Category: News

Track star and World Champion over 400m, Wayde van Niekerk pulled off a deserved clean-sweep of the main awards at the 2015 South African Sports Awards in Mangaung, Free State this past weekend.

He was named Sportsman of the Year and Sports Star of the Year, and he also walked off with the People’s Choice Award. Van Niekerk won gold in the 400-metre event at this year’s IAAF World Track and Field Championships in Beijing, China, as well as setting SA records in the 400, 300 and 200m events during the course of the year.

Cyclist Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio took the Sportswoman of the Year award after an excellent year that saw her win the road and time trial titles at the SA Championships, then win the Auensteiner-Radsporttage event in Germany, and become the first South African woman to break into the world’s top 10 ranking.

Another track star was amongst the awards was Paralympics sprinter Ilse Hayes, who took home the Sportswoman with a Disability of the Year award. The double gold medal-winner at the recent 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships also set a new World Record for 100m in her T12 class in Brazil earlier in the year. The Sportsman with a Disability Award went to Paralympic wheelchair tennis player Lucas Sithole.

The full list of winners was:

Sports Star of the Year: Wayde van Niekerk
People’s Choice Awards: Wayde van Niekerk
Steve Tshwete Lifetime Achievement Award: Rev Makhenkesi Arnold Stofile, Mohamed Margiet, Enos Mafokate, Dr Chomane Chomane
Sportsman of the Year: Wayde van Niekerk
Sportswoman of the Year: Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio
Volunteer of the Year: Nkosinathi Ngubane
Coach of the Year: Graham Hill
Sportswoman with a Disability: Ilse Hayes
Sportsman with a Disability: Lucas Sithole
Team of The Year: Springbok Sevens
Newcomer of the Year: Kagiso Rabada
Sport Journalist of the Year: Bareng-Batho Kortjaas
Photographer of the Year: Veli Nhlapo
Recreational Body of the Year: Indigo Skate Cam
Indigenous Games Star of the Year: KZN Dibeke Team
National Federation of the Year: Basketball SA
Administrator of The Year: Virginia Mabaso
School Team of the Year: St John’s College – Junior Men’s Pair
Developing School Team of the Year: Montshiwa Primary School

Cycling in South Africa continues to grow and gain popularity as a sport with more and more cyclists taking to the road and mountain bike trails every day. Some people even refer to cycling as “The new Golf – but for the whole family”. The steady increase in the number of cyclists on and off our roads demands a higher level of awareness and safety amongst cyclists and other road users.

Meet the Road Rangers
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In 2009 the Road Rangers identified the need for an organisation that is dedicated to the promotion of safety amongst cyclists in South Africa. In 2015 the Safety Initiave Road Rangers became a registered non-profitable organisation (Road Rangers) and also applied to be a socio economic contributor. The Road Rangers is a well-established organisation and all the Road Rangers who were registered at the end of 2014 form the core of the Road Rangers as we know it today.

Training, focus and dedication are all contributing factors in the success of the Road Rangers. This group of volunteers dedicate their time, energy, and very often their personal resources to the promotion of safety in sport. The Road Rangers focus specifically on providing a higher degree of safety for cyclists and these dedicated marshals have become beacons of safety on the road and during cycling events.
Road Rangers are required to undergo continuous training and development to meet the highest standards and gain in-depth knowledge of cycling rules, traffic regulations, points-man duty, traffic management and road control. The Road Rangers also play an important role in providing safe passage when motorists want to pass pelotons or face approaching pelotons crossing white lines into the oncoming lanes. Competitive cyclists are also managed in accordance with road rules as required by traffic authorities, ensuring a higher level safety for cyclists and other road users during sport events.

Road Rangers ethos and challenges
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Rain or shine, the Road Rangers are out on the road every weekend of the year where they create safety awareness, train cyclists, manage traffic, and maintain decorum by reducing confusion and aggression between cyclists and other road users.

