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OLYMPIANS AND PARALYMPIAN ATHLETES LAUDED AT SPAR GRAND PRIX JOBURG LAUNCH

Tanika LaskeyFeatures, NewsLeave a Comment on OLYMPIANS AND PARALYMPIAN ATHLETES LAUDED AT SPAR GRAND PRIX JOBURG LAUNCH

Johannesburg, Gauteng , South Africa: Calling all women of Jozi! SPAR is proud to announce the launch of the iconic SPAR Women’s Challenge Jozi, returning to paint the streets of Johannesburg peach on 06 October 2024. This launch event marks the kick-off of the year’s #ChooseYou campaign, celebrating female empowerment and inclusivity in sports. 

“SPAR recognises the transformative power of sport to inspire and empower women,” says Mpudi Maubane, SPAR PR, Communications and Sponsorship Manager. “We believe in creating opportunities for women to participate in physical activity, challenge themselves, and achieve their goals. Our involvement in women’s road running, including the SPAR Grand Prix Series, perfectly aligns with our sponsorship pillars: Nutrition, Education, and Women Empowerment. It celebrates women’s health, fitness, and community spirit.” 

This year’s theme, #ChooseYou, embodies the essence of the SPAR Women’s Challenge Jozi. It’s more than just a race; it’s a celebration of what makes every woman unique. Whether you’re a seasoned runner striving for a personal best or a first-timer seeking a fun day out with friends, the SPAR Women’s Challenge welcomes you with open arms. 

Don’t miss your chance to be part of this annual tradition! Entries are capped at 12,000, so secure your spot online starting today, 04 July. In-store registration opens on 05 August. The entry fee of R160 includes a race T-shirt, foam peak, entry into the event, and a copy of My Jozi Challenge Magazine. Aspiring 10km runners should note an additional R60 license fee (unless you’re part of a running club). 

The launch event featured a captivating panel discussion with renowned athletes, including Olympic athletes Cian Oldknow and Rutendo Nyahora, previous Olympian Rene Kalmer, and Paralympic Gold Medalist Louzanne Coetzee. These inspiring women shared their journeys and insights, motivating aspiring runners to chase their dreams and embrace the #ChooseYou spirit. 

The SPAR Women’s Challenge Jozi goes beyond the finish line. Every stride you take raises awareness and funds for incredible causes. This year, proceeds will benefit Headstart Kids, the Smile Foundation, and Reach for Recovery – all perfectly aligned with SPAR’s commitment to education, nutrition, and women’s empowerment. 

This year marks a remarkable milestone: the 33rd edition of the SPAR Women’s Challenge Jozi! It’s not just a celebration of female participation in sports; it’s a chance to run alongside inspiring women, create lasting memories, and foster a supportive community. 

Register today! 

SPAR Women’s Challenge Jozi 

  • Date: 06 October, 2024 
  • Time: 8:00 AM 
  • Location: Marks Park, Emmerentia, Johannesburg 
  • Theme: #ChooseYou 
  • Distances: 5km Fun Run & 10km Walk or Run 
  • Website: https://sparwomensjozi.co.za/ 
  • Registration: Opens online today, 04 July (limited entries) 

HUAWEI Changes the Smart Watch Game!

Roxanne MartinAdvertorialLeave a Comment on HUAWEI Changes the Smart Watch Game!

Having been a fan of the HUAWEI WATCH FIT series, I was incredibly excited to try out the new WATCH FIT 3. The marketing around the watch promised something truly special, and I can honestly say they weren’t lying. This is a game changer! Review by Roxanne Martin 

 

Unboxing

First impressions, the watch is incredibly fashionable, sleek and I would say timeless. The attention to detail is also incredible in that the watch face matches your chosen colour way. I went for the rose gold, it had a nice soft feel to it, and it was easy to match in with outfits so I knew it would work as an everyday watch.  There were plenty to choose from, Olive green, charcoal and white – covering everyone’s fashion choices. It is also worth noting that the straps are interchangeable so if you want to mix and match you can.

The watch itself, comes with a charging cable, and while some may be disappointed with that, the watch is packed with so many features you won’t be disappointed as soon as you start using it.

Features

So where to start, this watch is packed full. I have to break it down a little, because if I list everything you will still be reading tomorrow!

