Newsletter

Brought to you by: www.nedbankrunningclub.co.za

12 February 2021

National Personalities and Stories

Fantastic news as Nedbank Running Club Green Dream Team athlete Irvette Van Zyl will be chasing a fast marathon time when she lines up in the NN Mission Marathon Hamburg on 11 April!

Event News

2021 Centenary Comrades Marathon Cancelled

The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) Board has regrettably announced its decision to cancel the Comrades Marathon scheduled for 13 June 2021.

After having late last year, undertaken to make announcements in mid-February regarding requirements for qualification and the staging of the 2021 Comrades Marathon, the decision to cancel will come as an enormous disappointment to tens of thousands of runners; and has also been a tough call for CMA organisers to make, in what is the world-renowned Race’s Centenary year.

This decision comes in the wake of engagements with KwaZulu-Natal Athletics, Athletics South Africa, the National Coronavirus Command Council, members of the medical fraternity and governmental departments; and was both a moral and practical imperative given the ongoing uncertainty and unprecedented circumstances of the Coronavirus pandemic, the onset of a second wave and a significantly more infectious variant of Covid-19, as well as the ongoing National State of Disaster and its associated restrictions.

The CMA Board is determined that the health, safety and welfare of Comrades runners, officials, volunteers and the general public remains paramount even after having held out hope that the nation’s most unifying road running event would have been able to be hosted in June. The impending third wave of Covid-19 which is widely anticipated around April to June this year, has ended any such hopes and makes the hosting of any mass event in the near future highly unlikely.

However, the good news is that the Comrades Centenary Celebrations are imminent. With the very first Comrades Marathon having been held on Tuesday, 24 May 1921, the CMA will launch its Centenary Celebrations on Monday, 24 May 2021.

Other great news is that the CMA has confirmed that its 2nd Comrades Marathon virtual event will take place on Sunday, 13 June 2021 in which runners will be able to run in any location, outside in their garden, or neighbourhood, all at their own pace, in a similar fashion to last year’s successful inaugural Race the Comrades Legends which saw 43,788 participants from more than 100 nations uniting in a single virtual event.

Details of the virtual event, the Comrades Centenary Celebrations and other innovative festivities which are in the pipeline will be shared in due course.

CMA Chairperson, Cheryl Winn has urged runners to accept and respect the CMA’s decision which has been made in conjunction with KZNA, ASA and government restrictions, and most importantly, with the utmost regard for the health and welfare of our athletes, volunteers and all other stakeholders. A secondary consideration was the risk of committing precious resources towards the staging of an event which might later be cancelled at short notice and the CMA Board’s obligation for the preservation of the 100-year-old event’s assets into the future.

Winn says, “Amidst intense and ongoing uncertainty with the Covid-19 pandemic and its effects on mass gatherings and events, our runners’ interests remain uppermost in our minds and endeavours. We urge Comrades runners to take care and continue to maintain their fitness levels to enable a smooth transition once the normal staging of distance running resumes, while we at the CMA pledge to enable runners to stay connected, engaged, safe, informed and abreast of developments in this regard.”

Winn adds, “What we can confirm is that the festivities of the Comrades Marathon Centenary Celebrations will commence on 24 May and we invite all South Africans and our global running community to join in the revelry and remembrance of South Africa’s and the world’s oldest and greatest ultra-road running event.”

Two Oceans Marathon 2021 - Event Update

In the last update on 23 December 2020, Two Oceans Marathon indicated that they were monitoring the surge in the coronavirus pandemic nationally and the further restrictions this would have on sporting events, and the Two Oceans Marathon in April 2021.

Under the current Alert Level 3 of the Disaster Management Act, No. 57 of 2002, we have continued with planning TOM 2021 in different formats and reduced numbers, applying international best practice to ensure the safety of the runners participating in the Two Oceans Marathon 2021.

As the pandemic continues to rage across our country unabated, we have continued to consult extensively with our stakeholders, Athletics South Africa and Western Province Athletics, as well as our medical team on the best way forward.

Guided by the advice from the medical team and Two Oceans Marathon chief medical officer, Dr Adrian Rotunno, the Two Oceans Marathon NPC is deeply saddened to announce that the 2021 Two Oceans Marathon, scheduled to take place on 3 April 2021, is cancelled.

