Category: News

On the 10th of May 2015 over 1000 athletes will be taking up the challenge of the Sun City Ultra Triathlon at the beautiful Sun City resort. This new addition to the exciting ULTRA Triathlon brand follows close on the heels of the popular Midlands ULTRA Triathlon which takes place biannually at Midmar dam in Kwazulu Natal and now give athletes a post Ironman 1/2 ironman distance event, in a unique and beautiful part of Africa.

The Sun City Ultra Triathlon in-corperates 2 different distance triathlon events taking place on the Sunday the 10th of May. Teams and individuals can enter either the Sprint or the ULTRA triathlon, with both events winding their way around Africa’s Kingdom of Pleasure, Sun City Resort. The first event kicks off at 7am and all events start with a gliding swim through the clear fresh waters of the Sun City’s Water World.

Entries for the event are filling up fast, so if you are interested don't waste any time and get to the race website and enter today. Athletes will be spoilt with race goodies as well as beautiful race routes, from the clear waters of the Sun City Dam, to the quiet, scenic running route through the two Championship golf courses.

Discounted accommodation is on offer at Sun City to give the athletes a festive weekend of fun for the whole family. Discounted Water sports and other activities will be on offer for competitors and their families at the resort for the whole weekend.

From first timers to professionals, the Sun City Ultra Triathlon events will appeal to anyone who likes to keep moving. This high-speed, endurance event not only caters for all fitness levels, it will also push you to challenge yourself.

The races are not the only attraction for families, as Sun City has plenty of activities to keep the whole family entertained over the race weekend. Families will have the opportunity to visit the Valley of Waves, the Entertainment Centre, Animal World and much much more. So if yours is a family that loves everything active, this is a perfect way to spend your weekend.

Here’s a list of all the events on offer:

07h00 START -Individual Sprint Triathlon
This event caters for the not so fit couch potatoes to the protein shake elite athletes, giving each competitor a solid workout over a short distance triathlon.
07h05 START – TEAM Sprint Triathlon
If completing a whole triathlon is not your thing, or your work colleagues have talked you into taking part, then this Relay triathlon event is going to blow your socks off.
07h35 START – Individual ULTRA Triathlon
The Ultra Individual Triathlon or 70.3 distance race is for the more serious athlete, who is looking to challenge themselves. Although challenging, this event will be your most rewarding one yet!
07h40 START – TEAM ULTRA Triathlon
Relay Teams will line up to see who can be the fastest over the Ultra Triathlon course. The TEAM section is open to Corporate and friends and family teams who want to be a part of the action but keep that Team camaraderie.
For more information about the Sun City Ultra Triathlon, please feel free to contact us through any of these channels:

Online Entry: www.ultratri.co.za

Website: www.ultratri.co.za

Sun City ULTRA Facebook: http://www.ultratri.co.za/suncity_ultra/

B-Active Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BActiveSports

Twitter: @suncityultra
Phone: 031 764 1885

When Charné Bosman (Nedbank) runs the Two Oceans ultra-race in Cape Town on Saturday, she will not merely be ‘gunning for gold’. She wants to create awareness for breast cancer as well. So watch out for the runner in pink and green who clocks fast kilometres.

According to Bosman she plans to go all out for pink. Her nails will be painted pink, she will wear a pink wristband and a pink head band and even her shoelaces will be pink.

“I know wearing pink and green is definitely not on for fashion purists, but I don’t care. After my health issues last year I realize that we all tend to take our good health for granted. Actually I was lucky last year because I was merely side-lined by glandular fever from which I knew I would recover. But for people who are battling with cancer there are no such certainties. My thoughts and prayers go out to all cancer patients, especially women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. By wearing pink I want to create awareness for their plight.”

As a runner Bosman’s main challenge on Saturday will be not to allow herself to get carried away.
“I promised my coach, Lindsey Parry from the High Performance Centre (hpc), that I will not go flat-out. Currently my main goal is to run a good Comrades. He has worked out a definite race strategy and I have promised to stick to it. Actually, my deal with Lindsey is that I will follow his plan up to 42 kilometres. If I am still feeling strong at that stage, I am allowed to chase for positions. I definitely want to finish in the top ten but depending on how I feel I might challenge for a top-five finish.

