Images : Nick Muzik , Rob Wright
I
vividly recall a National Championship hosted in Cape Town some years back , being restricted to the Beach Road pavement running through Green Point . At one point , the runners were forced to run either side of a bus stop , meaning the shortest route was reduced to a 1.5-metre gap between a dustbin and the bus shelter , and leading runners trying to go the other side of the bus shelter risked running into outgoing runners . In spite of requests , the city authorities would not budge on this stipulation . As recently as a decade ago , those same city authorities also insisted that Cape Town Marathon runners had to utilise the pavement and promenade along Somerset and Beach Roads . These paved sections are not only uneven , but cluttered with bollards , signs and other street furniture , not to mention people !
This year , finally , the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon enjoyed access to roads all along the route as the City of Cape Town authorities were compelled to review their traffic flow measures . This is mainly thanks to the required standards for the Abbott World Major Marathons , which the Cape race is aspiring to join . All Abbott Majors have a wheelchair division , which requires the use of quality roads and surfaces , and with the expert input of South Africa ’ s wheelchair
OUT OF THE BOX out of the box by NORRIE WILLIAMSON
Opportunity Knocks
To grow the sport of road running in South Africa will require thinking outside the proverbial box and a willingness to try new things . Fortunately , some race organisers and local authorities are beginning to understand this .
Paralympian and multiple big city marathon winner , Ernst van Dyk , a superb route was laid out .
Game-changing Move
Another massive step forward was having a start and finish in the main road through Green Point . It has taken nine years of the Cape Town Marathon for the City to discover it can , as with London , Boston , New York , Chicago , Vienna , Rome , Melbourne ,
The long-awaited finish in the main road at the 2022 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon
Bangkok and just about every other major city in the world , manage to have two-way traffic on the other side of a dual carriageway . The City authorities also successfully removed a ridiculously steep arched bridge , and Cape Town Traffic must be congratulated for successfully managing these changes .
Finishing on the road is well established in the world of road running , and in recent years by some South
The Sanlam Cape Town Marathon finally enjoyed access to roads all along the route this year
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