Entries for the country’s biggest road running event, the 2009 Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, officially opened on Saturday 1 November. Next year’s event takes place on Easter Saturday 11 April and will celebrate its 40th birthday, which also coincides with the 10-year anniversary of Old Mutual as the title sponsor.
A commemorative logo was specially designed to celebrate 40 years, as well as a new-look website that incorporates the “Growing Together. Running Together” tag line, introduced for the 2009 event.
Ultra runners are advised to take note of the changes to the qualifying process, run their qualifying marathon early and get their entries in as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. In order to qualify for next year’s 56km ultra event, participants must use their time from a marathon or ultra marathon run after 1 September this year. The 2008 Two Oceans ultra and Comrades cannot be used as a qualifier, as was the case for this year’s event.
Participants are encouraged to enter online at www.twooceansmarathon.org.za and entry forms will be available at leading sports shops and running clubs countrywide during November. Entries close on Wednesday 4 March 2009 or when the first 11 000 participants are reached in the half marathon.
The race organisers have announced that once a participant has entered no entry changes will facilitated at all. There will also be no substitutions, upgrades or downgrades, refunds and no late entries – no matter what the circumstances.
Said race director Rowyn James: “We have taken this decision as the race has now reached a level where we are processing close to 20 000 entries, which takes a tremendous amount of planning and co-ordination. In order to ensure the entry process runs smoothly, once the deadline is reached our office will not make any changes.”
He added that in previous years the entry changes and some international entries were handled at the expo but that this year it will only be for race number and goody bag collection, as well as the usual running/lifestyle exhibits and the popular PUMA Memorabilia Shop.
Title sponsor Old Mutual has planned a festival of events leading up to race day on Easter Saturday. Activities include a comedy festival featuring top local comedians, a family day of fun runs and activities at UCT on Good Friday and the Summer Sunset Concerts at Kirstenbosch.
The race office, in conjunction with the Sports Science Institute of South Africa [SSISA], is once again hosting a series of workshops with the aim of helping runners to achieve their personal running goals and provide them with valuable training advice and race preparation.
Two Cape Town workshops, held at SSISA in Newlands, Cape Town, will take place on 26 January and 2 February 2009. The first workshop will focus on the 56km ultra-marathon race, while the second one will be aimed at 21km entrants. Contact SSISA on [021] 659 5725 or email ccoupar@ssisa.com to book.
Speakers include Runner’s World columnist Dr Ross Tucker, Prof Andrew Bosch and Old Mutual Virtual Coach Dave Spence, as well as others. The workshops cost R45 each and include a one-month Runner’s World subscription, with all proceeds going to the official race charity NOAH, Nurturing Orphans of AIDS for Humanity.
A commemorative logo was specially designed to celebrate 40 years, as well as a new-look website that incorporates the “Growing Together. Running Together” tag line, introduced for the 2009 event.
Ultra runners are advised to take note of the changes to the qualifying process, run their qualifying marathon early and get their entries in as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. In order to qualify for next year’s 56km ultra event, participants must use their time from a marathon or ultra marathon run after 1 September this year. The 2008 Two Oceans ultra and Comrades cannot be used as a qualifier, as was the case for this year’s event.
Participants are encouraged to enter online at www.twooceansmarathon.org.za and entry forms will be available at leading sports shops and running clubs countrywide during November. Entries close on Wednesday 4 March 2009 or when the first 11 000 participants are reached in the half marathon.
The race organisers have announced that once a participant has entered no entry changes will facilitated at all. There will also be no substitutions, upgrades or downgrades, refunds and no late entries – no matter what the circumstances.
Said race director Rowyn James: “We have taken this decision as the race has now reached a level where we are processing close to 20 000 entries, which takes a tremendous amount of planning and co-ordination. In order to ensure the entry process runs smoothly, once the deadline is reached our office will not make any changes.”
He added that in previous years the entry changes and some international entries were handled at the expo but that this year it will only be for race number and goody bag collection, as well as the usual running/lifestyle exhibits and the popular PUMA Memorabilia Shop.
Title sponsor Old Mutual has planned a festival of events leading up to race day on Easter Saturday. Activities include a comedy festival featuring top local comedians, a family day of fun runs and activities at UCT on Good Friday and the Summer Sunset Concerts at Kirstenbosch.
The race office, in conjunction with the Sports Science Institute of South Africa [SSISA], is once again hosting a series of workshops with the aim of helping runners to achieve their personal running goals and provide them with valuable training advice and race preparation.
Two Cape Town workshops, held at SSISA in Newlands, Cape Town, will take place on 26 January and 2 February 2009. The first workshop will focus on the 56km ultra-marathon race, while the second one will be aimed at 21km entrants. Contact SSISA on [021] 659 5725 or email ccoupar@ssisa.com to book.
Speakers include Runner’s World columnist Dr Ross Tucker, Prof Andrew Bosch and Old Mutual Virtual Coach Dave Spence, as well as others. The workshops cost R45 each and include a one-month Runner’s World subscription, with all proceeds going to the official race charity NOAH, Nurturing Orphans of AIDS for Humanity.