Category: Event Update!

More than 8300 South African athletes have taken up the early bird entry fee offer of R420 since the 2017 Comrades Marathon entry process opened a month ago.

The final day for South African runners to enjoy the reduced entry fee is today (Friday, 30 September 2016). The regular price of R460 comes into effect tomorrow (Saturday, 1 October 2016) until the entry process closes on 30 November 2016 or once the 20,000 entry cap is reached.

CMA Race Director, Rowyn James says, “It is pleasing to note that nearly half of our 2017 Comrades entry cap has already been taken up in the first month of the entry process. The entry process has been going very smoothly so far and we would like to urge our runners to enter as soon as possible to secure their place on the start line.”

The entry tally currently stands at 9230. View the latest entry barometer at www.comrades.com

Entry fees for the 2017 Comrades Marathon are as follows:
• Local Entries : R 460.00
• Rest of Africa : R 770.00
• International : R2650.00

For details on how to enter, please visit the Comrades Marathon website: www.comrades.com

The 92nd Comrades Marathon will be the 47th up-run which will start at the Durban City Hall and finish at the Scottsville Racecourse on Sunday, 4 June 2017.

The two athletes everyone can’t wait to see race each other on the road over 10 or 21km, 31-year-old Lesego Stephen Mokoka and 30-year-old Elroy Gelant, will face-off on Saturday, 24 September 2016 (Heritage Day) at the inaugural FNB Joburg 10K CITYRUN.

This is fast growing into one of the biggest rivalries in men’s middle distance running, reminiscent of the likes of the Sinqe-Mtolo-Temane rivalry and the Yawa-Peu-Motshwarateu rivalry of the late eighties and early nineties.

Up until now Mokoka has been the victor on most occasions, either using his devastating kick to great effect or merely grinding down his opponent.
There is, however, a new air of confidence surrounding Gelant. “At the FNB Cape Town 12 ONERUN it struck me that I needed to fear no one,” says Gelant. “In my preparations for the Olympics (5000m) I firmly believed that I could come back with a medal and even trained to get my body to a point where, if needed, I could run a 52-second last lap.”

Whilst Gelant was not able to get near the medals in Rio (he finished 13th in the final), it is this new found confidence that is exciting to behold. “At the Cape Town 12 ONERUN I was in great shape and could feel it. I could answer any surge with ease. It was only in the final kilometre that the wheels came off a bit. I have trained differently now to make sure that in that final kilometre I can not only stick with the leaders but also challenge and even beat them.”

Mokoka loves the rivalry. “I have always said that I want to see more Mokoka’s and Gelant’s out there. We need to have these rivalries if we are going to be an international force again. We have the talent. I love racing against Elroy; he brings out the best in me. Hopefully, our racing will encourage the others to also reach the standard that we have been setting of late so that we can be a challenge on the international circuit again. I have the SA 10km record on the road (27:38 – Manchester, 2015) and Elroy has the SA 5000m record (13:04.88 – Hengelo, 2016). We should be challenging internationally.”

The two have met three times in 2016 with Mokoka holding the edge at 2 wins to 1. Gelant won the SA 10km road championships, before Mokoka beat him to the SA 5000m title in Stellenbosch in April and also was too good at the Cape Town 12 ONERUN in May.

Both athletes are looking forward to the FNB Joburg 10K CITYRUN. “We bring out the best in each other when we race,” says Mokoka. “So we can promise that you will see a great race on 24 September. Hopefully the other guys (Lucky Mohale, Sibusiso Nzima, Gladwin Mzazi) are also in great shape, so that we can have a big race.”

“For me it is always special when I race against Stephen,” says Gelant. “We have pushed the boundaries a bit and I know that on 24 September we will once again push each other. It is also exciting to now have the Joburg 10K CITYRUN to go with the Cape Town 12 ONERUN. We need more races like this to raise the standard of the sport in the country.”

Along with Mokoka and Gelant, the race has also confirmed the likes of Sibusiso Nzima (Rio Olympic Marathon), Gladwin Mzazi and Lucky Mohale as well as 1500m specialist Jerry Motsau who recently showed the country’s top milers a clean pair of heals in the Randburg Harries Street Mile.

