Newsletter
 
Brought to you by: www.nedbankrunningclub.co.za
13 October 2016
 
Events

 
KwaZulu-Natal
14 October 2016
Hilton College Night Trail Run 2
 

Eastern Province
14 October 2016
Penguin Trail Run - Three Days
 

South Western Districts
14 October 2016
The Otter African 42 km and Dassie 10 km Trail Run - 2 Days
 

Gauteng North
14 October 2016
Irene Primary School Moonlight 8km & 4km Fun Run/Walk
 

Boland
14 October 2016
Cederberg Traverse 100 km - 2 Days
 

Free State
15 October 2016
Harrismith Mountain Race
 

Free State
15 October 2016
Aldam 21 km & 10 km Trail Run
 

Mpumalanga
15 October 2016
Elhanzeni Sport Tourism Day Half Marathon & 10 km
 

Mpumalanga
15 October 2016
Buffalo Gorge Trail Series - October
 

Western Province
15 October 2016
Cederberg Traverse 100 km
 

Eastern Province
15 October 2016
Penguin Trail Run - Two Days
 

South Western Districts
15 October 2016
Meiringspoort Half Marathon & 13 km
 

Gauteng North
15 October 2016
SABS Jacaranda City Challenge
 

Boland
15 October 2016
Voet van Afrika 10 km
 

Boland
15 October 2016
Voet van Afrika Marathon and Half Marathon
 

Boland
15 October 2016
Fairview La Capra Goat Run
 

Boland
15 October 2016
Realtors International Trail Run - Durbanville Hills Wine Estate
 

Central North West
15 October 2016
Matlosana Mall Fun Run
 

Central Gauteng
15 October 2016
18 & 9-hour Relay Marathon
 

Central Gauteng
15 October 2016
Serengeti Night Run/Walk
 

Griqualand West
15 October 2016
Vodacom Half Marathon & 10 km
 

North West North
15 October 2016
Brauhaus Mountain Challenge
 

KwaZulu-Natal
16 October 2016
Goss & Balfe South Coast Marathon Run & Half Marathon Run/Walk
 

KwaZulu-Natal
16 October 2016
Goss & Balfe Sapphire Coast Marathon & Half Run/Walk
 

KwaZulu-Natal
16 October 2016
Spur KZN Trail Series 3 of 4
 

KwaZulu-Natal
16 October 2016
Inanda Family Day Trail Run
 

Western Province
16 October 2016
OUTsurance KFM Gun Run
 

Gauteng North
16 October 2016
Idlewild Family Trail Run
 

Central Gauteng
16 October 2016
Rockman 20 km, 12 km & 5 km Trail Run
 

Central Gauteng
16 October 2016
St John's College on the Trail 5km Run/Walk
 

 

National Personalities and Stories

Van Zyl wins in Johannesburg to seal overall victory in SPAR Grand Prix series

When in doubt, switch to attack mode. This aggressive approach by Irvette van Zyl (Nedbank Running Club) enabled her to win the SPAR Women's 10 km Race in Johannesburg.

It was the first time since 2012 that any athlete was able to repeat René Kalmer's feat of winning four of the five SPAR women's races in the same year. Needless to say, van Zyl's dominance also led to her winning the SPAR Grand Prix series for a second time. She was also victorious in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban. Unfortunately she could not compete in Pretoria because of an injury.

She certainly caught everybody off guard when she attacked within the first kilometre to take the lead. Once in front, there was no stopping her. She increased her lead stride by stride to win in 34:58. Mapaseka Makhanya crossed the line in second place, 48 seconds adrift, followed by Rutendo Nyahora (van Zyl's teammate) a further 14 seconds behind.

In the buildup to the race van Zyl was certainly not brimming with confidence. In fact, she was quite doubtful about how she might perform because she was not sure whether she had recovered fully from the stress fracture that forced her to withdraw from the Olympic Marathon in Rio.

'When we lined up at the start, I decided that I was going to run my own race and what will be will be. I gained quite a lot of confidence when I raced up the first hill and I could hear the laboured breathing of some of the other athletes behind me. The goal I set myself was to run a time faster than 35 minutes. This would mean that I would gain extra bonus points that would help me clinch the Grand Prix series.'