“The Two Oceans is going to be good test for me. Because I am inclined to be quite competitive as a race, I sometimes get carried away. In 2012 I paid the price for being overly competitive. I was hoping to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games in London in Rotterdam but chose to ignore my race plan and went out hard. The end result was that, instead of running a 2:34:00 marathon as planned, I finished in 2:43:00 and missed out qualifying for the Games. I now realize the importance of sticking to a specific race strategy.”

In 2013 Bosman finished 2nd overall in the Two Oceans after Russia’s Natalia Volgina who originally won the race tested positive for a banned substance and was disqualified. Bosman then went on to finish 5th in the Comrades ultra-race.

Last year Bosman opted to skip the Two Oceans and focus only on the Comrades. Unfortunately she was suffering from glandular fever and collapsed during the race. She was unconscious for a few minutes and ‘finished’ her race in an ambulance.

Bosman has no plans to race again after the Two Oceans in her build-up to the Comrades,
“I am going to a training camp in the Lowveld from 24 April and I plan to do some serious hill work in and around Graskop and Sabie.”

Germiston Callies regret to advise that we have encountered a major problem and are forced
to cancel our Harcourts Alan Robb race on 19 April.

This is due to there being another event on the same day in Germiston and EMPD are unable
to provide metro police for both events.

We have considered various options such as changing the route or the venue but do not
believe that these are viable options at this stage. We believe that changes at this stage are
likely to cause confusion and could result in runners not arriving at the correct venue.

We would like to apologize to all runners, our sponsors and any other affected parties for the
inconvenience caused. We will communicate with all runners who have already entered so
that we can arrange for the refund of their entry fees in a suitable manner.

Detour or not, the 2015 Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon is set to be a thriller with 43-year-old road running legend Hendrick Ramaala determined to defy age and a stellar field to take home the gold medal.

Local fans will be hoping that South Africans can win both the men’s and women’s category for the first time since 2000. Their hopes will rest mainly on Ramaala and Charné Bosman.

Ramaala finished second on debut last year and might even have won it if not for a tactical mistake. The South African half marathon record holder and former New York Marathon winner certainly has the pedigree, but not much experience of ultra-distance racing.

“He’d certainly not want to repeat the mistake of 2014 when he allowed Lebenya Nkoka (Lesotho) to run away from him after the climb up Constantia Nek – and then finished in second place much fresher than the winner,” said athletics writer and statistician, Riël Hauman.

This year’s detour, a consequence of the recent fires which made the ground above Chapman’s Peak unstable, means the runners will not go up Chappies, but will have to confront the gruelling Ou Kaapse Weg climb and descent. The distance will remain the same – 56km.

“Only three South Africans have won in the last eleven years, but Ramaala could become the fourth if he judges his race correctly,” predicted Hauman.

Ramaala is even eyeing the R1-million bonus put up by title sponsor Old Mutual for anybody who breaks the course record: “It’s tough to say you’re going for the record, because of the elements. Sometimes it pours and it’s usually windy in Cape Town,” he said. “However, if it’s a good day, I think it’s possible. I’m 43-years-old but I still feel I can do it.”

The late Thompson Magawana set the current record of 3:03:44 in 1988.

Ultra-distance races are, of course, notoriously difficult to predict and Ramaala will face some excellent athletes, including defending champion Nkoka and two other strong athletes from Lesotho, Warinyane Lebopo and Moses Moeketsi Mosuhli.

Other South African gold medal contenders include David Gatebe (2013 winner), Michael Mazibuko (sixth in 2014), Peter Muthubi, Motlokoa Nkhabutlane and Lucky Miya. Cape Town fans will have their eyes on Mthandazo Qhina, who was second in 2013 and ninth last year, and “local” Zimbabwean Bernard Rukadza, who last ran in 2011.

“But let’s not forget Ethiopia”s Teshome Gelana, one of the fastest marathon runners in the field, who finished second in the Tiberias Marathon earlier this year in 2:12:33,” added Hauman. Gelana’s compatriot Ketema Tadesse, who was fifth last year, is also running.

Hauman suggests that Bosman is a “great candidate” to be the first South African woman to win since 2000: “She was second in 2013 and continued to take fifth (as the first South African) in the Comrades Marathon that same year before having had to pull out of the longer ultra last year for health reasons. She is fully recovered and is South Africa’s best ultra-marathon runner at the moment.”