The FNB Joburg 10K CITYRUN boasts an impressive prize purse of R190 000.00

To view the complete prize purse breakdown visit: http://www.joburg10k.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/FNB-JOBURG-10K-CITYRUN-PRIZE-MONEY-BREAKDOWN-2016-1.pdf

EVENT INFORMATION:

Date: Saturday, 24 September 2016 (Heritage Day)
Time: 08:00
Start Venue: FNB Bank City Johannesburg
Finish Venue: Mary Fitzgerald Square Newtown

The streets of Johannesburg will come alive with activity with lively performances from leading dance groups: Moving into Dance Mophatong, The Johannesburg Youth Ballet and The Field Band Foundation.

The action of the inaugural event will be closed off by South African folk swing band, Rubber Duc.

Charity Support: When entering online, runners can choose to support either or both of the FNB Joburg 10K CITYRUN Charities: the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation and the Johannesburg SPCA.

Each entrant will receive a magnificent PUMA ®Performance Event Tee.

Like our Facebook page: The Johannesburg Heritage Foundation / Johannesburg SPCA / Joburg-10K
Follow us on Twitter: @JoburgHeritage / @JhbSPCA / @joburg10K
Follow us on Instagram: @Joburg10K

For more information on the FNB Joburg 10K CITYRUN email entries@joburg10k.com or visit www.joburg10k.com

About the FNB Joburg 10K CITYRUN sponsorship

FNB Business has decided to sponsor the FNB Joburg 10K CITYRUN because we believe in supporting a race that encourages people to run and know their city; a race that will re-invent how people perceive and experience the city centre. The FNB Bank City buildings are well-known and iconic buildings in the Johannesburg CBD and the precinct was recently revamped in 2015 with three lifestyle concepts of Work, Eat & Play in mind. For many years it has been viewed as traditional banking headquarters; however the recent revamp has positively changed the experience of the precinct. The additions of new restaurants, coffee shops, health & beauty stores and other stores of interest have been well received. Sponsoring the FNB Joburg 10K CITYRUN is aligned to our belief in the importance of rejuvenating and reviving the city centre so it remains relevant.

“All of us face Giants, but no Giant is too big to face” – Jamie Marais.

24 summits of Table Mountain in 48 hours. A Guinness World Record attempt for the greatest vertical height on a bicycle. Paddling the 676km length of the longest lake in the world on a stand up paddle board. A speed ascent/descent of the highest mountain in Africa.

These are the “giants” that professional athlete Jamie Marais from Cape Town will be facing in 2016. “South Africa is currently facing massive challenges. Many people have lost hope and depression is currently one of the leading causes of death because people simply cannot cope with the challenges of life and difficult personal circumstances,” says Jamie.

As a response, Jamie decided to look for four of the biggest physical challenges he could find in South and Central Africa, which he will face using various sporting disciplines. The challenges are extremely tough and most have never been attempted before. He hopes to inspire people to realise that “no giant is too big to face” as well as raise funds for the Sabrina Love Foundation who care for children with special needs.

“I wanted to use my physical ability to help people with a physical disability, people who could never do sort of things many of us do without even thinking on a day to day basis,” says Jamie.

On the 20th of June 2016, Jamie made history by becoming the first person to ever run up and down Lions Head in Cape Town for twelve consecutive hours, summiting twelve times and thus achieving the greatest number of consecutive summits of Lions Head ever recorded.

Running up and down the steep, loose, rocky climb of Lions Head, nonstop, for twelve hours, Jamie covered more than 60 kilometres straight up and down in the process with almost five thousand meters of vertical gain.

“I was pretty tired afterwards, but very happy”, said Jamie. “This was actually part of my training to test myself and see how my body responds to prolonged extreme physical effort.”

Jamie’s twelve summits of Lions Head is the most number of consecutive summits ever recorded. The four extreme challenges Jamie is training for, collectively referred to as the “Four Giants Challenge” take place over a period of approximately 6 to 12 months in iconic but challenging natural settings such as Table Mountain, Du Toits Kloof Pass, Mount Kilimanjaro and Lake Tanganyika, the longest lake in the world.

