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Made for Her, the PUMA RUN XX

Roxanne MartinNewsLeave a Comment on Made for Her, the PUMA RUN XX

PUMA releases its first women’s specific running shoe!

For too long, running shoes have been made for men and then redesigned to fit a woman’s foot shape. This season, PUMA is rewriting that narrative with the Run XX NITRO, a running shoe made for her.

Named for the woman-specific double X chromosome DNA sequence, the Run XX stands behind PUMA’s ‘Run for Her’ positioning to prioritize female runners’ needs in the way we build and engineer our products. In collaboration with the University of Massachusetts Biomechanics Lab, PUMA launched a research study recruiting 224 runners who logged more than 36,000 miles over eight weeks. In conclusion, 81 percent of women in the study preferred the Run XX over the control shoe and said they liked the cushioning and responsiveness of the Run XX over the control.

“This was the first time we conducted a large-scale study on female runners and the results will help us shape our approach to women’s running shoes going forward,” said Erin Longin, General Manager of the Run/Train business unit at PUMA, adding, “I believe this study will help us to continue to support female runners and keep them running longer.”

The Run XX features a progressive, female-specific design. Featuring an updated fit that hugs a woman’s heel, instep, and arch, the running shoe’s new firmer NITRO Foam midsole is the perfect balance of durable and lightweight. The shoe’s RUN GUIDE promotes proper alignment and increased stability for longer distances.

“As a runner myself, I want to know my running shoes will support by own biomechanics because women are made differently, and the Run XX does exactly that,” said Erin.

Run XX NITRO will be available from 24 June 2022 on PUMA.com, PUMA Stores, Totalsports, Superbalist, and selected retailers with a retail price of R3199.

 

Breaking News: Two Oceans Marathon Entries Opening!

Roxanne MartinNewsLeave a Comment on Breaking News: Two Oceans Marathon Entries Opening!

The Two Oceans Marathon (TOM) is pleased to announce that entries for the 51st edition of the iconic Cape ultra and its accompanying half marathon will open on 11 February 2022 at 12pm (midday). The event will take place on Easter Weekend, with the Half Marathon taking place on Saturday 16 April, and the Ultra being run on Sunday 17 April.

This long-awaited announcement about entries will be welcome news to all the thousands of runners hoping to once again run the World ‘s Most Beautiful Marathon, after the race had to be cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions in South Africa. However, runners need to act fast, as entries will close again at 5pm on 20 February, and then all entries will go into the Ballot System, with successful entries to be drawn on 21 February.

Due to the expected demand, the Ballot System will be used for both the Ultra and Half Marathon, in line with international best practice. At different stages of the balloting process, the draw for successful entries 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 (versus non-licenced runners). Runners entering via the ballot only pay once their name has been successfully drawn in the ballot, and please note that runners may only enter one event, either the Ultra or the Half Marathon.

Ballot Draw Dates

All draws take place 21 February 2022, at the following times:

  • Ultra Marathon Draw 1: 10am
  • Ultra Marathon Draw 2: 2pm
  • Half Marathon Draw 1: 10am
  • Half Marathon Draw 2: 2pm

International and African runners do not enter via the ballot system, and can pay for and secure their entries straight away once entries open on 11 February. These entries will close when capacity is reached.

After general entries close on 20 February, the only way to get into the 2022 Two Oceans Marathon or Half Marathon will be via a Charity Entry, procured through one of the official charity organisations affiliated to the event, and these entries will open on 22 February at 10am. (Entry fees for Charity Entries will be uploaded once final charity partners have been confirmed.)

How To Enter

Go to the race’s homepage at www.twooceansmarathon.org.za when entries open and click ‘Enter Here.’ Create a profile if you do not yet have one on the system and then follow the prompts. If you already have a profile, log in and do the entry process.

Entry Fees

The 2022 entry fees have been ratified by the TOM Board and approved by Western Province Athletics. Take note that all South African runners for the Ultra need to be licensed and belong to a running club.