“The second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa is affecting a larger proportion of the population than the first wave and placing a severe burden on the health system. The potential risk of a third wave in the coming months cannot be discounted. The health and safety of all competitors, stakeholders, and running community as a whole, is paramount, and given the current pandemic climate, the health risks around hosting the TOM mass participation event are far too significant for the event to proceed safely. Under guidance from global evidence-based practice, only hosting a full-scale physical event once the health situation has improved to acceptable levels for all is unfortunate, but necessary.” – Dr. Adrian Rotunno, Two Oceans Marathon chief medical officer.

A postponement of TOM 2021 to the second half of the year was considered thoughtfully, but it is not feasible given the general uncertainty due to talk of third and fourth COVID-19 waves, and the already congested event calendar during that period.

“It is never pleasant when an event like this is disrupted and which in turn, affects the fixture calendar and the many athletes who are already planning for that day. However, it is even more painful to us when an event of this magnitude is forced to be cancelled. Unfortunately, the pandemic knows no bounds and as we comment, no one knows when it will be put under control or even be eliminated, if at all. We have consulted with Athletics South Africa regarding the race. Western Province Association and the organisers eventually took this final decision after taking into consideration the many factors in the management of the event and the current behaviour of the virus.” - Jakes Jacobs, President of Western Province Athletics.

The Two Oceans Marathon team are planning alternative events and programmes to be hosted, within the prevailing regulations. We will announce these exciting plans soon.

“It is unfortunate that the much anticipated Two Oceans Marathon 2021 will not be taking place this year. However, in these unprecedented times safety, indeed, does come first. As we collectively tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and proactively respond to its subsequent regulations, although not an easy decision to have been taken, the Western Cape Government thanks the Two Oceans Marathon team for assisting us to safely move forward in the region. We also express our gratitude to all stakeholders for innovatively focusing on increasing safety and creating opportunities to augment the code of athletics during these trying times as we navigate to and through our new norm in the sector. While we are to be physically distanced, we are still socially connected, and in that spirit, I wish the Two Oceans Marathon team well in their programmes to come and look forward to future events when it is safe to do so,” - Minister Anroux Marais, MEC Cultural Affairs and Sport, Western Cape

The Two Oceans Marathon NPC expresses their heart-felt thanks to the running community for their ongoing support and for keeping the spirit of running alive during this challenging time in our country.

Looking Ahead

AfricanX Trail Run

The Nedbank Running Club will be out in full force at the 2021 AfricanX Trail run on 26 - 28 March with top Elite Nedbank Running Club Teams that will compete

The announcement that Stillwater Sports is bringing the AfricanX Trailrun back in 2021 has been met with great excitement by the trail running community! The revitalized version of SA’s most iconic three-day stage trail run returns to its popular home, the Houw Hoek Hotel on the weekend of 26-28 March 2021.

The AfricanX is synonymous with keywords such as magnificent trails, spectacular views, mouth-watering food, relaxed atmosphere, great vibe and most importantly teamwork. The idea behind AfricanX has always been to inject creativity, excitement and fun into the sport, while at the same time also making it accessible to road runners capable of doing a half marathon. The 11th edition in 2021 will be no different and promises to offer all runners a challenging, rewarding and awesome experience; both on and off the trails!

The unique team only format adds an exciting element making choosing the right partner a necessity. Team members will rely on each other’s experience and expertise to complete each stage together. Not only on the running side, runners should team up with partners who will be on board for the famous dress up day, will enjoy a few drinks around the pool in the afternoon and is there to join you for a great time!
We have added some fun new categories to the event, which could also influence your choice of partner!
These include:
•   Siblings
•   Parent/Child
•   Married Couples
•   Club100 (combined age of the team must be 100years)

2021 EVENT INFORMATION
Date:   Friday 26 March 2021 – Sunday 28 March 2021
Format:   Three-day stage race / teams of two (male/female/mixed)
Festival Village:     On the grounds of the Houw Hoek Hotel (Bot River, Overberg Region /Western Cape)
Distance:
Day 1: +- 24km
Day 2: +- 32km
Day 3: +- 18km
Official Event Charity:   The Timothy James Harlow Foundation

FOR ALL INFORMATION CLICK HERE: https://www.stillwatersports.com/event/africanx-trailrun/