According to van Zyl there was only one time during the race when she had doubts about her aggressive tactics for a moment or two. 'It was on the last climb, which was slightly longer than I remembered.'

'I will admit that it felt special to win. It was a much-needed confidence booster for me, especially after my Olympic fiasco. It is still not easy for me to talk about what happened in Rio because I tend to become quite emotional when I talk about it.'

Van Zyl said she expects to compete in only one more race this season. It will possibly be in Soweto. Lindsey Parry (coach) and I still have to sit down and discuss the way forward. I think I will probably give up my plan to race on the track next year. Our aim will be to see how much quicker I can become over 10 and 21 kilometres.'
 
Comrades Marathon 2017

Herron has unfinished business at the Comrades

Camille Herron (USA), the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) 100 km champion, will compete in next year's Comrades.

She is so serious about it that she taped a Comrades logo onto her refrigerator that reads: 'It takes all of you!'

Herron has good reason to be motivated. In fact, she has unfinished business at the Comrades. This year Herron had to withdraw from the race due to a torn hamstring and in 2014 she fell ill a day before the Comrades. Despite her illness she still tried to compete, but after 83 kilometres her body had had enough and she had to drop out.

'I can't wait to return to South Africa to run the Comrades. As far as I am concerned it is the largest and most prestigious ultramarathon in the world,' said Herron, who will compete in the colours of Nedbank Running Club.

She made it clear that she will certainly not be running merely to make up the numbers.

'I've learned I'm equally good at ascending and descending. I not only believe that I can win but also that I have the strength and speed to challenge the up and down course records at the Comrades. I have a unique ability to push myself to an extreme level of pain for a long time. I will focus on this and on getting the most out of myself.

'I've had a smooth recovery since my injury last spring and I am racing very well again. I have just won a major trail race over the past weekend (Ultra Race of Champions) and broke the course record by 27 minutes. That earned me the highest-rated trail performance in the world, showing that I can race well at any distance, in any terrain, or on any surface.

'My biggest upcoming race challenge is the IAU 100 km World Championship in November. I'll be defending my title and I also want to give the American record of 07:00 hours another shot.

'After that I will likely rest a bit before doing a mix of trail and road races of different distances and terrain. I enjoy racing, but we're also mindful to make sure I don't overdo it. I race best when I focus on being a 'complete athlete' – aerobically fit, strong, fast, and most importantly, healthy and well rested.

'I injured my hamstring because of heavy strength training (deadlifts). I will definitely not make the same mistake again, and will focus only on running.

'I appreciate the continued support from the Nedbank Running Club and everything they do to support athletes at all levels. No one can do it alone. It takes a team to be successful.'

2017 Comrades Marathon Entry Update

Halfway through the 2017 Comrades Marathon entry process and the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) has announced that more than half of the entry cap has been taken up.

CMA Race Director, Rowyn James has confirmed that the entry process has continued to proceed smoothly with runners from around the world showing a heightened interest in the world’s most gruelling ultra-marathon.

James says, “We have captured nearly 11500 successful entries so far which equates to 56% of our entry quota.”

As part of the CMA’s Runners First Initiative, a Comrades club manual has been developed, which will assist running clubs to make better use of the Comrades entry system.

In light of its commitment to improving its relationship with running clubs across the country, the CMA will host an interactive club session on 22 October 2016. This will assist club managers to update details and qualifying times of runners who do not have the facilities to do so.

Club managers will also have the ability to verify which club the athlete belongs to as well as his/her qualifying details. All athletes who are flagged by club managers will be contacted by the CMA’s in-house entries team.

Entry breakdown:
•    South African Entrants: 10447
•    Rest of Africa Entrants: 144
•    International Entrants: 763

James concludes, “With less than two months to go till the 2017 Comrades entry process closes, we would like to urge runners who have not yet entered to do so as soon as possible.”