The Road Rangers are working with a number of traffic authorities to secure more recognition which proves to be a very challenging task. 2016 looks very promising as the Road Rangers continue on their quest to create awareness, also working with Cycle Lab where proper marshalling is provided as part of the Cycle Lab cyclist training programme.
Cyclists are encouraged to join a cycling club, like Cycle Lab, where they are exposed to proper marshalling. This is especially important for non-professional or social riders who do not have regular exposure and don’t understand the process of being marshalled. “Cyclists often get impatient with marshals because they are not use to being marshalled. When faced with the unknown, cyclists tend to be abusive towards marshals – the very people who volunteer their time, energy and resources to ensure the safety of cyclists and other road users”, says Road Rangers vice chairman, Hedley Judd.
Road Rangers work closely with commissaries (CSA) during cycling events to provide quick feedback and control of the competitors, time gaps, convoys, and general public.
Road Rangers are not medics and only some of the Road Rangers are first aid qualified. In the event of an accident the Road Ranger’s first goal is to first secure the scene and then provide other assistance as best possible. Cyclists’ safety on the road is the main objective and it is important that cyclists adhere to warnings.

Get involved and support the Road Rangers
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Like most non-profitable organisations, the Road Rangers rely primarily on sponsors and private funding to accomplish their mission. One of the main challenges faced by the Road Rangers is to keep their members motivated and involved despite a lack of funding.
Income from services rendered by the Road Rangers cover the basic expenses while additional expenses like training, essential equipment and maintenance of motor cycles / quad bikes are often funded by the Road Rangers in their personal capacity.

Road Rangers are clearly visible to athletes and road users. They perform their duties all across central South Africa in high-traffic zones and at prestigious sport events every weekend of the year, regardless of weather conditions. The Road Rangers regalia make provision for sponsored branding opportunities and interested sponsors are invited to contact the Road Rangers for more information and available opportunities.

Become a Road Ranger
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You can also become a member of this élite team. The Road Rangers covers both on and off-road events and, as a motorcycle enthusiast, you will never find a better opportunity to ride in places that would otherwise be off-limits to motorbikes.
In order to become a Road Ranger you will need a road-worthy licensed motorbike, correct and current drivers license and insurance on your motorbike. Applications to become a Road Ranger can be sent directly to Craig Bezuidenhout at the Road Rangers.
All candidates are required to appear for an interview with one of the committee members in order to determine suitability and complete all the required documentation. All approved candidates will be required to undergo training on Saturdays and reach a certain level of competency before being deployed in the field.
The Road Rangers is not a bike-club and they are not out to source or gain new members as you would expect from a bike-club. Being a Road Ranger is not about being a biker, it is all about marshalling and the safety of cyclists.

“It is out of courtesy that cyclists get through safely. We can’t enforce the law, we bring people through safely.” – Craig Bezuidenhout (Road Rangers Chairman) during his interview with Eksportief at Cycle Lab, Fourways.

“Being a Road Ranger is not about being a biker, it is all about marshalling and the safety of cyclists.” – Hedley Judd (Road Rangers vice chairman) during his interview with Eksportief at Cycle Lab, Fourways.

Book the Road Rangers for your cycling event
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In order to book the Road Rangers for your event the following standard process will apply:

1. Initial contact and date reservation.
2. Formal quotation will be issued by the Road Rangers.
3. If the quotation is accepted by the organiser an invoice will be generated.
4. Once payment is received (at least 14 days prior to an event) the booking is secured.
5. Once the quotation is accepted by the organiser it is expected that the Road Rangers chair person be included in the organising team / committee.

Contact the Road Rangers:
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Website: www.roadrangers.co.za
E-mail: committee@roadrangers.co.za
Chairman: Craig Bezuidenhout (Cell: 082-952 9794)
Vice chairman: Hedley Judd
Secretary: Erika Bezuidenhout
Mountain bike coordinator and training captain: Greg Hegland
Website, forum and training captain: Edwin Smith
Event coordinator: Louis Naude

The first road running event to officially pledge to support the Modern Athlete #RunClean campaign is the Vital Winelands Run in Stellenbosch in November, and we’re challenging more events to sign up as we work towards cleaning up the litter problem in our races.

Late in September an e-mail arrived from Clinton Logie, head of the joint organising committee at Helderberg Harriers AC and Run Walk For Life Somerset West for the annual Vital Winelands Marathon, Half Marathon & 10km event, saying that they want their event to officially support the #RunClean Campaign. The Winelands has been on the calendar for over 30 years and is a very popular road run through the picturesque Stellenbosch and Somerset West wine route area, so litter along the roads is a real eyesore and something the organisers want to eradicate.