Another South African who is being tipped for big things is Ultra Marathon novice Tanith Maxwell. She has been one of the country’s best marathon runners in the last 10 years and set a personal best of 2:32:33 at the 2010 Berlin Marathon. Earlier this year she won the Cape Peninsula Marathon.

Other top SA ultra runners in the race are Melanie van Rooyen, Julanie Basson and Zola Pieterse, who was eleventh last year.

Defending champion Nina Podnebesnova of Russia will, however, start as the favourite.

She has not shown her hand since her comfortable win last year, apart from finishing second in the Russian Half Marathon Championships in September – in a personal best of 1:13:34.

Also in the field are 2014 runner-up, Ethiopian Shitaye Gemechu Debellu, who won the Dallas Marathon last year, 2003 winner Simona Juhász-Staicu of Hungary, who finished in the top five in all five of her attempts, the United States’s Devon Yanko, whose third position in her 2012 Two Oceans Ultra debut is an indication of her ability, and Britain's Holly Rush, seventh in the Comrades two years ago.

The women will also be hoping to break the record and net the R1-million reward from Old Mutual. South Africa’s Frith van der Merwe set the women's benchmark of 3:30:36 in 1989.

“The Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon has established itself as one of the most prestigious ultra marathons in the world, and this year's line-up proves again its status among the global elite,” says Old Mutual Chief Marketing Officer Mokaedi Dilotsotlhe.

“We wish all of them well on their journeys, as they enjoy the rewards reaped from their planning, commitment and dedication. At Old Mutual we understand the commitment and resolve that goes into achieving long term goals like this. And we firmly believe that proper planning always yields great results.”

A beaming Mapaseka Makhanya danced across the finish line to win the SPAR Women’s 10 km Challenge in of 32.54 minutes at Greenpoint in Cape Town on Sunday.

Her Nedbank teammate, Rutendo Nyahora was second, in 33.03, and Lebogang Phalula, (Transnet) finished third in 33.20. Makhanya and Nyahora both broke the course record of 33.06.
The Kalmer sisters, Rene and Christine, came in fourth and fifth.

It was Makhanya’s first win in Cape Town, and her first Challenge win since Pretoria in 2013, and the victory gives her a head start in the SPAR Grand Prix.

It was a fast, competitive race from the start. Nyahora took the early lead, with Phalula, Makhanya and Rene Kalmer running in a bunch close behind her.

The lead changed hands several times, as the elite runners surged and then fell back.
“Rutendo started in the front, and I decided to run with her,” said Makhanya.
“I knew it was going to be a hard race, but it was a good, flat course. I didn’t consciously decide to go for it, it just happened. I’m very happy to have won again – it has been too long since I won a Challenge race.”
Nyahora said she had decided to go hard from the start.
“However, I lost focus at four kilometres and fell back a bit, but then at six kilometres I decided I had to go hard again.”

Phalula said she found it difficult to run without her twin sister Diana-Lebo, who was doing national duty at the world cross-country championships in China.
“We usually run together and encourage each other. It was strange without her. But well done to the other girls – I’ll see you in Port Elizabeth.”

Makhanya said the run had been good preparation for the Two Oceans 21km in a week’s time.
“And after that I will be running my first international marathon, in Hanover. I was thinking about that marathon before the race, but Rutendo told me to put it out of my mind and concentrate on the 10km today. So I did that, and it’s thanks to her that I won.”
She said it always felt special to win a women’s race.
“When you cross the finish line, you’re the first, and you’re not surrounded by men. It is a great feeling to be running against the other elite athletes and knowing you’re running against the best in the country.”

Rene Kalmer, who has won more Challenge races than any other runner and has won the Grand Prix three times, said she was happy with her run and her time.
“I’m running the Vienna marathon in two weeks time, and this was excellent preparation for that.”
Irvette van Zyl, who has two Grand Prix titles to her credit, finished out of the top 10, but she was full of smiles.

“I was out of the top 10, but I won the Plus One category,” she laughed.
Van Zyl is expecting a baby in September. She said she intended to run as long as possible.
Twenty-three thousand 353 runners took part in the race, which kicked off the Spar Challenge series. The next race is in Port Elizabeth on May 9.
 

