PENINSULA
SCENIC AND SPEED – THE BEST OF BOTH !
The second race in the Balwin Sport Marathon Series is the fast and flat Peninsula Marathon in Cape Town on Sunday 16 February 2024 . With this race also hosting the Athletics South Africa Marathon Champs , it ’ s going to be exciting both for runners and spectators .
The Balwin Sports Peninsula Marathon is one of South Africa ’ s oldest and most iconic races . It was first run in 1964 , when race founder , the late Alex Jones of Celtic Harriers , realised that the distance between Green Point and the Simon ’ s Town was exactly the marathon distance - and since there were few marathons in the Mother City at the time , he did the logical thing and established the Peninsula Marathon . The first edition had only 19 finishers , fast forward 61 years and the race is sold out with over 7000 runners taking on the challenge . Alex , who ran the race 31 times is the holder of permanent # 1 .
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Organised and run by Celtic Harriers with the support of Balwin Sport , this race is about serving the community of Cape Town with a well-organised race and a focus on the participant experience . Glen Muller , race director and also a runner , is focused on giving everyone the best experience possible , from race registration right through to the finish line . “ My vision when planning the race is to view it through the lens of the runner to ensure an unforgettable experience that matches this magnificent route .”
The marathon starts at 5:15am in Main Road , Green Point and finishes at the Simon ’ s Town Naval Sports Grounds , with a fast and flat route , but the south-easterly wind can affect your progress – if blowing strongly , it will be your constant companion throughout the race , and it will be coming right at you . Interestingly , the organisers actually tried running the race the other way round in 1984 , to offset the effect of ‘ The Cape Doctor ,’ but Mother Nature responded in kind and sent a gale-force north-westerly wind Cape Town ’ s way instead .
The half marathon will start at 07h00 at Bergvliet Primary School , Children ’ s Way . Runners run a six kay loop on their own before merging with the marathon runners on what is known as the best part of the whole race . The final stretch of around 15km along the False Bay coastline , with the Atlantic Ocean on your left side and fresh sea air to fill your lungs as you make your way to the finish .
The Coach Parry team together with Mark Wolff from 32Gi hosted two webinars specifically dealing with how to get yourself ready for the Balwin Sport Marathon Series . The first webinar hosted by Coach Devlin covered training aspects in terms of where you should be in your training , how to manage race day , and the importance of strength training . Mark covered all things nutrition , especially key differences between fuelling in men and women , and how to take in enough carbs for race day .
The event is also an Abbot Age Group World Rankings Qualifier , which makes 14 sense Balwin for Jeppe its selection Marathon as 2025 the ASA Marathon Champs , come race day expect a stellar elite field , all eager to take the challenge .