Clinton wrote that the organising committee met and discussed ways to support the campaign, and came up with the following ideas:

1. Print posters that can be displayed at the various pre-race registration points, promoting #RunClean and urging runners not to litter on the route by using the bins, or carrying refuse to the next water station or the finish.

2. Commit to having more refuse bins on the route, placed in such a way as to encourage runners to use them, perhaps with #RunClean posters displayed at water tables as well.

3. Use social media and newsletter mailers to increase awareness of the #RunClean campaign and the race’s efforts to support the campaign.

4. Get the race day announcer to promote the #RunClean theme and urge runners not to litter on the route.

5. Supply cups at the finish area for water, instead of water sachets, as the littering of sachets around the finish venue and parking areas was quite a problem last year. Water canisters will then be positioned just beyond the finish area for runners to fill their cups, and bins will be prominently positioned for throwing away used cups.

6. Come up with an idea to incentivise runners to bring their plastic rubbish to the finish and then photograph them throwing used sachets into a special #RunClean bin at the finish line, with a prize courtesy of the sponsors going to the best #RunClean supporter, as chosen by the organisers, based on their efforts to #RunClean. A selection of these photos of #RunClean runners will then be published and promoted on the Modern Athlete website and in the magazine.

7. Ask runners to Tweet about their #RunClean efforts in the race, or pics of them doing their part not to litter, also tagging the race and sponsor as well, and one lucky tweeter, randomly selected, will also receive a prize from the sponsors.

As Clinton summarised in his mail, “The overall feeling in the committee is that littering by the runners along the route is a problem, and we need to keep on with the raising of awareness to stop this, and to do whatever it takes to support the #RunClean campaign.”

Modern Athlete would like to thank Helderberg Harriers, RWFL Somerset West and Vital for coming on board with #RunClean, and we trust this will be just the first of many events to do so.

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We would love to hear from you about your efforts to #RunClean, so send your letters, photographs or ideas to letters@modernathlete.co.za.

Think before you throw – #RunClean

The fact that the South African athletics season is out of sync with the international calendar is a major problem in local athletics.

Danie Cornelius (Tuks Athletics Manager), who has been elected as Chairman of the Track and Field Commission of Gauteng North Athletics, is fully aware of it.

“It is time that we as sports administrators should realize that sport should be about the athletes. With apologies to the late John F. Kennedy, we should not ask what our athletes can do for us as administrators but rather what we can do for them. If we want our athletes to be successful we need to get in line with what is happening internationally,” Cornelius said.

“That is why I will, for the first time, allow the province’s top athletes who represented South Africa at the World Championships in Beijing to decide for themselves whether they want to compete in any of next year’s league meetings or the provincial championships.

“In the past athletes were compelled to participate at the provincial championships in order to be selected for the South African Championships. I think we put our athletes at a disadvantage when we expect them to start competing in February and to peak at the provincial championships and then again at the South African Championships.”

“I am also not going to force Akani Simbine (Tuks/HPC), joint SA record holder in the 100 metres (9.97s), to represent the university in the Varsity Cup Series meetings. At the most he might be part of the relay team. Luckily there are so many good sprinters at Tuks that we can afford to rest him.

“We made a big mistake in 2014 by expecting Akani to represent Tukkies at all the Varsity Cup meetings, as well as at the South African Student Championships and the National Championships.

At most of the meetings he raced the 100 metres as well as the 200 metres and sometimes the 4×100-relay as well. As a result he was totally over-raced when his international season started.”

“I will be honest. If Akani should qualify for the 100-metre final at the Games it will mean more to the University than if he should win a race at the Varsity Cup meeting or the South African Student Championships. Actually the same goes for all the province’s top athletes. It is time that everybody involved in athletics should realize that an Olympic medal is the ultimate achievement.”