Entry Type

Ultra

Ultra T-Shirt included

Half Marathon

Half T-shirt is R195

Licensed SA Runners

R700

R375

Unlicensed SA Runners   

N/A

 

R435 (R375 + R60 for temp licence)

Africa Runners

R860

R690

International Athletes

R2575

R1800

Ultra Marathon Qualifiers

For health reasons, particularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, qualifying for the TOM Ultra is mandatory, and TOM strongly encourages runners to complete a physical road race as their qualifier. However, any officially timed and measured marathon or longer distance, whether in the form of an officially organised physical or virtual race, run after 1 July 2021, can be used as your qualifier. In the case of a virtual marathon, an official time would be as generated by a smartwatch, a timing app on a smartphone, or a timing platform. Unfortunately, you cannot simply run on your own and time yourself, your qualifying time must have been generated during a virtual event, and the Race Office will be conducting spot checks to verify qualifier information submitted.

For the Ultra Marathon, the qualifying time for a standard marathon distance (42.2km) is 5 hours. For qualifying times run on distances greater than a standard marathon, please go to www.twooceansmarathon.org.za/event_route_info/seeding

Half Marathon Seeding

In the Half Marathon, qualifying times are used to seed you so that faster runners line up at the front, with slower runners further back. We strongly advise that you to provide a seeding time, otherwise you will unfortunately start towards the back. Seeding is based on a previous 10km, 15km or 21.1km run after 𝟏 𝐉𝐔𝐋𝐘 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏: www.twooceansmarathon.org.za/event_race_day/seeding-2/

Startline Seeding

Due to COVID-19 regulations, the race will likely to be using multiple batches of 500 runners, starting two minutes apart, and runners will be seeded accordingly. It is not possible to give exact seeding tables as yet, but your seeding time will be used to place you in a batch appropriate to your running speed, and you will be advised of your batch closer to race day.

COVID-19 Protocols Relevant to Entering

On the advice of the TOM medical team, the below COVID-19 protocols will be observed. Kindly note that these may change with new development in the COVID-19 pandemic and the medical science related to it, as well as Disaster Management Act regulations:

  • You will have to upload proof of vaccination. If you are not vaccinated, you must present proof of a negative PCR/antigen test within 48 hours prior to attending any physical event, including Expo and your actual Race, at your own cost.
  • Please log in to your profile not more than 48 hours prior to any physical TOM event, including Expo/Race Pack Collection, to complete your COVID-19 pre-screening online. (We will send you reminders.)

Should you answer ‘yes’ to any COVID-19 risk factor during pre-screening, or fail the temperature check at Expo and Race Pack Collection, you will need to present proof of a negative COVID-19 test, at your own cost, taken not more than 48 hours prior to the physical event in question. Failure to do so will, unfortunately, result in you forfeiting your entry. Therefore, please remember to keep updating your profile and contact information.

In the Event of Race Cancellation…

In the event of the TOM 2022 being cancelled due to COVID-19, all runners who have paid will have their entries deferred to the next running of the Two Oceans Marathon.

For more information on entries or other race information, please read our FAQs at https://www.twooceansmarathon.org.za/event-info/faqs/ or contact us at 021 2000 459 (general queries) or 087 133 2285 (race-related queries), or email info@twooceansmarathon.org.za.

Running there… And back again!

Jason MartinFeaturesLeave a Comment on Running there… And back again!

These are strange times to be a road runner, and there are some really interesting running challenges being dreamt up, like the recent Cape to Mossel Bay Virtual Challenge. At just under 400km, it was already one of the longest virtual races on the calendar, but when Ismail Isaacs won the event, being the first to ‘run to Mossel Bay,’ he did the natural thing and promptly started ‘running back again!’ – By PJ Moses

Open publication - Free publishing

Running for the Babies

Roxanne MartinFeatures1 Comment on Running for the Babies

Three friends from Cape Town tackled a 100km road run – further than any of them had ever run before – to raise funds for a non-profit that looks after abandoned babies, and they took their sense of humour with them. We spoke to the intrepid trio of Angelo Adams, Esmund Van Wyk and Merlin Galant about their run, and we also have a humorous ‘race report’ by Angelo.
– By PJ Moses

treasure hunt

Oh So Close!

