MARATHON ON CAPE TOWN’S ROADS
Entries for an unusual South African marathon in Cape Town with prize monies exceeding R500 000-00, close on September 3.
Jointly sponsored by NEDBANK, the Premier’s Office and the City of Cape Town, the Cape Town Marathon aims to position itself as an important annual event on the international running calendar. Ultimately, it hopes to take its place among the great City Marathons of the world such as the London and New York Marathons, that are famous not only for athletics but for the fun and enjoyment they provide for participants and spectators.
The Nedbank City of Cape Town Marathon – Memory On The Move, takes place on Sunday, September 16 and is the only race of its kind in the country to start and finish on city roads.
The event consists of three races through the city - a full 42 km marathon, a 10 km, and a 5 km race. Entry fees for the marathon are R65, the 10 km R30, and, for the 5 km, R5. Temporary licences for the marathon and 10 km race cost R15 and are available for non-club members. Fun runners do not need a licence. All three routes link up with various sites of memory of the Cape Town Memory Project.
Prize money for 1st place in the 42 km race is R60 000 and the winner in the 10 km race will receive R5 000.
Organised by Western Province Athletics together with Athletics South Africa and the Memory Project of the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, the course design is flat to encourage participation from those outside the athletic fraternity and also assist the top athletes in running fast times. The cut-off time for the full marathon is eight hours which means participants can complete the race at a walking pace. The cut-off time for the 10km race is two hours.
The 42km route was chosen so as to include areas of historical and cultural interest in neighbouring communities, not only to celebrate their rich diversity but to encourage them to participate - both as runners and spectators.
It starts in Adderley Street and leaves the CBD via Woodstock, Salt River, Observatory and Rondebosch. It then follows Klipfontein Rd in Athlone and skirts Pinelands on Jan Smuts Drive before returning through Albert Rd to the Foreshore, the Waterfront, Sea Point and the finishing line at the City Hall balcony.
Major road races in South Africa are enthusiastically supported by spectators and it is hoped that Capetonians will turn out in force to encourage the runners and enjoy the event.
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Roadside assistance for the participants is needed and the organisers are seeking volunteers to man water tables and to work as marshals.
They are looking for groups of 10 people to participate as representatives of their communities, schools, cultural and environmental groups.
The marathon provides an opportunity to highlight community cultural activity whether it is song or dance or poetry, to entertain supporters along the route and to share the diversity of Cape Town’s people.
Cape Town needs to create and sustain a culture of volunteerism ahead of such major international events as World Cup 2010. Accordingly, limited assistance with transport costs is available but no performance fees will be paid.
The prize giving for the 10 km race is at 10:00 and for the marathon at 11:00 at Cape Town Castle.
Details for the marathon and 10km races are:
DATE: Sunday, 16 September 2007
TIME: 06:30
VENUE: Corner of Adderley and Longmarket Streets, Cape Town
Details for the 5km race are:
DATE: Sunday, 16 September 2007
TIME: 09:00
VENUE: Corner of Darling and Buitenkant Streets, Cape Town
Entry forms are available at www.wpa.org.za, www.nedbanksport.co.za, www.enteronline.co.za, www.saactive.com or www.entrytime.com.
ISSUED BY:
LISLE BROWN
MEDIA LIAISON OFFICER – CITY OF CAPE TOWN
TEL: 021 400 3065 CELL: 084 888 1901
DIRECTORATE: COMMUNICATION
CITY OF CAPE TOWN
TEL: 021 400 2201
Date Created: 2007-08-30 | Last Update : 2009-06-12 |
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