Over 19 000 runners took to the streets of Soweto in the Old Mutual Soweto Marathon on Sunday morning, 1 November. The race started and finished at the Expo Centre in Johannesburg (NASREC), connecting runners from all over the world to six significant heritage sites dotted along the 42.2km marathon route, including Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, Walter Sisulu Square, Regina Mundi Catholic Church, Morris Isaacson High School, Vilakazi Street and Hector Pieterson Memorial.

The marathon men’s race was won by defending champion, Sintayehu Legese Yinesu from Ethiopia, who crossed the finish line in a time of 2:23:20. Zimbabwean Mike Fokoroni took second place in 2:24:12, followed by John Kirui from Kenya (2:24:42). “I feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity by Old Mutual, Soweto Marathon and the support from Nedbank Sport Athlete Development Initiative through their development of Ethiopian as well as South African runners,” said Yinesu. “Without their support it would not have been possible for me to defend my title.”

In the women’s race, Kenyan Harriet Jepchumba Chebore led the marathon field home in a time of 2:50:15. Second place went to Amelework Fikadu Bosho in 2:50:15 and in third place, Selam Abere Alebachew ofthiopia completed the marathon in 2:52:03. The two marathon winners each take home R200,000 in prize money.

In the half marathon, Akopo Africa showed fine form to win the women’s title in 1:19:34, while Elroy Gelant took line honours in the men’s race in 1:06:33. Meanwhile, the 10km men’s title went to Namakoe Lucky Nkasi, and Rutendo Nyahora took the women’s title.

For the first time all three routes took runners through the heart of Soweto, allowing all participants to revel in the township’s rich history. “True to tradition, The People’s Race attracted widespread support, with Soweto residents lining the streets, which added a unique spirit and atmosphere to this occasion,” said Mokaedi Dilotsotlhe, Chief Marketing Officer of Old Mutual Emerging Markets. “With Soweto’s rich history and diverse culture as backdrop to the race, we believe that it’s a race every South African should do at least once in their life, and we’re looking forward to returning next year for the 2016 Old Mutual Soweto Marathon, to give the rest of South Africa the opportunity to experience it for themselves.”

Please note that runners registered for the Old Mutual Soweto Marathon are receiving false SMS messages instructing them to collect their race packs from the Union Buildings in Pretoria and to bring R50 along.

The Soweto Marathon Trust along with Old Mutual urge everyone who has received the SMS to ignore it as the information is false.

Race pack collection will take place at Johannesburg Stadium and without any payment due by runners. The venue will open for runners to collect their race packs from 09:00 – 18:00 on Thursday and Friday, 29 and 30 October 2015 with extended hours on Saturday, 31 October 2015 from 09:00 to 19:00.

Further details regarding collection will be communicated to all registered runners directly from the organising committee.

Runners are advised to follow all further updates on Twitter via @SowetoMarathon or visit the website on www.sowetomarathon.com.

Caroline Wöstmann (Nedbank/HPC) and Akani Simbine (Tuks/HPC) deservedly received the Sportswoman and Sportsman awards at the Gauteng Sports Award function recently.

For Wöstmann it has been a quite busy weekend. On Saturday she proved that her training for the New York Marathon (1 November) is on track by winning the Capital Classic 21km.

The Comrades and Two Oceans champion just loves a good challenge and she has decided to try to qualify in the marathon for next year’s Olympic Games in Rio.

Lindsey Parry, Wöstmann’s Tuks/HPC coach, is quietly optimistic that she will be able to do so.
“Caroline is injury free and she has been training really hard. The fact that she was able to improve on all her best times over the various distances, is even more important. But I don’t want to put her under unnecessary pressure by speculating about the time she might be expected to run in New-York. I think that would be unfair, but I am prepared to say is that I am confident that she will improve significantly on her marathon time.”

One of the reasons why Wöstmann proved to be successful as an ultra-racer is her ability to not allow herself to be intimidated by her opponents. At the Two Oceans and the Comrades she managed to stick to her game plan, no matter what. She is hoping for a repeat performance in New York.
“I have no idea what will happen. I can only promise that I will run the best marathon I can, hoping that there will be doors that will open for me. If I do qualify for the Olympics, I plan to race another marathon in April. If I do not qualify, I will definitely be at the Two Oceans and Comrades again,” she said in an earlier interview.