On Saturday Irvette van Zyl (Nedbank), the Olympic marathon athlete, will ‘run for two’ when she competes in the Two Oceans half-marathon. She is 16 weeks pregnant.

She makes it clear that she has no big expectations as far as results are concerned.
“I am just glad that I am able to run. During the past few weeks I have learned a lot about how my body works. At the moment I seem to have ‘fat days’ and ‘slim days’ when I am running. On Sunday at the Spar 10km race in Cape Town it was a ‘fat day’. I started off quite well and after five kilometres I thought I would easily run a time of 35 minutes but then, over the last four kilometres, I became ‘unhinged’.

“I would be happy if I could run a time of around 78 minutes on Saturday, but a time closer to 76 minutes would of course be far better because then I would have a chance of a top-ten finish,” the athlete from the High Performance Centre (hpc) said.

Van Zyl admits that her pregnancy caught her husband, LJ, and herself off guard.
“Don’t get me wrong. The thought of becoming parents is exciting and both of us are looking forward to the beginning of a new chapter in our lives. However, it was not really planned. LJ and I were both focussed on trying to qualify for next year’s Olympic Games in Rio. I really thought this was going to be my year, especially after running a 74 minute half-marathon in the beginning of the year. Even after finding out that I was pregnant the plan was still for me to try to qualify for the Olympics in Vienna on 11 April. I discussed it with my doctor and she gave me the go-ahead, but unfortunately injuries and sickness forced me to withdraw from the race.

“I guess I will have to do what I did in 2012 when I selected one race in the Olympic year and gave it my all in an effort to qualify. If I do not qualify, it won’t be the end of the world. Then I will go to Rio just to support LJ. He better run fast.”

Van Zyl said she aims to be running for as long as possible.

“Actually I need to run to keep my sanity. I have discussed it with my doctor and she is keen for me to continue running as long as I don’t overdo things. I need to listen to my body and watch out for any warning signs. That is why I do my runs either early in the morning or late in the afternoon when it is not so hot. I should love to compete in all the Spar races but I am not sure whether it would be possible. By August I might be too big to run and I guess I will get slower and slower as well.”
If everything goes according to plan, the Van Zyls’ big day will be early in September.

According to Van Zyl she does not know yet whether she is expecting a boy or a girl.
“All I know is that the baby has very big feet. Maybe it will be a swimmer.”

LJ van Zyl said jokingly that the baby will probably be a good 3000 steeplechase athlete.
“It will probably be a combination of me running the 400-hurdles and Irvette being a distance runner.”

The 23rd edition of the highly anticipated annual Slow-Mag Marathon will take place on Sunday the 26th April 2015 at Benoni Northern Sports Club in Albert Bekker Park, Gauteng. This year the Slow-Mag Marathon is an Official CGA Half Marathon Championship event and is yet again a Comrades qualifier. Runners are invited to take part in the Ultra (50km), Full (42.2km), Half (21.1km) Marathon, 10km and Family Fun Run (5km).

The annual Slow-Mag Marathon is more than a Comrades qualifier and official CGA event. This is a fun day for the whole family to enjoy outdoors in the warm Gauteng autumn weather. There is something for runners and walkers as well as their supporters who have come along to enjoy a morning out. Secure parking, music and entertainment, morning coffee, a cash bar, food stalls and a variety of children’s activities will ensure that a good time is had by all.

Starting times are as follows:

06h30 for Ultra, Full and Half Marathon
06h40 for 10km and 5km Family Fun Run
Venue: Benoni Northerns Sports Club, Albert Bekker Park, corner of O’Reilly Merry & Brodigan Street, Northmead, Benoni

GPS co-ordinates:

Latitude: 26°10’23.16”S
Longitude: 28°19’42.33”E
Pre-entries online or instore.
Pre-entry closing date: 17th April 2015.