Roxanne MartinNewsLeave a Comment on Oh So Close!

So what do you do when you’ve shattered the Comrades Marathon women’s record, won the Two Oceans Marathon in near-record time, and posted the fastest marathon by a South African in years? You go after the SA Marathon record… and you don’t let a global pandemic get in the way. That’s what Gerda Steyn did in the recent London Marathon. – BY SEAN FALCONER

Lucky Miya

Third Time Lucky!

Roxanne MartinNewsLeave a Comment on Third Time Lucky!

They call it South Africa’s toughest mountain race, a life-changing adventure, and that’s why the K-Way SkyRun 100km is on many a trail runner’s bucket list, and winning it is one hell of a feather in the cap of any runner. And that makes it all the more impressive that Lucky Miya will be going after a third win this November. – BY SEAN FALCONER

2020 SPAR Grand Prix Likely to be Closest on Record

Roxanne MartinNewsLeave a Comment on 2020 SPAR Grand Prix Likely to be Closest on Record

Closest Series Yet!

The 2020 SPAR Grand Prix appears likely to be one of the closest in its 14-year history. The SPAR Grand Prix, which is one of the most important contests in South African road running, recognises the most successful athlete in the six SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge races, which take place around the country from March until October.

Prize money this year amounts to just under R550 000, not counting the prize money for individual races.

Runners accumulate points according to their position in each race, with the winner earning 20 points and the 20th placed runner earning one point.  They can also earn points by beating the winning time in the corresponding race in 2019.  All runners who beat this time receive 10-time incentive points.

Will Helalia Dominate Again?

Namibian runner Helalia Johannes dominated the 2019 SPAR Grand Prix winning all six races in record time.  She finished the competition with a full house of 180 points – the maximum possible. She was the first person to achieve this. In several races, the fast pace set by Johannes saw several other runners earning bonus points as well.

SPAR Grand Prix coordinator, Ian Laxton, says this is what will make the 2020 SPAR Grand Prix so competitive. “I don’t think we will see so many runners earning time points this year,” said Laxton, adding, “In fact, I think even Johannes will find it hard to beat the times she set last year.  This means that every point will count – I think there will be just two or three points between the top runners.”

“They won’t have that nice cushion of 10 points and they will have to run every race,” said Laxton.

Rewards for Up and Coming Runners!

Young up and coming runners will also be eligible for an exciting new award – the Breakthrough Runner of the Year.  This will be awarded to a South African athlete, who, in the opinion of the panel of judges, has shown the most improvement, and who has made an impact on the SPAR Challenge Series for the first time.  The winner will receive prize money of R20 000.

Race Ambassadors!

Three-times SPAR Grand Prix winner Rene Kalmer has once again been named an ambassador for the SPAR Grand Prix and this year she has been joined as ambassador by the 2017 winner, Kesa Molotsane.

“I am very happy and excited to be an ambassador for the SPAR Grand Prix,” said Molotsane. “Through the Grand Prix, SPAR has done much to empower women and I am very pleased to be able to give something back.  I believe I can offer hope to other women.”

Modern Athlete have been named media partners of the 2020 SPAR Grand Prix season and the series is endorsed by Athletics South Africa.

The first SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge race takes place in Port Elizabeth on Saturday March 21 and the second in Cape Town on Sunday April 5. The Grand Prix then moves to Durban (21 June) followed by Tshwane (1 August), back to KwaZulu-Natal for the Maritzburg race on 16 August and ends in the City of Joburg (4 October) which this year celebrates its 30th race Birthday.