The fact that Simbine received the Gauteng Sportsman of the year award is no surprise. On 1 July, when he won the 100 metres in a time of 9.99 seconds in Velenje, he became only the second South African athlete to break through the 10-second barrier.

He then went on to win the 100 metres in 9.97s at the Student Games in Gwangju, South Korea, equalling the South African record set by Henricho Bruintjies four days earlier. He is the first local sprinter to have twice broken 10 seconds in the 100 metres.

Next year’s Comrades Marathon ‘down-run’ has netted over a third of its 20-thousand entry tally in the first three weeks of its entry process.

With one week to go before the close of early bird entries exclusive to South African athletes, the Comrades Marathon Association has urged runners to be proactive and take advantage of the reduced entry fee.

The early bird entry fee of R380 is valid until 30 September 2015. CMA Race Director, Rowyn James has reminded all South African athletes that there is only one week remaining before it expires.

James says, ‘We hope to have as many South African runners as possible take advantage of this special offer and be part of the 45th ‘Comrades down-run’. As of 1 October, the South African entry fee will increase to R420.’

More than 7300 entries have already been received since the 2016 Comrades Marathon entry process opened on 1 September 2015. Please visit www.comrades.com to view the rising entry barometer.

The three month long entry process will close on 30 November 2015 or as soon as the entry cap of 20,000 has been reached. Entry fees for the 2016 Comrades Marathon are as follows:
• Local Entries : R 420.00
• Rest of Africa : R 700.00
• International : R2400.00

Entry is free to all runners who have completed the Comrades Marathon 25 times or more.

Runners can enter as follows:
• online via the Comrades Marathon website: www.comrades.com;
• by posting their completed entry form with proof of payment to the CMA Office in Pietermaritzburg:
P.O. Box 100621, Scottsville, 3209;
• by handing in their completed entry form together with the original bank deposit slip at the CMA office in Pietermaritzburg.

Entry forms are available at local running clubs, provincial sporting federations and the CMA office; as well as selected qualifying races which the Comrades Team will be attending from September to November.

Next year’s down-run will be the 91st edition of the world’s greatest ultra-marathon on Sunday, 29 May 2016. The race starts at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall at 05h30 and ends 12 hours later at the Sahara-Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban, covering a distance of around 90km.

Springbok rugby players have often graced the pages of both Modern Athlete and Modern Cyclist magazines. And because we are definitely and unashamedly South African supporters and we are all rather “sport-crazy”, the “gang” at our Johannesburg offices decided to wear SA rugby supporters’ jerseys in honour of our boys who are currently warming up for their first 2015 Rugby World Cup game against Japan, scheduled to kick off tomorrow afternoon.

The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) has confirmed that more than 6500 entries have already been received since the 2016 Comrades Marathon entry process opened on 1 September 2015.

CMA Race Director, Rowyn James has reminded all South African athletes that there are only two weeks remaining before the special early bird entry fee of R380 expires.

James says, ‘We hope to have as many South African runners take advantage of this special offer. As of 1 October, the South African entry fee will increase to R420.’

The three month long entry process will close on 30 November 2015 or as soon as the entry cap of 20,000 has been reached. Entry fees for the 2016 Comrades Marathon are as follows:
• Local Entries : R 420
• Rest of Africa : R 700
• International : R2400

Entry is free to all runners who have completed the Comrades Marathon 25 times or more.

Runners can enter as follows:
• online via the Comrades Marathon website: www.comrades.com;
• by posting their completed entry form with proof of payment to the CMA Office in Pietermaritzburg:
P.O. Box 100621, Scottsville, 3209;
• by handing in their completed entry form together with the original bank deposit slip at the CMA office in Pietermaritzburg.

Entry forms are available at local running clubs, provincial sporting federations and the CMA office; as well as selected qualifying races which the Comrades Team will be attending from September to November.

Next year’s down-run will be the 91st edition of the world’s greatest ultra-marathon on Sunday, 29 May 2016. The race starts at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall at 05h30 and ends 12 hours later at the Sahara-Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban, covering a distance of around 90km.

Please visit www.comrades.com for any information about the race. There is even an entry barometer which shows how many runners have entered the race.