Jamie’s first challenge will be to run up Table Mountain 24 times in 48 hours, resulting in approximately 72km of vertical running and a staggering vertical ascent of over 18000 meters – twice the height of Everest. His second challenge will be an official Guinness World Record Attempt for the greatest vertical height on a bicycle in 12 hours.

Jamie will achieve this by cycling up and down a mountain pass as many times as possible in a 12-hour period. He will then face the third Giant, Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania, where he faces the immense challenge of crossing the 676km lake on a stand up paddle board, becoming the first person in history to ever attempt this.

With storm-driven waves of up to 6 meters, large colonies of hippos and some of the largest recorded crocodiles in the world, Lake Tanganyika is an incredibly dangerous place and paddling for 10 to 14 days consecutively on a stand up paddle board is a formidable challenge.

Finally, Jamie will travel to Kenya where he will attempt a speed ascent/descent of Mount Kilimanjaro – the highest mountain in Africa – which he hopes to run up and down in under 10 hours. As a man who has overcome tremendous personal challenges including his own personal battle against drugs as a teenager.

Jamie, now forty years of age, has been married for sixteen years and has three children and believes that “no giant is too big to face” and anything is possible. Now, Jamie has made history by becoming the first person to climb the iconic Table Mountain a staggering 22 times in 28 hours, ascending nearly twice the height of Everest and climbing 16000 vertical meters, effectively setting a world record for the greatest number of summits of Table Mountain ever attempted over two days.

This immense challenge was the first of four extreme solo challenges Jamie is taking on to inspire South Africans to believe in themselves and to raise awareness and support for Sabrina Love Foundation, who care for children with special needs.

“I am ecstatically happy with this achievement and could not have done this without the help of the incredible team of support crew who volunteered on the day, and all of our partners and sponsors,” says Jamie.

“I suffered incredibly from the very first summit as I had been experiencing pain in my right ITB and hip flexor. From the first ascent I was literally limping across the top of Table Mountain to the cable car which shuttled me back down after each summit, and to be honest, I wasn’t even sure I would be able to complete more than five summits based on how extreme my pain was.”

Waking up on day two, Jamie was absolutely knackered, but up ready to face the mountain again. On his very first ascent, about 50m up the climb, Jamie’s whole body packed up and he was doubled over on the trail with tears streaming down his face wondering how on earth he was going to keep climbing the mountain over and over for another fourteen hours.

“To be honest, I wasn’t even sure I would make it to the top of that 13^th summit. On summits 13 and 14, I moved through a deep, dark tunnel and finally emerged into summit 15 feeling much better.”

Jamie attributes this achievement – a world first – to his strong faith, excellent support team and his ability to push through pain.

“This was a team effort and there is absolutely no way that I would have been able to do this without the help and support of Patrick Cromwell from Awesome South Africans, Tony and Suzy Lubner, Jane Pitchford and Kirsten Rowlands representing Sabrina Love Foundation, my wife, brothers, friends, cousins and amazing support crew, Wahida Parker, Mike Williams and the entire staff of Table Mountain Aerial Cable Way, SANParks, ER24 paramedics Joshua and Grant, Grant the amazing ECO from NCC Environmental Services and all our incredible sponsors for this challenge – Barloworld Toyota, Salomon SA, Suunto SA, RaceFood, Compex SA, Spot Africa, TMAC, ER24, NCC, Awesome South Africans, Bester Physiotherapy, Caitlin Payne Sports Massage and our incredible photographer on location, Julian Goldswaine.”

For more information on the Four Giants Extreme Endurance Challenge, click on the button below!

Here at Modern Athlete, we aim to go bigger and better than everybody else. This is why we partnered with the Huddle Park Inter-Club Time Trial Challenge, proudly hosted by Huddle Park on the amazing trails built by DirtLab. This exciting Inter-Club Time Trial Series invites 6 different clubs from the greater Edenvale Area. All athletes are able to take part and the whole family is able to come along and enjoy the trails.

Everybody's run will be timed by ChampionChip on the new TimeChamp System. Simply log onto the TimeChamp website and register as an athlete in order to take part. We will be on hand to help at each event and should you wish to run in your free time, the instructions are easily displayed on our TimeChamp Instruction board.