For details on how to enter, please visit the Comrades Marathon website: www.comrades
 
Two Oceans Marathon 2017

Old Mutual Two Oceans Half Marathon to adopt ballot application process for 2017

After months of planning and deliberation, the Two Oceans Marathon NPC has announced a new entry process for the Half Marathon, which will move from the usual online entry procedure to the introduction of a ballot application system.

This system is in keeping with international best practice as utilised by other high profile mass-participation events like the New York and London Marathons.

“The decision to introduce a ballot process to the Half Marathon was not taken lightly, and was only made after reviewing the extensive feedback we have received from our participants, and discussing practical options with our board, event partners and industry peers,” explains Carol Vosloo, General Manager of the Two Oceans Marathon NPC.

“The reality is that we have reached a point where the Half Marathon is oversubscribed, and where the demand for entries far exceeds the availability. Entries also sold out within hours in the past few years. This has placed incredible strain on our entry system and affected its communication with banking servers, which made for a frustrating experience.”

“By moving to a ballot application system and in turn, avoiding the rush that inevitably leads to frustration and disappointment, we are able to offer runners a smooth, inclusive, fair and audited entry process, and a better experience overall.”

Ballot Process

The new ballot system is an applications process whereby prospective Half Marathon participants will have the opportunity to submit their application – or interest to enter - through the online applications system via the OMTOM website.

Blue Number Club runners, as well as Yellow number holders that are about to run their 10th Half Marathon will be the only runners excluded from this process. They will receive an exclusive invitation to enter and pay between 31 October and 10 November 2016. No application is necessary, and this invitation is not transferable. 1 000 entries are available in this pool.

Club and general runners will have the opportunity to submit their ballot application between 1 and 10 November 2016, via the online system on the OMTOM website. This will be followed by two separate audited, computer-generated random draws:

11 November 2016: 6 000 entries will be allocated to the pool of applicants that currently belong to a South African running club and have a valid Club license number (note that this will be up for renewal early in 2017).
18 November 2016: The balance of entries will be allocated to the general public ballot. Those who are unsuccessful in the Club ballot allocation will be added to the general ballot.

Runners whose names are drawn on these days will receive an email with a payment link.

Club Runners whose names were drawn on 11 November must complete their entry and pay by 4pm on 17 November 2016.
Runners from the 18 November draw will have until 4pm on 24 November to pay for their entry.

Runners who do not meet their payment deadline will forfeit their entry.

On 2 December 2016, all unsuccessful applicants will receive an email inviting them to run for a supporting charity, or to secure a substitution entry between 9 January and 6 March 2017.

2 000 entries will be made available to charity groups, who can apply to use the event as a fundraising platform. In 2016 over R3 million was raised through the charity entries.

Ultra Entries Are Open

Online entries for the 2017 Old Mutual Two Oceans Ultra Marathon have already opened and are currently taking a steady stream of entries. Entries are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, and will remain open until the 11 000 limit has been reached.

“While the official closing date for Ultra entries is 6 March 2017, the entry limit is reached earlier every year, with entries closing six weeks before the official closing date in 2016,” says Ms Vosloo.

“We therefore urge runners to watch our social media channels for entry updates and secure their entries to avoid disappointment.”

Prospective Ultra Marathon entrants must run a qualifying marathon between 1 July 2016 and 5 March 2017, and submit their qualifying time by midnight on 6 March 2017.

Trail Run Entries Open 1 December

Online entries for the Old Mutual Two Oceans Trail Runs will open on 1 December 2017.

Entries for the 12km Trail Run will open at 10am, and will be limited to 400 runners, while entries for the 24km Trail Run will open an hour later at 11am.

“Remember to be online when entries open to avoid disappointment,” warns Ms Vosloo. “Last year, entries closed within minutes of opening, and we expect the same to happen again this year.”

The Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon takes place on Friday, 14 April and Saturday, 15 April 2017.

Follow the online conversation on Facebook (www.facebook.com/TwoOceansMarathon) or on Twitter and Instagram (@2OceansMarathon) for daily updates.

Runners may also visit www.twooceansmarathon for more information, or contact the entries team at info@twooceansmarathon.org.za or 0861 262326.
 
