September 22, 2005
By Lucky Sindane
THE clock is ticking for runners who would like to enter the 2005 City-to-City 50km ultra marathon on Sunday, 25 September. This year marks the 102nd time the Tshwane-Joburg race is being run.
Entries close the day before the race, on Saturday, 24 September; runners can register between 10am and 2pm at the Wanderers Stadium in Illovo or at the Carter Primary School in Alexandra.
This year the ultra marathon, run as part of Heritage Day celebrations, starts in Tshwane. Two shorter races are also being run: a 20km run/walk from Midrand and a 10km run/walk from Alexandra. All three end at Wanderers Club in Johannesburg.
More than 5 000 runners are expected to take part in the race, which starts at Hennop's Park, in Centurion, Tshwane, at 6am. A total of R500 000 in prize money has been set aside for the various events.
The 20km run/walk will start on Old Pretoria Road, in Midrand, and the 10km run/walk will start at Alex's Carter Primary School.
There will be an interactive exhibition at the finish line, featuring the stories of some of South Africa's famous marathon runners over the decades.
Also on show will be examples of Joburg's heritage and "the wider road to transformation in Gauteng", according to a press release.
Based on the theme "We've come a long way", the finish line exhibit of 10 stations displaying text panels and interactive devices, will tell the story of the race, linking it to a changing political and demographic landscape.
It will also explore what it takes to run the race - persistence, stamina, determination and courage, all of which characterise the frame of mind of a marathon runner.
The first male and female runners to cross the finishing line in the ultra marathon will take home R50 000 each, up from last year's R10 000.
The male and female winners of the 20km and 10km races will take home R10 000 and R3 000 each, respectively.
The record for the race, set in 1982 by Ben Cheou, is two hours, 46 minutes and eight seconds. Gladys Lukhwareni, who won the race in 2003 running barefoot, is preparing to run for the title again.
"In the true experience of the marathon runner, the City-to-City marathon has come a long way," says Gauteng MEC for sports, recreation, arts and culture Barbara Creecy.
"What started out in 1903 as a white, men-only race today attracts women and men of all communities in large numbers. The race personifies the road of change and development we have travelled and the new Alexandra leg ... is a particularly exciting reflection of this.
"By running this race people will be honouring the late Joe Slovo," she adds. The department is holding this year's marathon in honour of the struggle veteran and politician.
The City-to-City ultra marathon is a qualifier for the Comrade's Marathon that is run between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, in KwaZulu-Natal, and the Two Oceans Marathon in Cape Town.
It is organised by the Gauteng department of sports, recreation, arts and culture, in association with Central Gauteng Athletics, Athletics Gauteng North, City of Johannesburg, City of Tshwane, Coca-Cola, SAB, Elliot Transport and the City-to-City bus company.
Entry forms are available from the athletics bodies on 011 873 2726 /2266 or 012 327 4930 /1 /2, or online at SA Active.
The race will be broadcast live on SABC2 from 6am to 10am and again from noon to 12.30pm.
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