With 6 events taking place, the first on Thursday, 29 September 2016. We hope to see you there! The first event will be followed by four more events on the 27th of October, the 24th of November, the 26th of January 2017 as well as the 24th of February 2017. Be there and support your club!

Following on with our weekly feature, we give you a sneak peak at some of the greatest events that are coming up. Trail Races for those die hard trail runners as well as road races for those road running junkies. We have got it all for you!

1. Old Mutual Wild Series Mont-Aux-Sources

Make no mistake, the Old Mutual Mont-Aux-Sources is a tough race, but it's definitely worth the blood, sweat and tears. An experience of a lifetime that will take you through some of the country's most rugged yet beautiful scenery. This race is a spectacular adventure and is worth every post-race ache that you will suffer. It all goes down this Saturday, 10 September 2016. Its just you and the 50km of Drakensburg Trail that you need to conquer!

2. Run For Hope

Take part in this wonderful charity event organised by the Four Seasons Hotel in Johannesburg. This exciting event will be held on Sunday, 11 September 2016 from 8am and offers a 5km as well as a 7.5km route to all taking part. Runners and walkers can take part in this event and can enjoy a pancake breakfast after the race. Proceeds for this event will be used to help establish programmes that create a better life for the increasing number of Cancer survivors.

3. The Cochoqua 3-Day Trail Race

Amoija events is proud to bring you this gruelling 3-day stage race in the heart of Cape Town. Taking place from Friday, 23 September to Sunday, 25 September 2016. The picturesque Boschendal Wine Estate will play host to this year's event. Runners will be challenged by some of the most rugged terrain and although distances might be shorter, watch out for that total ascent number…

4. KPMG Durban Relay 2016

KPMG Running Club is proud to bring you this exciting relay event! This race is a fantastic way to ignite team spirit and to put teamwork into action. Running teams of four and walking teams of three will compete in male, female and mixed categories in order to claim the title of the fastest relay team in Durban. This is a great opportunity for corporates, universities, clubs, schools and family and friends to battle it out. It all goes down on Saturday, 24 September 2016. Find out more below!

5. Capegate Clicks Charity Run

Gather the family and join in on the fun at this year's Capegate Clicks Charity Run which celebrates it's 10th year this year! The Capegate Clicks annual 5km Fun Run and 10km Race will take place on Saturday, 1 October 2016 and all proceeds from the 5km will be donated to the Clicks Helping Hands Trust. Join us with your pets and prams as over 3000 athletes take to the streets of Cape Town. Click below to find out more!

This week, we give you a sneak peek at upcoming events that you need to add to your racing calendar. Take a look at the events below and make your racing plans.

1. KPMG Durban Relay

The KPMG Durban Relay will be taking place on Saturday, 24 September 2016. This race is a fantastic initiative and is the perfect way to ignite team spirit and put teamwork into action whilst having fun. Running teams of four and walking teams of three will compete in male, female and mixed categories over a 5km flat course along the Umgeni River and the Durban Promenade. This is a great opportunity for corporates, universities, clubs, schools, family and friends to battle it out in order to claim bragging rights as the fastest team in Durban. Come and enjoy a festive atmosphere before, during and after the race with music, entertainment, food, beer and a supervised children's play area. All fitness levels and all ages welcome. Enter now.

3. Aucor Wanderers Road Race

This race is an absolute gem. Winding its way through the beautiful streets of Illovo and Killarney, the Aucor Wanderers Road Race has got something for everyone. Whether you are out to smash your 21km PB or just going for a good 10km or 5km jog, everyone is welcome. Bring the family along for a day of exercise as we cover the streets of Jozi in busy running bodies! Click below to find out more.

3. Dawn to Dusk 2016
Races like these are hard to find but when the Dawn to Dusk Circuit Race comes around, many people know about it. This race is a demanding and very challenging race for all who take part. With a 1km course that winds its way through the Akasia High School, runners must try and complete as many laps of the course as possible with 12 hours. Are you up for the challenge? The record distance for a team entry into this race is 152km. That means you’ll need to do 153 laps in order to break the race record. Will we see you there?