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Race Results

Mailola runs clever race to win the Rainbow 10 km

Africa Mailola outmanoeuvred and outran his rivals to win the Rainbow 10 km in Kempton Park over the weekend. The Nedbank Running Club athlete proved to be quite a wily campaigner, showing that nothing beats experience.

'We set off at quite a fast pace. After about four kilometres I became slightly worried because it felt like I might be overexerting myself, so I decided to 'gear down a notch', choosing to rather run at my own pace.

'It proved to be a wise decision, because when we reached the last four kilometres, I could feel that I still had plenty left in my legs. So I upped the pace, which led to me quickly catching up with the race leaders. There was no relenting. I decided to put the proverbial last nail in the coffin by accelerating again, basically going into time-trial mode. Nobody was able to respond.'

Mailola won in a season's best time of 30 minutes and 46 seconds.

'The race was just the confidence booster I needed before I compete in the Dublin Marathon on 30 October 2016. I can feel there is some speed in my legs,' said Mailola, who was quite complimentary about the way the race was organised.

Kromberg & Schubert Road Race

Nandipha Dywili (Nedbank Running Club) won the Kromberg & Schubert 15 km women's race in 1:02:50. Lizzy Dlhiwayo (RWFL) was second in 1:06:25 and Erica Geldenhuys (Temp) third in 1:20:18.

Esau Radebe (Nedbank Running Club) was third in the men's 15 km race, with a time of 51:19, Godfrey Malepe (Madikwe Mambas) won in 50:05 and Shadrack Hoff (Boxer) was second in 51:13.

Uthungula Marathon

Fikile Mbuthuma (Nedbank Running Club) finished second in the Uthungula Marathon, running a time of 3:02:10.

Delani Mkhize (Nedbank Running Club) was fifth in the men's marathon, with a time of 2:28:47.

Strawberry Fields Trail

Nedbank Running Club athletes cleaned up at the Strawberry Fields Trail, which took place in George. Elfonzo Pieterse won the 9 km race, with Auchten October coming in second and Rohan Swanepoel third.

Melissa van Rensburg (Nedbank Running Club) won the women's race, while her teammate, Charmaine Lamprecht, was third.

Jerome Ferland (Nedbank Running Club) won the men's 5 km race. Bradley Carelse was second and Joey Klaasen third.

Gagiano outruns the men to win the Oyster Catcher Trail Run

Carine Gagiano (Nedbank Running Club) was quite surprised when she won the three-day Oyster Catcher Trail Run (56 km) over the weekend.

Although the gap between Gagiano and second-placed Arnold Smit was only 32 seconds, a win is a win. Twenty years from now race records will still show that Gagiano won.

Feminists might be tempted to claim Gagiano's victory as proof that there is no such thing as a 'weaker sex'.

However, this is not how Gagiano sees it. For her it was just a matter of clever racing over the three days.

'My main goal every day was to keep up with the race leaders, which were the male athletes, to make sure that I would be in contention to win the women's race. I never thought, even for one moment, about winning outright. I can honestly say that the men were nice to me throughout the race.'

The Oyster Catcher Trail Run follows the famous oyster catcher hiking route from Gourikwa Nature Reserve (20 km), to Gouritsmond at the mouth of the Gourits River. The next day the route goes from Gouritsmond to Boggoms Bay (20 km), and on the last day from Dana Bay to Mossel Bay (16 km) on the St Blaize hiking route, which is a popular hike that follows the 30-metre high contour along the cliffs eastwards towards the Cape St Blaize Lighthouse.

Gagiano described the race as fast and flat.

'Day three was the most technical and challenging as far as I am concerned. It was also the day we had to do the most climbing – I think about 600 metres.'

'Day two was also reasonably challenging, because we had to run a lot on loose sand and rocks.'

'I can honestly say that scenic-wise, it is one of the most beautiful races I have ever competed in.'

The unexpected battle between Gagiano and Smit was rather interesting. On the first day she outran him by two minutes and she went on to increase her lead on the second day by another 48 seconds.

Smit, who was involved in a titanic battle with third-placed Nelius Swart, seemingly grew stronger every day. He completed the last stage in 1:34:27, which was the fastest time of the day. Gagiano ran 1:36:43.