Please Vote for Gerda Steyn as gsport Awards athlete of the year
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You can vote until 9 August 2019

NELSON MANDELA BAY ASA 21.1KM CHAMPIONSHIPS – SATURDAY, 27 JULY 2019

Various Nedbank Running Club Athletes will participate in the SA half marathon championships, most of them representing their provinces, but there will be a strong representation of Nedbank Running Club Athletes from the African Clubs

Foreign onslaught looking for big pay out at NMB ASA Half Marathon

The Nelson Mandela Bay Athletics South Africa Half Marathon on Saturday 27 July, incorporating the CAA Southern Region Championships, is fast becoming a popular race with international athletes, lured by the substantial prize purse on offer.

A win bags you R80 000, and the total prize purse is R700 000. In addition, all 5km and 21km entrants will be entered into the lucky draw to win a brand new Datsun Go!

This, along with the fast and flat route and stellar organisation, has seen runners from Kenya and Ethiopia cast their eye on the race.

“We are looking to have the Nelson Mandela Bay Half Marathon awarded with Bronze Label status”, says Race Convenor and Founder, Michael Mbambani.

“Our organisation has to be top notch.

“We have the commitment from our sponsors and that allows us to put up the prize money required.

“We are excited that our event is catching the eye of international athletes.”

As the event doubles as the SA Half Marathon Championships and the Southern Region Half Marathon Championships, South Africa’s top athletes will be in the Friendly City on 27 July, including defending Champion Stephen Mokoka, who knows the race will be fast.

“A low 61 is the minimum to win.

“The guys are hungry and I’m watching the likes of Precious (Mashele) and Philani (Buthelezi) and I like what I am seeing.

“Us ‘older’ athletes like Elroy (Gelant) and myself need to be moving on.

“That is why I am now focussing more on the marathon and am in preparation for Doha (World Championships).

“But to defend my title will be very important to me.”

Mokoka had to run hard in 2018 to hold off Nedbank Kenya’s Bernard Bii. Mokoka crossed the line 61:44 with Bii only 2 seconds adrift. In fact the race was one of the closest finishes in many years with the top seven breaking 62 minutes and only 6 seconds separating the top 6!

Bii is back hoping to take line honours this time round and walk away with the first prize pay-out of R80 000.

Joining him are his fellow country-men, David Maru (60:41 PB – Valencia 2013) and George Manyiror who was 16th in 2018 with a time of 63:14. No doubt the Kenyan is looking to shave a big portion off that time; and he will need to if he intends being in the mix for a podium finish.

Nedbank Ethiopia’s Sintayehu Legesse Negehu is also making an appearance. The multiple Soweto Marathon winner is better known for his marathon exploits, but is a tough competitor and if the race becomes tactical, he could pose a challenge.

Of great interest will be the Half Marathon debut of Tadu Teshome (Naru) of Nedbank Ethiopia. The junior has been in scintillating form in 2019, finishing on the podium in all three of Spar Ladies Races of 2019. On two occasions the Junior has run 32:36 with her worst performance a 32:56. While the Half Marathon is new territory for her, Teshome has some speed in her legs and can well be a big danger for the women’s field.

For more information, contact Mike Mbambani on 079 149 6796 or Basil Mclean on 082 467 1949

JOHANNES LEADS SPAR GRAND PRIX LOG

The 2019 SPAR Grand Prix Women’s 10km Challenge series has reached the midway point and sensational Namibian runner Helalia Johannes (Nedbank Namibia) is firmly in the lead, with three wins from three races.
On the 23rd of June 2019, Johannes exceeded expectations when she won the Durban leg of the series in 30 minutes and 59 seconds – the fastest time by a woman on South African soil.  It shattered the course record of 31.18 set by Colleen de Reuck in 2000 and also set a new Namibian national record.

Tadu Naru (Nedbank Ethiopia) was second in 32.36 and three times SPAR Grand Prix winner, Irvette van Zyl (Nedbank Central Gauteng} was third, in 32.57.

The top three all received 10 Grand Prix bonus points for finishing faster than last year’s winning time of 33.07.
Johannes now has 90 points, Naru has 86, and Van Zyl, for whom this year’s Durban leg was her first podium finish this year, has 78.

They have opened up a big gap between themselves and the following pack.  2017 Grand prix winner Kesa Molotsane, who came in seventh for the last race in Durban, is in fourth place on 67 points.