4. Randburg Harriers Street Mile
A street mile… What’s that? Well, bring yourself down to the Randburg Sports Complex as we introduce you to this exciting form of racing. The Randburg Harriers Street Mile challenges runners to run a 1.6km route as fast as they possibly can, however if this event does not appeal to you, you can always take part in the 10km challenge on the day. Click below to find out more about this exciting form of racing!

For more information, click on the button below and view the full Modern Athlete events calendar.

As we run through the cold of August into the warmer weather of September and October, we at Modern Athlete have got the perfect events for you. Whether you’re looking to run marathons, or just keeping the legs going on a small 10km, we have it all for you!

Take a look at our top event picks for the coming weeks and start filling up your running race calendar.

AGS Groen Weivelde Grace Race

The 2016 edition of this event will take place on Saturday, 27 August 2016 at the Greenhills Sports Grounds in Randfontein, Johannesburg. The event will consist of a 21km Bike Race as well as a 5km Fun Run and a Kiddies Dash.

All sports clubs are welcome to take part in the event and schools, businesses and other churches are encouraged to get involved! The bike race will come at a cost of R80 while the fun run and kiddies das will cost R50 and R30 respectively.

For more information on this event, click on the button below!

Dawn 2 Dusk Circuit Race

The demanding Dawn 2 Dusk 12 Hour Circuit Race is back! This 1km loop is situated in the Akasia High School and demands a lot from athletes looking to take part. This race can be run as an individual or as part of a team.

The winners in each category are chosen at the end of the 12 hours by the longest distance they can run within 12 hours. This is definitely not the race for sissies…

The record for the event is 152km (152 laps), will you accept the challenge?

Aucor Wanderers Road Race

The Aucor Wanderers Road Race is back and bigger than before! This year, the race will offer a 21km Half-Marathon as well as a 10km Race and a 5km Fun Run/Walk. The perfect event for the entire family!

This run will take you through the beautiful streets of Illovo on Sunday, 28 August 2016 starting at the Wanderers Athletics Club in Illovo. Athletes will receive an Asics long sleeve shirt for only R75.

Click below to find out more.

If you’re looking to grow your racing plans, take a look at the Modern Athlete race calendar and schedule your running events! With Marathons, Half-Marathons, as well as 10km and 5km Races, we have it all for you.

Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls of all ages, have we have got some races for you!  Whether you’re looking for a long distance marathon to get the legs going or just a small 10km run to keep fit and active, we have the event for you!

Old Eds Half-Marathon & 10km

This is the ideal race to get you going again after Comrades. This easy run takes you through the beautiful suburbs of Houghton, Illovo and Killarney providing a scenic route for all taking part. With around 3000 entrants – and growing – it’s the perfect event for all.

With a reasonable flat course with the odd climb here and there, this route is perfect for those looking to kick-start their running careers. This event is not to be missed in Jozi’s Spring weather. This year’s event will take place on Sunday, 7 August 2016!

Aucor Wanderers Road Race

This year’s race boasts added excitement as the Wanderers Athletics Club hosts this 21km, 10km as well as 5km Race. With three distances to choose from, one is really spoilt for choice when choosing a distance to run.

Taking place on Sunday, 28 August 2016, the Aucor Wanderers Road Race sets you off through the beautiful streets of Illovo, giving you a unique experience to the great outdoors. With awesome prizes on offer, we trust we will see you there?

The Cochoqua Trail – 3 Day

Amoija Events is excited to announce that this new trail race run right in the heart of the Boland has gained enough legs to get it going. Two years in the making and this event is now a hit! Runners will be challenged to take on the beautiful valleys in and around Stellenbosch and Banhoek.

This year’s event will start with an exciting 10km and 15km Prologue starting late on Friday afternoon, 23 September 2016. This will determine your starting position for the second day, but be warned! Distances might be shorter but total ascent is a lot more…

The Cochoqua Trail Run is not the event for sissies. This three-day trail event takes place in the picturesque Western Cape in the Boschendal area in Franschhoek. With solo entries as well as team entries on offer, will you and your partners accept the challenge?

