Nedbank Running Club Gauteng North will be hosting the Nedbank hospitality site at the Old Mutual Om die Dam Marathon and all Nedbank Running Club members are welcome.

The very popular and exciting Old Mutual Om die Dam marathon will be run on Saturday the 18th of March 2017

The Nedbank Running Club athletes will be treated with food and drinks that will be provided by the Nedbank Running Club Gauteng North.

Just look out for the Nedbank Running Club Gazebo’s and feather flags.

Come and meet top NEDBANK GREEN DREAM TEAM athletes at the tent.

Happy Running!
For more Info on the Om die Dam Marathon please click here

Did you Get Your Entry In?

With the entry deadline looming for the Old Mutual Om Die Dam Marathon, it seems runners were eager to secure their spot in the 27th edition of the race, and as a result the ultra-marathon and half marathon have both sold out. However, there is some good news, as there is still entries available for the 10km race, so if you would still like to run on the 18th March, here is your chance - click on the link below and enter today.

2017 Nedbank Green Dream Team Launch at Nedbank Olwazini. We are very excited to see some great running performances from all of them in 2017

Khanimambo Ultra Distance Talk

Invitation to feature at the new Old Mutual Om Die Dam Expo

Comrades Marathon Underprivileged Runners Project

As part of its Runners First initiative, the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) will once again host its Underprivileged Runners Project over the Comrades weekend.

CMA Marketing Manager, Thami Vilakazi says, “An important aspect of the Comrades Marathon’s vision is to retain its position as South Africa’s most inclusive sporting event and this entails accommodating runners across the socio-economic spectrum and affording them an opportunity to experience the camaraderie of being part of The Ultimate Human Race.”

The CMA decided to initiate a programme whereby runners could apply to be housed and nourished prior to and after participating in the race.  This saw the start of the CMA’s Underprivileged Runners Programme which was launched over a decade ago.

Through the Underprivileged Runners Programme, the CMA will once again demonstrate its spirit of humanity by providing this support to needy runners wishing to participate in the 2017 Comrades Marathon.

The CMA will be providing up to 800 runners with accommodation, a comfortable mattress and blankets for a good night’s rest, ablution facilities as well substantial meals on the evenings prior to and after the race.

There is no charge to the runners for this facility; however for planning and logistical purposes, runners who benefit from this programme are asked to apply early in the year. Spaces are limited, strictly needy runners will be accommodated.

Transportation will be provided for runners collecting their race packs at the Durban Exhibition Centre on Saturday, 3 June to the venue in Pietermaritzburg where they will be accommodated and served a scrumptious dinner.

On race day, runners will be provided with breakfast and then transported to the start in Durban and back to the accommodation facility after the race.  

After the event, the CMA will donate the blankets and mattresses to various charity organisations in Pietermaritzburg and surrounding areas.

For more information, please email Nonkululeko: nonkululeko@comrades.com

issued by the Comrades Marathon Association’s

SOS Guardian

FutureLife

Nzima and Kellerman honoured for their fleet-footed performances

Olympic athlete, Sibusiso Nzima, deservedly received the 2016 Athlete of the Year award at a function where the Nedbank Soweto Development Club honoured its athletes' performances.

Nzima also got the nod as the club's Road Running Athlete of the Year.

It was no surprise that Lisa Kellerman received the Track and Field Athlete of the Year award. In fact, those in the know predict that she has the ability to become one of South Africa's top female 800 m athletes. A quick glance at her performances at the Senior and Junior National Championships prove it. At the South African Junior and Youth Championships in Germiston she won the under-18 girls 800 m race.

It was at the Senior Championships in Stellenbosch where Kellerman really proved that she was not going to be intimidated, as she ran against older and more experienced athletes. She finished second in the 800-m final with a personal best time of 2:05.75. The legendary Caster Semenya was the only athlete to beat her.

Lucky Mtshali, the SA 8 km Cross Country Champion, was also honoured.

Pieterse's dedication leads him to win the Athlete of the Year award

Elfonzo Pieterse has proved that in an era of professional sport, amateurs can still win. The secret is to be disciplined and dedicated.

The 28-year-old, who puts in a full eight hours every day at the office, received the award for Senior Athlete of the Year for 2016 at the annual awards function for the Nedbank Running Club in George (SWD).

Pieterse won the award for his consistently good performances throughout the year. He believes his best race was the Petro SA 21 km, in which he finished third. Some of South Africa's best
half-marathon runners competed in the race.

Once Pieterse starts talking about his running exploits it quickly becomes clear that running is his true passion; to say he was born to run would not be an exaggeration. Every morning before going to work he goes for a run and in the evenings after work he is out on the road again.

'I need to keep on running, otherwise I tend to get irritated by little things. Running relaxes me. Sometimes while I run, I work through personal problems or find a solution.'

