Newsletter
 
Brought to you by: www.nedbankrunningclub.co.za
1 March 2019
 
2019 Om die Dam Marathon

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

The very popular and exciting Om die Dam marathon will be run on Saturday the 16th of March 2019

The Nedbank Running Club athletes will be treated with food and drinks that will be provided by the Nedbank Running Club Gauteng North. There will be Coffee/Tea before the race and after the race there will be somthing to eat and drink.

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

All the Info on Om die Dam Substitutions!

The process has changed this year, as with several other aspects of this race, all with the aim of making things more simple, so here's what you need to know!

Substitutions will be available on the last day of race registration (15 March) at the Hartbeespoort Marathon Club clubhouse in Scott Street, Schoemansville, and if you are a runner that would like to give up your entry for substitution, you will receive instructions with your race registration email on how to release your entry. If you are a runner that would like to take over an entry, you will be able to do so on the 15th of March at registration. For more information, click
here.

Getting There on Race Day!

Please note that the roadworks that had such an adverse effect on the 2018 race have been completed, and additional steps have been taken by the race committee to ensure easy access and enough parking for all runners.

The suggested route to get to the race venue from Gauteng is the N1 North towards Polokwane. North of Pretoria at Doornpoort runners should take the N4 Rustenburg freeway, following after that they should then take the R511 off-ramp towards Hartbeespoort/Brits, turn left on the R511 towards Hartbeespoort and at the SASOL garage turn right on the R513 and follow to Hartbeespoort Holiday Resort.

More detail directions/routes and parking information will be communicated to all entrants closer to race day, those wishing to plan their routes now can refer to our website at www.omdiedamultra.co.za 

It is very important note, that runners should avoid following GPS as this will result in being taken on the shortest route through Hartbeespoort which will ignore road closures.

 
National Personalities and Stories

Gerda shines in Dubai

Nedbank Running Club Green Dream Team member Gerda Steyn continues her dominant climb in South African women’s running. The 28 year old athlete, coached by National Club manager and former Comrades winner Nick Bester, seems to run a new pb every time she steps into her Nike racing shoes.

After winning the Dubai 10km in 34:02 3 weeks back, Steyn took part in one of the Worlds most competitive Half Marathon fields ever in the Rak Half Marathon. With 13 sub 70:00 women runners on the start line, Steyn and coach Bester set a plan to run under 73:00 minutes and that’s exactly what they did. Steyn ran a massive pb to finish 9th in 72:35.

“Before the race Nick said that I must go out at 3:25 per km and just stick to that pace but it was hard as I ran literally on my own for most of the race,” said Steyn afterwards. And stick to that pace she did, with every km split not more than 5 secs apart throughout the race.

The time ranks Steyn as 13th fastest all time South African over the half marathon distance. With the progression that Steyn is showing, by the end of this year she will definitely be climbing the rankings. With her main focus being on this year’s Comrades Marathon and showing tremendous speed over the half and full marathons, Steyn most certainly will be the one to beat in this year’s up run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg.  

Husband and wife duo set to shine in Green

The Nedbank Running Club welcomes the arrival of Joseph Seutloali to the Green Dream team. Seutloali joins his wife Neheng, who is already a member of the team.

Boasting a half marathon personal best of 62:02, Seutlolai struggled throughout 2018 plagued with a few injury setbacks and illness but comes into this years season reenergized and ready for a good year. In his first race in green this past Saturday, Seutloali finished 2nd in 64:44 in the TP Mchunu Legacy half marathon.

When it comes to goals for this year, coach Andrew Booyen’s is quick to say that it will be a year of pb’s, especially over the marathon where the aim is to run well in Cape Town in September. “Joseph will start off with the Two Oceans Half Marathon in April but Cape Town Marathon is definitely the big one of the year,” says Booyens.

On debut, Seutloali finished 3rd in the extremely tough Soweto Marathon in 2016 running 2:23:22, where leading into the final km, inexperience got the better of him and he lost out in the dying stages of the race. After that, running through 32km on a projected 2:09 finish in the 2017 Cape Town Marathon, the wheels came off and saw him finish in 2:22.