On 14 July SASCOC announced the final Team South Africa squad for the 2016 Olympic Games to be held from 5-21 August in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, with 137 competitors set to travel to Rio, and once again the individual sporting code with the biggest presence in Team SA, other than team sports such as football, is athletics, with 39 athletes going to the Games. – BY SEAN FALCONER

The SA athletics team for Rio features an exciting mix of highly experienced athletes with Olympic, Commonwealth Games and World Champs experience, such as Caster Semenya, LJ van Zyl, Wayde van Niekerk, Sunette Viljoen and Khotso Mokoena, alongside up-and-coming athletes hungry to prove themselves on the biggest athletics stage, including high school sprinting prodigies Tlotliso Leotlela and Clarence Munyai.

Four other athletes in the team – Caster, Wayde, Wenda Nel and Stephen Mokoka –all qualified for more than one event, but will only concentrate on their speciality event. In terms of strong medal contenders, all eyes will be on Caster in the women’s 800m, as she broke the SA record and ran the fastest time in the world for the year in mid-July, while Wayde is reigning World Champ over 400m and looks to be in scintillating form, having run world class times (and Olympic qualifiers) from 100m to 400m in recent months.

In the field events, Sunette Viljoen is always in contention for a podium finish in the women’s javelin, and there are high hopes of a medal in triathlon from Richard Murray, who appears to have returned strongly from a recently broken shoulder bone.

Other events where South Africa traditionally does well include the men’s 400m hurdles and long jump, but all of our athletes have the potential to medal if they perform well in Rio.

The full teams for athletics and triathlon are:

ATHLETICS

Women:Carina Horn, Alyssa Conley, Tsholofelo Thipe, Justine Palframan, Caster Semenya, Wenda Nel, Dominique Scott, Lynique Prinsloo, Sunette Viljoen, Anel Oosthuizen

Women’s marathon:Irvette Van Zyl, Christine Kalmer, Lebo Phalula

Men:Akani Simbine, Henricho Bruintjies, Tlotliso Leotlela, Clarence Munyai, Anaso Jobodwana, Wayde van Niekerk, Jacob Rozani, Rynhardt van Rensburg, Elroy Gelant, Stephen Mokoka, Antonio Alkana, Lindsay Hanekom, Louis (LJ) van Zyl, Le Roux Hamman, Ruswahl Samaai, Luvo Manyonga, Stefan Brits, Khotso Mokoena, Rocco van Rooyen, Willem Coertzen, Lebogang Shange, Wayne Snyman, Marc Mundell

Men’s marathon:Lusapho April, Sibusiso Mzima, Lungile Gongqa

Managers/Coaches:Irma Reyneke, Paul Gorries, Terseus Liebenberg, Maryna van Niekerk, Pieter Lourens and James Moloi

TRIATHLON

Women:Gillian Sanders, Mari Rabie

Men:Richard Murray, Henri Schoeman

Manager/Coach:Kate Roberts, Lindsey Parry

In good news for the athletes and coaches going to Rio, SASCOC announced an incentive programme for the Games that will see medallists and their coaches receive a healthy pay-out as reward for their efforts, with 80% of the money going to the athlete and 20% to the coach.

So, an individual gold medallist will pocket R400,000 and the coach R100,000, a silver medallist will take home R200,000 and the coach R50,000, while a bronze medallist will earn R80,000 and the coach R20,000. The same amounts will be paid to any teams that earn medals at the Games, including relay teams, with 80% to be split equally amongst all team members, and 20% to be paid out to the head coach of that sport or event.

After the team announcement, SASCOC refuted the erroneous reports in some media that athletes travelling to Rio would have to pay their own way, or at least pay much of their own travelling costs. A SASCOC statement said that all athletes travelling with Team SA would depart on 23 July on a SAA flight to Brazil, and that no athletes would be paying for their flights.

Athletes could still choose to fly at another time, in which case their flights would be paid for by their sporting federation, which in turn would be reimbursed by SASCOC. After that, any athletes who booked their own flights would be reimbursed R12,000, up from the R10,000 paid out for the 2012 London Olympics.

“The reports in the media implying that all athletes have to pay for their flights are a complete distortion of the facts, and athletes have been fully briefed on this matter by their respective Federations,” said SASCOC Chief Executive Tubby Reddy in the statement.

Modern Athlete would like to wish all of our South African athletes the best for the Rio Olympics. We will be watching your progress and cheering you on from across the Atlantic Ocean, hoping you bring back the medals that your efforts deserve!