#Comrades2020 Entries Going Quickly

Iphupho Lami – Dare to Dream.

More than 90% of the 27,500-entry cap for next year’s 95^th Comrades Marathon has been snapped up in the first few hours of the entry process which opened this morning (Monday, 28 October 2019).

Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) Race Director, Rowyn James has announced that over 25,000 entries have been received via online and walk-in entries over the past few hours. He has urged aspirant #Comrades2020 athletes to get their entry in as soon as possible.

The entry period closes on 30 November 2019 or as soon as the entry cap of 27,500 entries has been reached. Prospective entrants are encouraged to get their entries in early to avoid disappointment, considering that entries sold out in just six days for the 2019 race.

Entry fees for the 95^th Comrades Marathon are as follows:

• South African                                                          : R 600.00
• Foreign Athletes – Africa/ SADC countries      : R1500.00
• Foreign Athletes – International                        : R3800.00

Entry is free to all runners who have completed the Comrades Marathon 25 times or more.

Runners can enter as follows:

• online via the Comrades Marathon website: www.comrades.com or the Comrades App;
• by posting their completed entry form with proof of payment to the CMA Office: P.O. Box 100621, Scottsville, 3209;
• by handing in their completed entry form together with the original deposit slip at Comrades House, 18 Connaught Road, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg; as no cash will be accepted.

NOTE: #Comrades2020 will be a Down Run on Sunday, 14 June 2020. The race starts at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall at 05h30 and ends 12 hours later at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, covering a 90,2km distance. This will be the 47^th Down Run in Comrades history.

The easy way to enter for Comrades

ONLINE

• Please open the following link in a browser of your choice. www.comrades.com
• On the Home Page under the Events tab will be an ENTER NOW link or alternatively scroll down and click on the ENTER NOW button which will be underneath the main image on the right-hand side of the Home Page.
• Please use your username (Comrades ID) and password supplied above to enter.
  *If you are unsure on how to use the username and password functionality please contact the office for assistance, DO NOT create a new profile as that invalidates the database records.

• Once you enter your username and password your entry form will be populated with all your details (currently held on the Comrades Marathon database).
  *Please ensure that all your details are correct and up to date. Which will make your entry process smother and quicker when entries open.
• Once your entry details are completed/updated, you will have the options of making payment i.e. debit/credit card (Visa/MasterCard).
• Once all the steps are completed a confirmation email of entry receipt will be sent to you along with a username and password for your Entry Login.
  *The supplied Entry Login details are for your entry management. The link to the Entry Login is found at the top of the website main menu tab shown as” Login”.  Hover your mouse over this and select “2020 Entry Update”. Use the username and password to login to your entry and update your qualifying details, license number, club and/or contact details, etc.

HAND DELIVERED ENTRIES

Hand deliver your completed entry form to the CMA House in Pietermaritzburg by 16h30 on closing date of entries 30 November 2019.

POSTAL ENTRIES

Post your completed entry form to Comrades Marathon, PO Box 100621, Scottsville, 3209.

You may enter using one of the following payment options, either by cheque, postal order or direct deposit.

All cheques, postal orders and direct deposits must be made payable to the Comrades Marathon Association.

Postal entries must be postmarked by the Post Office no later than the closing date of entries 30 November 2019.

The CMA strongly recommends that all postal entries be registered mail. Keep a copy of your entry form and registered postal receipt.

DIRECT DEPOSIT or EFT (Only applicable to manual entries):

Runners may pay their entry fee by DIRECT DEPOSIT or EFT into a Nedbank branch and post their entry form and ORIGINAL deposit slip to CMA.

Bank details are: Nedbank, Branch Code: 130526, Account No. 1305846559.

PLEASE WRITE YOUR ID NUMBER IN THE PAYMENT REFERENCE FIELD ON THE BANK DEPOSIT SLIP BEFORE DOING YOUR DEPOSIT and attach the original deposit slip to your entry form.

PLEASE POST THE ORIGINAL DEPOSIT SLIP WITH YOUR ENTRY. No photocopies of deposit slips will be accepted. Keep a copy of your entry form and deposit slip.

Nedbank Running Club Soweto will be hosting the Nedbank hospitality area at the Old Mutual Soweto Marathon and all Nedbank Running Club members are welcome.

The very popular and exciting Old Mutual Soweto Marathon will be run on Sunday the 3rd of November 2019

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

Nedbank Running Club have booked seats at BLOCK 111 on the north side of FNB Stadium where you will have a good view of the finish

Happy Running!

