Muthubi gets Comrades Marathon gold.
Peter Muthubi has earned the Nedbank Running Club a forth gold medal in the 2010 Comrades Marathon. A delighted Muthubi, who finished 11th in this year’s Comrades Marathon, received the news last week that he had been promoted to 10th place following the disqualification of Sergio Moetsoneng who finished third.

The disqualification has resulted in the Nedbank Running Club earning its second gold medal in the men’s event, with Peter Molapo been elevated from 9th to 8th position overall as finishers from fourth to 11th were moved up by one place to complete the gold medal list. The ladies team also earned two gold medals.

The hard working and disciplined Muthubi was understandably very disappointed with his 11th placed finish on race day after showing great courage and determination on the road. Despite his best efforts Muthubi finished a mere 25 seconds short of the gold medal 10th place.

“I am a happy man today because I am glad that the Comrades Marathon makes sure the race is a true and a respected race” said a proud Muthubi.

GOLD FOR THE NEDBANK GREEN DREAM TEAM
Irvette Van Blerk, a member of the Nedbank Green Dream Team, was crowned South African Half Marathon champion over the weekend. Competing for Central Gauteng, Van Blerk improved on her personal best for the third time this year completing the 21 km distance in a time of 01:11:09. The impressive time puts Van Blerk among an illustrious group of athletes and amongst the top five fastest women in South Africa of all time behind Elana Meyer, Colleen de Reuck, René Kalmer (Nedbank brand ambassador) and Zola Budd-Pieterse.

Van Blerk was followed home in second place by new Nedbank team mate Zintle Xiniwe in 01:13:13. Other club mates who finished in the top ten were Mpho Mabuza and Christine Kalmer who finished 5th and 7th overall in 01:15:28 and 01:15:58 respectively.

“I took the lead from the start and went through the 10 km mark in 00:33:20 seconds and never looked back. At the end I was running comparably very slowly but was very surprised and happy with my finishing time,” said Van Blerk.

The top Nedbank Running Club finishers in the men’s section was Nedbank Eastern Cape local Lungisa Mdedelwa who finished 4th in the men’s category in a fantastic 01:02:30.

Keep working out those running shoes!

Randburg Harriers Half Marathon & 10 km - 1 August. Randburg Central Sports Complex, Cnr Republic Road and Silver Pine Avenue, Randburg - CG.
The Randburg Harriers Half Marathon has been consistently ranked by the Runner’s World race judges as a well organised and well presented event. Since the initiation of their ranking system, it has often been voted as one of South Africa’s top twenty half marathons. As a result of the rescheduling of the Comrades Marathon, this event has moved from its traditional date in May to August. In 2008, the route was officially calibrated, so you are guaranteed an accurate race distance. Randburg Harriers host a “runner’s shopping complex” and invite several shoe manufacturers and sports goods suppliers to set up displays on race day. Contact Michelle Knotzer on 011-7927003 (1-5pm) for details.

Blood Buddy 50 km Fun Walk/Relay - 08 August.  School Hall, Memel, Majuba Lodge - KZN.
The Memel to Newcastle Blood Buddy Fun Walk/Relay started in 1994 and celebrates Women’s Day. It aims to create awareness of blood donation specifically for the ‘Safe Blood for Safe Motherhood’ programme. This program calls for hospitals that perform caesareans to ensure that Emergency Blood Stocks are always available. All proceeds from this race go to the programme. Contact  Shavani Sewpaul on 082-8703446 for details.

Ocean Basket Marcel van't Slot Memorial - 14 August. Phobians Club, Queens Crescent, Lynnwood, Pretoria - GN.
The Marcel van't Slot Memorial Race has been consistently ranked by the Runner’s World race judges as a well organised and well presented event. Over the last four years it achieved distinction and a place in South Africa’s best loved races. It was voted the fourth best 15 kilometre event.

This race is run in memory of Marcel van't Slot, who was killed at the age of 30 on a run on 4 December 1994. Marcel's wife, Salome, had given birth to their child, Duan, just 10 days before the tragic accident. Appropriately, it was Marcel who, while still at school, designed the course in 1982 for Phobians' very first race. The impression of Marcel on the medal is taken from the last photograph of him, holding his newborn son. Contact Dimitri Kavallineas on 083-2997456 for details.

NIKE SHOWS ITS SUPPORT FOR DEVELOPMENT
Nike has truly gone the extra mile in its support of Nedbank Running Club.

Apart from its commitment to the Nedbank Green Dream Team, the world’s leading supplier of athletic shoes and apparel has come out in support of the club’s development wing, the Mzansi Squad. In illustrating its commitment to the nurturing of young talent, Nike has agreed to supply Nedbank Running Club Soweto’s 30-strong junior and youth squad with top-of-the-range running shoes for the year. Nike has also come to the aid of several other promising athletes from the Nedbank Soweto club, thus helping them to fulfil their innate potential.

“We are extremely grateful to Nike for their commitment to the development of the sport and feel privileged to have a company of their stature backing our athletes,” said Mark Struwig, Manager of Nedbank Running Club Soweto. “We believe Nike’s support will play an invaluable role in promoting talent within the team, which we trust will bear fruit to the benefit of a wide range of stakeholders in the years ahead.”

Greg Lewthwaite, Running Brand Manager at Nike South Africa commented “I’m really happy to be able to support young talent and assist in their development via the Nedbank Running Club structures. By providing the very best in Nike product technology and innovation, we can help those young athletes realise their potential and ultimately inspire their dreams.”

"A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral." Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

See you on the road

Tom Cottrell

Fortnightly Race Dates

31 July 2010

01 August 2010

07 August 2010

08 August 2010

09 August 2010

10 August 2010