Battery Life

The watch promises ten days of battery, so in our testing I made sure every feature was running to test their claims. I am happy to report that even with almost daily workouts of 30min to one hour, I did get ten days battery life exactly. What is more, I continued to get ten days, and the battery goes from zero to fully charged in one hour. I would say if you did a long run, or a longer training session this would shorten the battery life, but this isn’t a watch you will need to charge every day, maybe once a week.

Workout Modes

Considering this watch is priced as an entry level smart watch, I was super impressed with not only the amount of workout modes available, but the functionality within each mode. I am going to focus on running as this is the mode I tested the most. What truly impressed me was the preset running courses that come with the watch. 

  • If you are starting out it gives you walk/run combos, at different levels, so the watch notifies you when you should be walking and when you should be running. It monitors your heart rate as well, vibrating to alert you if you are too high or too low. Doing these course weekly has really improved my fitness levels, and it makes my training a lot more structured.

Along with the different running courses, you also get ‘fitness courses,’ which essentially are stretching and warm up routines, with a little model to follow and again timed, I found this incredibly helpful to ‘actually’ get me to stretch after a run.

GPS tracking, full disclosure, no watch will ever get this 100% right, there are a lot of factors, which arm you wear the watch, the way you turn the corner etc. I tested the tracking by measuring it against my phone, recording the run, using my GPS on my phone and then on the watch. Both rendered the same result, and using the watch with my phone and without didn’t change the distance. Full disclaimer this isn’t a vital for me, but I do know it’s important for a lot of runners. I tested the variables within my scope of expertise, but I am no expert. 

Post workout data is amazing, giving you access to your heart run zones, telling you how strenuous the activity was, your cadence data, and a full map of your activity, which you can share. It also tells you how long you should recover for, and it gives you insight into how the activity maintained your fitness. There is a LOT of data, but its given to you in an easy-to-follow format.

Does it connect to Strava? Yes it does, but only for outdoor activity, any indoor activities do no automatically sync. I am not too perturbed by Strava, so this was in no way a deal-breaker for me.

Training Plans

  • Through the Huawei Health app, you have access to a range of running training plans, everything from a simple 3km plan to a full marathon plan. You can personalize it to your goals, in terms of time, distance or general fitness. The plans are synched to your calendar so you can easily keep track, and within the watch you simply go to training plan and courses, so the workout is automatically loaded. You get weekly reports on how you are doing, and if you are on track.

Sleep Monitoring

 The watch offers full sleep monitoring as well, so in a sleep cycle you can track how you slept, how long you slept, and the quality of your sleep. It measures between light, REM and deep sleep, giving you an overall sleep score. I honestly always thought I slept well but looking at the data I had far too much light sleep with very little deep sleep. Consultation with my GP had me increase magnesium and would you believe I am sleeping better! It even measures respiratory and heart rate, showing you how you are breathing- the data available was incredible.

Stayfit

This is a fairly new feature, and it is there to help you if essentially live a fitter and healthier lifestyle by holding you accountable. You can choose your weight goals, and then by logging each meal, it helps you manage calories. Accurate in that it measures the calories burned and the calories consumed. It also gives you suggestions on activities to help your goals. I am not a calorie counter, I did try test the feature, but came short on day two. But would recommend if you need help loosing weight.

 

This is honestly just a short overview-there is a LOT more with this watch. 

Overall Opinion

This watch scores a nine out of ten, I have docked a point because it sometimes disconnects which means I have to refresh to get it to sync again. But other than that I can find no fault. If you want a watch that is going to give you value for money, buy this one. At R2999 it is cheaper than all of its competition, and in our opinion offers so much value for money.





BUY NOW

And the Winners Are…

Tanika LaskeyFeatures, NewsLeave a Comment on And the Winners Are…

In our February edition, we announced that for the first time since it was launched in 2009, Modern Athlete magazine is presenting a comprehensive annual Modern Athlete of the Year Awards, to recognise as many deserving South African athletes as we can, for their performances in 2023, across all the disciplines of athletics and running that we cover in this mag. And here, after putting out heads together and discussing, comparing, tabulating and debating, are our winners for 2023! – By Manfred Seidler, Stephen Granger, Altus Schreuder & Sean Falconer