below, so finding them on the UltimateLIVE tracking app will be easy!

Tracking Details Below

Runner: Zoe Brown
Race Number: 3349
Start Batch: C1

Runner: Lenise Swanson
Race Number: 3466
Start Batch: C1

Runner: Ncebakazi Dyani
Race Number: 3317
Start Batch: C1

 

Runner: Leatitia Gradwell
Race Number: 3385
Start Batch: C1

 

Runner: Yentle Arendse
Race Number: 3350
Start Batch: C1

Runner: Jana Steyn
Race Number: 3512
Start Batch: C1

Runner: Kay Abrahams
Race Number: 3316
Start Batch: C1

 

Runner: Shaakirah Jaftha
Race Number: 3319
Start Batch: C1

Runner: Ashleigh Bredeveldt
Race Number: 3324
Start Batch: C1

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Runner: Melissa Abrahams
Race Number: 3318
Start Batch: C1

Runner: Tracey Abrahamse
Race Number: 3389
Start Batch: C1

New Era for Two Oceans Following Move Off Easter Weekend

Sean FalconerNews3 Comments on New Era for Two Oceans Following Move Off Easter Weekend

The long-standing tradition of the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon taking place on Easter Weekend has come to an end, following today’s announcement by the Two Oceans Marathon NPC (TOM NPC) that the next edition of the Western Cape’s biggest road running event will take place on 15 and 16 April 2023.

This marks the first time since the fourth edition of the Two Oceans Marathon in 1973 that the race will not be held over the Easter Weekend, but on the following weekend instead. The race will be held over two days, with the 56km Ultra Marathon scheduled on Saturday 15 April 2023 and the Half Marathon taking place on Sunday 16 April 2023. (More thoughts on this below from the Modern Athlete team.)

Two-Day Format

The TOM NPC says its long-term plans to grow the capacity of both the Ultra and Half Marathon have made it necessary to adopt a two-day format. This was first implemented during the 2022 Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon, and will once again be the case for the 52nd edition of the Two Oceans Marathon in 2023. This provides the only feasible framework for accommodating the upscaled logistics requirements, with runner safety at the core of these considerations.

In turn, the two-day format necessitated the move away from the Easter Weekend, as agreed with various public, hosting and supplier stakeholders. Following consultations, negotiations and an agreement with the City of Cape Town, business stakeholders, and sporting affiliations, the date for the 2023 Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon has now been finalised as the 15th and 16th April 2023.

“After extensive consultations and negotiations, it is good to be able to provide the many runners – not least our international athletes – with the clarity they have been seeking,” says Two Oceans Marathon Chairperson, William Swartbooi. “Moving to a new date is never easy. While we can’t please everyone, we have tried our utmost to factor in all considerations – and there certainly were many. Building on the success of the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon 2022, we look forward to delivering an even better edition of our globally iconic race in 2023.”

He adds: ‘The move away from the Easter Weekend is a watershed moment for Two Oceans Marathon. It was not an easy decision, but a necessary one, in order to future-proof the event and gear it for growth. When the sum of all factors is considered, we believe we made the most practical decision we could in order to achieve best outcomes not only in 2023, but over the medium-term, and indeed the long-term future of the race.”

Mixed Reactions

The Easter Weekend trip to Cape Town has been a much-loved tradition for half a century, even more so since the Half Marathon and Fun Runs were added to the event programme in the 1990s, making it possible for the whole family to participate. Judging by comments on social media as well on within running club WhatsApp groups, the announcement of the new date has met with both strong approval and disapproval from the South African running community.

Some who approve say they are glad to see that the event will no longer clash with one of the most religious weekends on the Christian calendar, but some in the Muslim community have expressed disappointment that the 2023 date still places the Two Oceans within the Festival of Ramadan, making it extremely challenging to train for and participate in the event.

The most outspoken criticism has come from up-country runners, many of whom have said that the Easter long weekend made it possible to travel to the Cape for the race without it impacting too much on work commitments, whereas a normal weekend may prevent them from travelling next year. On the other hand, some have said the cost of flights may be lower if the race is not on Easter Weekend, which is traditionally one of the busiest periods for travel across SA.

Our Take on Things

The Modern Athlete team believes that in spite of some negative initial reactions, the running community will adapt and get used to the new norm for Two Oceans – just as the running community adapted to the Comrades Marathon moving off the 16 June public holiday and becoming a normal weekend event. It remains to be seen where (or whether) the Trail Runs, Fun Runs and International Friendship Run will fit into the event programme. These events used to take place on Good Friday of the Easter Weekend, but have not been held since the last pre-COVID edition of the race in 2019.

Also, we feel that many runners who are against this new date for the event may not comprehend the bigger picture, that the Two Oceans Marathon has to be slotted into an incredibly congested event calendar in the Mother City, and thus finding an open weekend is not as simple as it sounds. Around that time of year, the city also hosts the Cape Town Cycle Tour as well as many other sporting and cultural events, and we have no doubt that it took a lot of hard work for the race to arrive at the decision that the weekend of 15-16 April will be Two Oceans weekend.

From a tourism perspective, the move away from Easter may have some negative effects on the city. Studies in past years showed that the Two Oceans Marathon contributes up to R672 million to the local and provincial economy annually, making it Africa’s biggest running event when measured by this metric. This was partly due to entire families decamping to Cape Town for the Easter Weekend for the race, then spending the rest of the weekend, or even week, enjoying the Mother City’s attractions. We may now see less families travelling to the Cape for the event, especially if the Fun Runs are not reinstated for now, but we think that with time, the people will come back to the event.

Lastly, it has been widely reported that the 2019 and 2022 editions of the Two Oceans faced considerable challenges, on various levels, including widespread objections this year to the running of the Ultra on Easter Sunday. The 2023 edition will be an opportunity for the event not only to avoid a repeat of those objections, but to consolidate and focus on getting the essentials right, then build on that by growing numbers, reinstating supplementary events and activations, and more. In short, Team Modern Athlete is excited to see where the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon goes from here.