Organisers have announced a slight change to the finish of this year’s GBS Mutual Bank Mountain Drive Half Marathon. This year, after descending at 19km from Cradock Heights, the route takes runners along Templeton Drive, past Graeme College, left into Withypool Road, into Graeme College and through the school grounds to the finish.
In other words, from the start, runners exit via the Somerset Field (south-east) gate of the school and to reach the finish, enter via the Marais Field (south-west) gate.
“The reason for the change in the last kilometre of the route was that athletes complained about them running past the start/finish and then zig-zagging back to the finish,” said Albany Saints and Sinners Multisport’s Jaco van Dyk, a partner in the event. .
“The new route is precisely 21.1km,” Van Dyk said. “Last year’s route was 20-odd kilometres.”
The GBS Mutual Bank Mountain Drive Half Marathon starts and finishes at Graeme College (Somerset Field- use lower entrance at corner of Miles and Selbourne Streets), Makhanda (Grahamstown) on Saturday, 24 August 2019. The race starts at 8am for runners AND walkers.
Pre-entries close at 9am on Wednesday, 21 August at Brian Bands Sports (PE) and Oasis Water (Pepper Grove Mall, Makhanda (Grahamstown).
Online entries close at midnight on Tuesday 20 August.
Registration is on Friday 23 August 6pm-8pm at the Graemian Centre followed by a pasta evening hosted by Albany Saints and Sinners Multisport at their clubhouse. See the Facebook page for RSVP details. Late entries will be accepted on race day at Graeme College from 6.30am to 7.45am.