Number Collection

All entrants have to collect their race packs before the race at the following venue:

FNB Stadium, Nasrec, Johannesburg, Gate D, PS6 Parking
•             Thursday, 31st October 2019 : 10h00 to 20h30
•             Friday, 1st November 2019 : 10h00 to 20h30
•             Saturday, 2nd November 2019 : 08h30 to 20h30
•             No bulk collections will be allowed.
•             NO COLLECTION POSSIBLE ON RACE DAY!

All runners to take your ChampionChip and ID/Passport to the race registration to check your race chip and details.

For more Info on the Old Mutual Soweto Marathon please click here

2018 Soweto Marathon Winners

Disability Awareness Fun Run

Oppie Bol Foundation, in partnership with the City of Tshwane Disability Desk, Social Development and other stakeholders, is hosting a Disability Awareness fun run on 09 November 2019 at the Hillview High School Sports Grounds in Pretoria. This event will serve to inter alia advocate and sensitize Political heads, spheres of government, corporate; private sectors and the broader society on the importance of disability mainstreaming across all boards. This event will create awareness on disability mainstreaming, which implies that all development interventions are implemented and integrated to accommodate the needs, rights and potentials of persons with disabilities.

We are asking all Nedbank Running Club members to cast your vote this week to support Gerda Steyn.

Brand new wheels from @furymotorgroup @furyfordfourways for Gerda Steyn for when her legs get tired

Image by - Terence Vrugtman @AdventureLifeSA

Mathiba shines bright in Dublin for the Nedbank running club

Phillimon Mathiba ran the race of his life in the past weekend’s Dublin International Marathon. The young athlete who is coached by former Dublin marathon winner and Nedbank running club development coach Pio Mpolokeng, finished a credible 5th.

“I am so happy with my performance today and my PB and I couldn’t ask for anything more,” said Mathiba. “I need to thank my coach Pio as well as my mentor Ludwick Mamabolo and training partner David Manja because without them none of this would have been possible not forgetting my team Nedbank running club and sponsors. This was for all of them.”

After finishing 2nd in Dublin last year, team mate Manja ran into some issues early on in the race but still held on to fight it out to the finish, coming home 18th in 2:22:40. In the women’s race, Caroline Poonan from Nedbank running club ran her 2nd best marathon time to date, with a 27th place finish in 2:53:50, in what was her first marathon in over 12 years!

The team now looks for a great performance in this weekend’s Soweto Marathon. Catch the race live on SABC 2 on Sunday morning to see the green dream team painting the streets of Soweto green.

Nedbank running club’s Van Zyl in fine form

Irvette Van Zyl from the Nedbank running club green dream team showed that she is right on top of her come back after having an op earlier this year to take a scintillating victory in the Outsurance 94.5Kfm Gun Run half marathon.

The Pretoria based athlete made the trip to Cape Town, keen not only on running a good time but also looking for confidence ahead of the upcoming Soweto Marathon where she aims to record her 3rd win in a row after smashing the course record last year.

Taking the title in a very quick 1:12:11, an elated Van Zyl couldn’t stop smiling. “This was my first-time running Gun Run and the course had a few surprise hills and steep downs, but the views were great,” said Van Zyl afterwards. “I almost didn’t run this race as I had a few health problems a couple weeks prior to the race and was also involved in an accident last week so although it was not a PB, it felt like one!”

In last years Soweto Marathon, Van Zyl put on a stellar performance by smashing the course record in an amazing 2:33:43, a scantly 5 months after giving birth to her second son. “Sometimes we just have to have faith and let God do the rest.” With this performance of Van Zyl’s, Soweto Marathon could produce yet another thrilling event in the women’s race.

In the men’s race, Sibusiso Nzima led home another 3 Nedbank RC teammates into the top 10 with his 2nd place finish in 1:04:39. Besides Van Zyl’s great run, a standout performance of the day goes to green dream team athlete Lindikhaya Mthangayi who set a new Western Province veteran record over the half marathon distance with an amazing 1:04:56 that saw him finish 4th overall.

In the 10km woman’s race, Rudo Mhonderwa of the Nedbank Running Club Zimbabwe took the win in 34:23

Attention for most of the Nedbank RC green dream team now shifts to next weekends Soweto Marathon. The team has a long history of good performances in the event with multiple winners in both the men’s and women’s races.