With the Corona virus causing destruction around the World and races being either postponed or cancelled, it was a sigh of relief when Skosana and race director Jacquline Rencontre announced that the race which started in 2012 would go ahead and will also be the first official race back in the Gauteng North province since the Covid19 ban was lifted on races.

“We are really grateful that due to our valuable sponsors, the race is to go ahead,” said Rencontre. “Before anything, I really have to thank our sponsors, Nedbank running club and the national team manager Nick Bester, Future Life, Biogen, Nike and Bavaria SA because without them, the event wouldn’t be possible to stage.” Runners at the event stand a chance to win some amazing prizes from these sponsors.

With fields being restricted to only 500 runners and a lot of protocols needed to be seen to on the day, the cost of staging events right now is even harder. “With the added screening, sanitizers and the field restricted to 500 runners, it makes it not viable at all to have events but with the sponsors on board we have managed to stay afloat.”

For entries, runners will only have the option to enter online and not in person on race day morning. This is to prevent situations such as more than 500 runners pitching up and to keep everyone safe. “The online entries have been open for almost a week now and we are sitting at 138 entries as of yesterday so I have no doubt that the 500 limit will be reached very soon. Runners can enter at www.peaktiming.co.za/entries

Among the participants on the day will be some of Nedbank running club’s own green dream team elite athletes. In the men’s race, former Olympian and 2020 Om Die Dam 50km winner Juan Van Deventer will join teammate and Comrades Marathon champion Edward Mothibi who last month took overall victory in the Cape Town Marathon. Short distance specialist Joel Mmone will also line up alongside his Nedbank RC teammates and will look to teach the ultra-runners a thing or two.

In the women’s race, a welcome return from injury see’s Irvette Van Zyl toe the lin. The strong marathon runner is no stranger to the 10km distance at all and will be looking to get her first race back off to a good start. She will be joined by Charlene Archer, a regular podium finisher around Gauteng.

For more info on the event, please contact Enoch Skosana (082 825 8001) or Jacquline Rencontre (082 462 1137).