After the race, Van Zyl made it clear that her priority had been earning bonus points.
“I knew I couldn’t keep up with Helalia, but I was running for bonus points,” she said.
“As long as you earn bonus points, you can keep in touch with the top runners. If one of them doesn’t run all six races, you are right up there with them,” said Van Zyl.

Grand Prix coordinator agreed that bonus points could decide the outcome of the Grand Prix title.
“Anyone who doesn’t run all six races will battle to win.  The top three are so close that if one drops out, another is lying in wait for her,” said Laxton.

Johannes, who is the Commonwealth Games marathon champion, said after the Durban race that she would be turning her attention to training for the marathon at the World Championships in Doha in September.
“I have been concentrating on shorter distances, but I will be doing more long-distance training from now on,” she said.
“I don’t know how that will affect me if I run in Pretoria and Pietermaritzburg.”

Van Zyl said the presence of international runners like Johannes and Naru was doing much for road running in South Africa.
“They are forcing us all to run faster,” she said.
“But it will be interesting to see what happens in the altitude races, in Pretoria and Johannesburg.  And we are all really going to struggle to get bonus points next year.”

The Durban race was one of four in which Juniors can earn points in their own category.  Naru, who is 18, has an 11 point lead, with 20 points from the two races so far.

Bulelwa Simae (Boxer WP) leads the 40-49 category with 14 points from three races.  Janene Carey (Boxer KZN) is in second position, with 10 points.

The leader in the 50-59 category is former Comrades Marathon gold medallist Grace de Oliviera (Murray & Roberts KZN), with 11 points.
Olga Howard (Nedbank WP) leads the 60+ category with 23 points.
In the club competition, Nedbank is firmly in the lead with 424 points, followed by Maxed Elite Zimbabwe with 138.  Boxer is in third place with 132 points.
The next race is the Pretoria Challenge on August 3.

2019 Spirit of Comrades Nominations Open
 

“Do good and good will come to you!”
In the spirit of celebrating the do-gooders amongst us, the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) is calling on runners, supporters and the greater public to submit their nominations for the annual Spirit of Comrades awards gala to be held in Durban in October.
 
64 outstanding recipients have been honoured with the prestigious Spirit of Comrades Award as well as a 24-carat gold medallion over the past 24 years. The prized accolade is bestowed on three deserving individuals every year in recognition of those who are esteemed to embody the “Spirit of Comrades”.
 

The criteria are fairly wide but as a guideline, the following factors may be considered:
• The candidate will have run the Comrades Marathon, most probably on numerous occasions.
• The candidate may in some way be associated as an integral player in the history of the Comrades Marathon.
• Most importantly the candidate may have exhibited a particular act of selflessness, sacrifice, courage or perseverance in a particular race or over a period of years.
• You will be able to nominate your candidate for the Spirit of Comrades Awards by completing this nomination form.

Awards will be awarded at the discretion of The Board. Should you wish to nominate an individual for this award, please complete the nomination form and send it to the CMA before 31 July 2019 or clickthrough to https://www.comrades.com/home-about/spirit-of-comrades.
 
Name of Nominee:
Address of Nominee:                                                                                Postal Code:
Tel No. of Nominee:                                  
Cell No. of Nominee:
Email address of Nominee:
 
In no more than 120 words please let us know why you believe the person nominated above should be awarded the Spirit of Comrades Award. Please attach your motivation.
 
Nomination submitted by:
Address:
Tel No.:
Cell No.:
Email Address:  
 
PLEASE RETURN BY 31 JULY 2019 TO THE CMA – email: roxanne@comrades.com / Fax: 033 897 8660 / Post: P.0. Box 100621 Scottsville 3209 KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Nedbank running club athletes are still churning in fast performances

The running calendar is slowly starting to pick up again after a little down time since the Comrades Marathon last month but the Nedbank running club athletes are still churning in fast performances.
The very tough Icons journey 100km was run over the weekend in Mthatha in what essentially was an off-road trail at times. Nedbank running club’s Eric Ngubane took a well earned 2nd place finish in the inaugural event. “I’m very happy with my performance today even though the time was bad but it was a very tough course and because this is my first race back from injury,” said an elated Ngubane after the race. The KwaZulu Natal based athlete who missed out on Comrades this year due to an injury will now shift his focus to the trails for the second half of the year.

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