ONLINE: www.enteronline.co.za

IN-STORE:
– The Sweat Shop, Irene: 012 665 0048
– The Sweat Shop, Dunkeld West Centre, Jan Smuts Ave: 011 325 2567/8
– The Sweat Shop, Fourways: 011 467 5966
– The Bedford Runner, 2 Bedfordview Arcade, Van Buuren Rd: 011 450 1847
– The Randburg Runner, Sanlam Court, cnr 5th and 4th Ave, Linden: 011 888 9644
– Run away Sports, 302 Freesia St, Lynwood Ridge, Pretoria: 012 361 3733
– Sportsmans Warehouse, Boksburg Value Mart: 011 823 3350
– Woodstock Cycles, Benoni, O’Reilly Merry Street: 011 849 1305

No postal or faxed entries.
Late entries will be taken at BNAC on Saturday 25th of April from 10am to 5pm and on the morning of the race from 4.30am.
T-Shirts for all entrants at the finish line.

Race info and Enquiries:

Tel: Race office 076 819 2122/ 079 836 4019
Email: [email protected]
Tel: Madge Attwell 083 573 1011
For more information on Slow-Mag
Dasyan Govender
Brand Manager – Slow-Mag
[email protected]

Franco D’Onofrio
Twiga Communications
[email protected]

Find out more on www.slowmag.co.za

The J.P Morgan Corporate Challenge®, held on Thursday March 26, has become an institution on the annual racing calendar which for the 12th consecutive year saw sold-out entries.

Swapping their corporate wear for running gear 13,000 runners and joggers from 227 companies participated in the world’s premier corporate fitness event, which was held in and around Melrose in Johannesburg.

The main aim of the race is to cultivate friendships, wellness and camaraderie among the corporate community, and proceeds will be donated to the Laureus Sport for Good for Foundation South Africa.  The Foundation uses the power of sport to address social challenges and initiate social change and currently supports 15 sports-based community initiatives nationwide.

Each team had to consist of at least four employees from all types of companies, big and small, however runners could not enter as individuals. The 10 largest companies, which participated in this year’s event, were: Deloitte (404), Dimension Data (298), Investec (500), KPMG (546), Liberty (454), Nedbank (550), Rand Water (425), Standard Bank (685).

The race also attracted South African sporting and entertainment celebrities such as Natalie du Toit (Olympic & Paralympian), Pat Symcox (Former Protea), Armand du Plessis (Mr. South Africa 2014), Damon Kalvari (Cliff Central Producer), DJ Fix (5FM), Hayley Watters – Nee Owen (Actress), Jonathan Boynton-Lee (Top Billing Presenter), Kerry McGregor (Model), Maps Maponyane (Model/Actor), Roxy Louw (Model/Surfer), Tamarin Jardine (Miss Earth SA 2012), Tumisho Masha (Actor) and Zanele Mdodana (SA Netball player), who supported the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.

Samuel Segoaba, representing Transnet Engineering claimed first place as he crossed the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge® finish line in a time of 17:36.

Representing Transnet Engineering, Annah Moeketsi was the first women to finish the race with a time of 21:49.

Participants were treated to an exclusive post-match performance by South African rock legends, The Parlotones while DJ Vin Deyzel kept the party going.

WINNING RESULTS FOR JOHANNESBURG – J.P. MORGAN CORPORATE CHALLENGE 2015

MEN’S TEAM RESULTS

1.    SAMUEL SEGOABA                TRANSNET ENGINEERING                  17:36

2.    LUCAS JANI                              TRANSNET ENGINEERING                  17:43

3.    ALEXANDER MOTSAMAI       TRANSNET ENGINEERING                  17:59

4.    BHEKINKOSI SIBIYA               SIBANYE GOLD                                        18:02

5.    PAUL TYAOANE                       SIBANYE GOLD                                       18:11

 

WOMEN’S TEAM RESULTS

1.    ANNAH MOEKETSI                   TRANSNET ENGINEERING                   21:49

2.    VIOLET RASEBOYA                  TRANSNET ENGINEERING                   22:43

3.    GLORIA BAEBA                          TRANSNET ENGINEERING                   22:49

4.    JESSICA JOHNSON                   INVESTEC                                                 23:11

5.    SEHLULE NDEBELE                  BDO                                                            23:36

 

After weeks of intense discussions and close collaboration with the City of Cape Town and key stakeholders, it was confirmed today that the Old Mutual Two Oceans Ultra Marathon route will run along the detour route of Ou Kaapse Weg.