Pieterse is really passionate about youngsters taking up the sport, as he believes that the discipline they would learn from being runners would also serve them well in other parts of their lives.

'Through running you learn to set goals for yourself. To succeed you need to put in the long hard hours and that is applicable to everything you do in life. Youngsters should realise that the chance of succeeding the first time you set out to do something is slim. The challenge is to stick to your goal after you have failed. As they say, it is not about how often you fall but how often you get up that will determine whether you succeed.'

Godwin Heyns, who seems to have a sort of 'timeshare scheme' for standing on the podiums at most races in the Southern Cape, deservedly received the award for Junior Athlete of the Year. Hardly a weekend goes by in which he does not race to a top-three finish.

Some of the other athletes who were honoured are:
•    Bradley Carelse (Walker of the Year)
•    Luther Blaauw (Development Runner of the Year and Cross Country Runner of the Year)
•    Johan Keuler (Great Grand Master Men's Runner of the Year)
•    Anel van Wyk (Comrades and Two Oceans Runner of the Year, Sub-veteran Runner of the Year).
•    Annatjie Botes (Cross Country Runner of the Year and Master Runner of the Year)
•    Eddie Mouton (Most Races and Comrades Runner of the Year)
•    Cielie Siegers (Great Grand Master Women's Athlete of the Year)
•    Brittney-Ann Meyer (Junior Women's Runner of the Year)

The Nedbank Running Club athletes doing well in road-racing and on the track

Simon Mpholo raced to a second-place finish in the KFC Valentine 10 km in Randburg, running a time of 32:52. Scelo Mashaba finished second in the men's junior race with a time of 37:22.

Andronica Mokgotla secured a second-place finish in the women's race by running a time of 39:51.

The club's athletes gave the spectators something to get excited about with the way they duelled it out in the 10 000 m during a track and field meeting at the University of Johannesburg. Siyaya Khoza (Club Manager) described the race as a real thriller, with five of his athletes taking the lead at various stages during the race.

'They had just reason to race aggressively, as they had a definite goal in mind. They wanted to see if one of them was able to dip under 29 minutes. It has been a while since that has been done at high altitude. In the end Namakoe Nkhasi just missed out doing so. He won the 10 000 metres in 29:00.06,' said Khoza.

Precious Mashele was second in 29:16 and Xolisa Tyali fourth in 29:42.

Chaumeton Maxime won the 1 500 m for under-18 boys in an impressive time of 4:08.

Another good performance was Derocious Makhobalo's victory in the 3 000 m steeplechase with a time of 9:23. Sipho Mhlanga was second in a time of 9:47.

Thabo Masina showed his rivals a clean pair of heels in the 3 000 m for under-20 boys, winning in 8:37. Kutlwisiso Sidinile was second in 8:51.

Hleziphi Ncayiyana, from the Nedbank Club in KwaZulu-Natal, is excited about the fact that athletes from her club managed to win marathons in two different provinces.

Thulani Duma won the Oasis Hotel Potties 5-in-1 marathon in a time of 2:41:00, and Mzwenkosi Mjaja won the Nosa Hillcrest Marathon running 2:30:58.

Ettiene Plaatjies won the Freedom 27 km Run in Paarl in a time of 1:31:31. John April, also from the Nedbank Running Club, was fourth in a time of 1:35:15.

In what should be no surprise the athletes coached by Pio Mpolokeng (Nedbank Running Club Central North West) again put up a good performance at last week's Athletics Central North West track and field meeting.

Tshepo Tshite won the 1 500 m in 3:53:00, with Joel Mmone coming second in 3:53.

Mmone was far from finished as he won the 5 000 m in 14:16. His teammate, David Manja, was second in 14:24.

Jonas Makhele finished third in the Pick n Pay Marathon, running a time of 2:30:40. Mnganiseni Mathibela won the women's 21 km with a time of 1:29:53.

Moses Kargat raced to a second-place finish in the Bronkhorstspruit 32 km. He stopped the clock at 1:49:52. Beryl Makokha won the women's race in 2:23:40.

Lungile Gongqa finished second in the Cape Peninsula 21 km in a time of 1:12:47. Bulelwa Simae was second in the women's race in a time of 1:29:42.

Delani Mknize raced to a third-place finish at the Zabalaza Half Marathon in Cato Ridge. His time was 1:13:34.

Loveness Madziva won the Nongoma 28 km race in 1:57:40. Simphiwe Ndlela was third in the men's race, clocking a time of 1:39:04.

Charles Soza finished third in the Bestmed Tuks 21 km in a time of 1:08:12. In the men's 10 km race Precious Mashele battled it out to a second-place finish. His time was 30:03.

Rutendo Nyahora won the SPAR Irene Lantern 10 km Race in a time of 36:24.