The 2015 edition of the Oak Cottage KwikSpar Mountain Drive half-marathon takes place on Saturday 8 August. Runners and walkers will both start at 8am and the cut-off – four hours for all athletes – is 12pm.
The 2015 edition of the Oak Cottage KwikSpar Mountain Drive half-marathon takes place on Saturday 8 August. Runners and walkers will both start at 8am and the cut-off – four hours for all athletes – is 12pm.
With the race accorded provincial participation league status, a large entry is likely with participants coming from Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage clubs in addition to athletes from Port Alfred, Grahamstown and other centres.
Organisers are expecting over 350 athletes in total. While the event will continue to test athletes’ stamina over the seven-kilometre Mountain Drive gravel road, organisers have introduced a new final 6km to the route.
The new section is a gentle downhill which may well lead to some faster times than usual.
The 21km is hosted by Grahamstown based Run/Walk for Life Athletics Club.
From the start at Rhodes University’s Prospect sports complex at the western end of African Street, athletes will head along African and Somerset Streets towards Grey Dam, up and over Mountain Drive, through the industrial area and golf course, through the Grahamstown aerodrome and down Craodock Road, back to the Prospect fields.
The winners of the men’s and women’s divisions will each take home R700, the runners-up R250 each and third-placed competitors R150 each.
Plus the first male and female runner to reach the top of Mountain Drive will each receive R300 – provided they finish in the top ten in the men’s and women’s divisions.
Organisers have also put up cash prizes for the walker section of the race.
First male and female walker home will each receive R200, R150 for second and R100 for third.
There will also be prize-money for the various category winners.
The first 420 finishers will get medals, while each finisher will be handed a bottle of spring water.
Spot prizes will also be handed out. The entry fee is R50, with unlicensed entrants paying an additional R30 fee each for temporary licences.
Pre-entries close on Wednesday 5 August and you can enter at Oak Cottage KwikSpar in Grahamstown, Brian Bands Sports in Port Elizabeth and Brockett’s Sports in Uitenhage.
Enter online at www.roag.co.za.
Online entries close at midnight on Wednesday 5 August.
For more race information, phone Terri-Lynn Penney on 083 504 7940 or e-mail her on grahamstown@runwalkforlife.co.za.