The recent devastating fires that raged along Cape Town’s Southern Peninsula, caused significant damage to Chapman’s Peak’s fragile vegetation. Since the fire, the section of the pass most affected (between Noordhoek to the top lookout point) has been closed regularly due to high winds and threatening rock falls.

“This is not a decision that was made lightly,” says Carol Vosloo, general manager of the Two Oceans Marathon NPC. “We are responsible for every single runner on race day, so all decisions were made with this in mind. We remained hopeful until the very end that Chappies would be available to us, but it became clear that the extent of the damage done to the mountain, coupled with the vulnerability of the mountain pass to weather changes, would hold a significant safety risk for our runners and volunteers.

“It was simply a risk we were not willing to take, and we have always been very clear in our intention to place participants’ safety at the forefront of all planning.”

It isn’t the first time that the Ultra Marathon has run over Ou Kaapse Weg. This detour route was used for four years between 2000 and 2003, when Chapman’s Peak was originally closed while the tunnels and catchment nets were being constructed.

“Ou Kaapse Weg as a detour route is not a new concept to us, and our team can now move forward to make the necessary logistical changes to facilitate this change,” Ms Vosloo adds.

The Ou Kaapse Weg detour route starts in Main Road, Newlands, and takes runners along the scenic South Peninsula route, through Fish Hoek and into Kommetjie. But, instead of heading towards Chapman’s Peak, runners will turn towards and over Ou Kaapse Weg, from where they will run along the leafy Spaanschemat River Road. They will then join the Half Marathon route at the Ladies Mile / Parish Road intersection before heading onto Southern Cross Drive to follow the Half Marathon route along Rhodes Drive and the M3 back to UCT. The distance remains the same.

“Although it is disappointing that the Ultra Marathon will not traverse Chappies, a ‘certain’ race over Ou Kaapse Weg is preferable to one that may be interrupted if routed over Chapman’s Peak Drive,” Ms Vosloo concludes.

Record-breaking R1-million bonus stands
Despite the route change, Old Mutual’s R1-million bonus remains in place, rewarding the winning male and female runners who respectively breaks the 56km Ultra Marathon record. The men’s record of 3:03:44 was set in 1988 by road running legend Thompson Magawana, while Frith van der Merwe set the women’s record a year later in 1989 when she ran 3:30:36.

The Old Mutual Two Oceans Ultra and Half Marathons are scheduled to take place on Easter Saturday, 4 April 2015. Some 27 000 runners are expected to participate in the event that is globally known as the world’s most beautiful marathon. This will be the 16th year that Old Mutual sponsors this prestigious road race.

There’s something of a buzz ahead of the first SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge in Cape Town on Sunday.

Most of South Africa’s top women runners will be taking part in the race, which starts outside the Cape Town Stadium and ends on Greenpoint Common. The defending champion, Diana-Lebo Phalula, will not be running, because she will be on her way to represent South Africa at the world cross country championships in China, but her twin sister, Lebogang, who won the Durban and Johannesburg races last year, will be taking part.

Other former Cape Town winners, Rutendo Nyahora and Rene Kalmer, will be aiming to win back the Cape Town bragging rights, while two-times Grand Prix winner Irvette van Zyl, who did not compete in Cape Town last year because of injury, could provide some stiff competition. Other top runners taking part include Jenna Challenor, Zintle Martin (nee Xiniwe), and Christine Kalmer.

While their immediate aim will be to win the Cape Town race, the top runners will also be laying down their markers for this year’s Spar Grand Prix. Five runners have won the Grand Prix title in the eight years since it was launched, but it has gone to four different women in the last four years. Van Zyl won for the second time in 2011, and Rene Kalmer clinched her third Grand Prix title in 2012. Mapaseka Makhanya had the year of her life in 2013, sweeping to an overwhelming Grand Prix victory, and last year, Diana-Lebo Phalula won the title, despite having to deal with a serious injury for much of the year.

The prize money for the Grand Prix has been boosted to a whopping R150 000, with the runner-up pocketing R50 000, and the third-placed runner R30 000, so there is plenty of incentive for the top runners to compete in as many Challenge races as possible.

The Grand Prix is won by the runner with the most points after the five Challenge races – in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Pretoria and Cape Town – have been completed. Bonus points are awarded for record-breaking finishes, and there are also prizes up for grabs in the various age group categories.