Now with a coach, Seutloali knows that this year, he can do a lot better. Already evident is the massive transformation wife Neheng has seen since going under the wing of Booyens. Running a Lesotho national record of 2:33:41 in Cape Town last year, the goal for 2019 is to go under 2:30.

We may very well see a husband and wife duo running a sub 2:10 and sub 2:30 in the same race later this year but for now, we wait to see if they can both pull off the win in the Two Oceans Half Marathon in April.

 
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Click her for the complete article

 
 
Upcoming Races

All systems go for 2019 Comrades Marathon Substitution Process

The 2019 Comrades Marathon Substitution Process has officially opened today (1.3.2019). This effectively means that aspirant Comrades Marathon runners who were unable to enter the 2019 Comrades Marathon during the official entry period late last year may still have a chance to be part of The Ultimate Human Race on Sunday, 9 June 2019.

The process runs for an extra two weeks this year, having opened today and closing on Monday, 15 April 2019. The Substitution Process allows for a runner who has not entered to substitute an entrant who has withdrawn or intends to withdraw from the 2019 Comrades Marathon.

Athletes intending to submit Substitution application forms are advised to visit the official Comrades Marathon website at www.comrades.com for the downloadable forms and the comprehensive list of rules and regulations which govern the Substitution process.

Substitutions can only take effect on a like for like basis, meaning SA runners can only substitute for SA entrants, Rest of Africa (ROA) for other ROA runners and International runners for International entrants.

Prospective substitutes are encouraged to do their applications online. Alternatively, they may send their completed applications via email to sub@comrades.com or hand deliver them to Comrades House in Pietermaritzburg. Please do not post forms.

The completed application forms as specified in the Substitution Rule must reach the CMA office by 15 April 2019. There will be no extension of this deadline and no postal applications will be accepted. The cost of the Substitution application is R300,00.

 
Results Results

Van Zyl cruises to new course record

Irvette Van Zyl and course records have one thing in common. They often go hand in hand, and this past weekend was nothing different.

What was an easy long training run with a fast last 8km finish according to Van Zyl’s program for the day, Van Zyl ended up smashing the previous race record of Yolande Maclean’s 2:50:40 by more than 6 minutes, finishing over 18 and a half minutes of fellow Green Dream Team club mate Cobie Smith who finished 2nd in 3:02:58.

“Nice and easy long run this am with a 8km fast finish,” tweeted Van Zyl after the race to her followers on social media. Ever since the birth of her 2nd son, Van Zyl has been in scintillating form which saw her also run a new personal best over 10km on the road, but also smash the course record in the Old Mutual Soweto Marathon. With talk of potential ultra marathon debut on the cards for Van Zyl this year at the Two Oceans Marathon, Van Zyl looks poised to do great things off her current form.

Over in George, the Nedbank Running Club SWD hosted their valentines 3 & 5km club time trial with great success. A whopping 189 runners took part in the time trial with honours going to Julius Korkee who crossed the line 1st in 18:19 and Mellissa Van Rensburg who was the first lady across the line in 19:45

Click here for more Results

Clean podium sweep at Peninsula

With each week passing by, the running season grows in stature and the past weekend saw a podium clean sweep by the Nedbank Running Club in the Peninsula Marathon which doubled up as the Western Province Marathon Championships.

Lindikhaya Mthangayi led home the Green Dream team taking the win in 2:27:01 to also be crowned as the Western Province champion. He was followed by Lungile Gongqa in 2:27:23 and Mthandazo Qhina who took bronze in 2:30:44.

Conditions were anything but ideal with strong winds blowing throughout the race. With the lead pack going through halfway in 1:10:00, Mthangayi and Gongqa broke away from the pack at 27km and never looked back. “Im very happy for my win today but the conditions were tough,” said Mthangayi after the race. “It was great to run together with Gongqa, we are training partners and we are both preparing for Two Oceans this year. I want to win it. It’s my main goal for this year.”

Click here for more Results