Polishing the finishing touches
May 04, 2006 Edition 1
Iqbal Khan
The KwaZulu-Natal athletics officials are putting the final touches to their preparations for the 2006 Spar Ladies 10km race, which takes place a week after the Comrades Marathon on June 25.
Race officials are expecting a record number of entries for this year's race and are expecting the entry forms to be available at all branches of Spar countrywide, all the leading sports shops, clubs and from their offices in Walter Gilbert Road within the next 10 days.
The race, which has become one of the most popular events on the KwaZulu-Natal race calendar, will start and finish at the Sahara Stadium, Kingsmead.
Athletics South Africa experienced an unprecedented last-minute rush of entries for the Nedbank Johannesburg City Marathon, which starts and finishes at the Emmarentia Dam on Sunday, as the deadline loomed yesterday.
And though the final numbers have yet to be tallied, ASA expects a record entry for this Sunday's event. Entries for the race - one of eight races in the Nedbank Series of Marathons and Short Distance races - were boosted as this is the final opportunity for aspiring Comrades Marathon runners to qualify for the epic KwaZulu-Natal ultra-marathon, which will be run on June 16 from Durban to Pietermaritzburg.
The closing date for Comrades entries is next Monday, May 8. To help prospective runners with their entries plus vital information, the Comrades Marathon officials will be in attendance at the finish of Sunday's Nedbank Johannesburg City Marathon. They will provide information and offer advice .
The Nedbank Johannesburg City Marathon is the fourth event in a series of eight to be staged around the country. Sunday's event is expected to appeal to runners across the board as there are three races on the day.
The main event is the 42,2km marathon but there's a 10km race and a 5km dash for the family which also incorporates a school challenge. There's total prize-money of R490 850 on offer for the marathon and 10km races which will no doubt attract the top runners.
Entries for the 5km dash will be accepted at the start/finish venue on the morning of the race on Sunday. The starting time for the 42,2km marathon is 6.35am, with the 10km race starting at 7.10am and the 5km dash at 7.45am.
With the track and field events in recess at present, KwaZulu-Natal Athletics will concentrate on their Cross-Country League meetings which have been spread around the province.
This weekend there are four meetings - all on Saturday. The first is at Bergville at Edukuza and is hosted by the Bergville Athletics Club. For more information contact Nomusa Ndlovu on 082 963 2334.
The next meeting will be at Madadeni and is being organised by Vusi Madlala. He can be contacted on the following telephone number: 072 447 6133.
There will also be a Cross-Country League meeting in Kokstad. Nick Sessing is the convener of the event. For more information call him on 072 117 2059.
And the final meeting of the weekend is at the Abaqulusi development Club in Isandlwana. Noluthando Molefe is the contact person and can be reached on 083 694 9105.
A middle-distance squad training camp has been scheduled by KwaZulu-Natal Athletics for this weekend.
"This is being scheduled as KwaZulu-Natal Athletics are serious about lifting the profile of the sport in this province. We want to see more of our athletes reach greater heights at national championships," Joyce Smith, chief executive of KwaZulu-Natal Athletics, said.
"Hence we have started a process and we hope that it will help the athletes in their careers.
"We want to see KwaZulu-Natal athletes win more medals at national level and we would also like to see more of our athletes being selected for the South African teams."
Smith said 30 athletes have been selected to attend the camp and will be using King's Park Athletics Stadium as their base for all their training.
Athletes were chosen via performances at the Inter-District and KwaNaloga Games plus League meetings, road races and provincial championships.
Kwazulu-Natal Athletics will host the South African Inmate Championships at King's Park Athletics Stadium on May 18. This is the new date for the event.
There are two road races in KwaZulu-Natal this weekend. The Pavilion 15km Challenge will be held on Sunday and will be hosted by the Westville Athletics Club. The race starts and finishes at the Pavilion Shopping Centre.
Entries are still being taken for the race - the race organisers will be at the start venue from 5am on the morning of the race. Runners can also enter online by logging on to: >www.enteronline.co.za. Entries for this process close at midnight tonight. There are some attractive prizes on offer. The winners of the men's and women's races will receive R500 while the second prize is R300 and third-placed runners will take home R200.
The race starts at 6am and the cut-off time is 2hrs 30min. Entry fee: R15 for run/walk. And those who do not have a running licence, temporary licences will be available at a cost of R12.
The second race is the Mannix Monster - 64km run which is being hosted by the Mtunzini Athletics Club. For more information and details as to how to get to the start, please contact Paul Mannix on 035 772 1164 or 082 571 6559.
