ROAD RUNNING
The Clean-up Continues
Modern Athlete’ s # runclean campaign is part of a growing number of initiatives to stop littering during South African races, because the mess left behind by runners dropping water sachets or cups in the road has become one of the most prominent talking points in SA running circles. Here is a news round-up of various people and organisations contributing to this anti-litter campaign. – BY SEAN FALCONER
Images: Shawn Benjamin / Ark Images, Sean Falconer & Courtesy OMTOM, AIMS, Itheko Events
ASA Makes Littering Illegal
The new 2018 ASA Domestic Competition Rules and Regulations have seen the introduction of Rule 28 on littering, which includes the provision that athletes may be officially warned( yellow card), disqualified( red card) or even fined if caught intentionally littering during events. Provincial officials are still busy phasing in steps to apply the new rule, but runners are recommended to change their littering ways in the meantime, to avoid penalties once the rule is fully applied.
# icarrymyown Movement Grows
More runners are starting to carry their own water in road races, either in hydration packs or water bottles, in order to avoid using plastic sachets and contributing further to the build-up of waste. Many of these runners wear home-made signs on their running kit to inform fellow runners of the initiative, like the four youngsters from Fish Hoek( below) who took part in the Spartan Harriers Firgrove Challenge event in Cape Town in early February. Well done to Ruben Fourie, Rayne Law, Tim Johnson and Josh Thomson for setting such a great example!
This movement has been helped by Richard Sutton, organiser of the Milkwood Half Marathon, taking his mobile water refill station to races such as the Red Hill Marathon, after runners were told via social media that they could refill there mid-race. The refill station initiative is now being supported by hydration pack manufacturer FuelBelt, which provided two refill stations in the Peninsula Marathon. This contributes further to a reduction in the amount of plastic waste being generated by runners.
Provinces Support # runclean
In January, Eastern Province Athletics became the second athletic province to sign up to the # runclean campaign, and will be urging all athletes, clubs and events in the province to support the anti-litter campaign. The first province to sign up was Western Province Athletics. In other provincial news, due to the severe water shortage in the Cape, Western Province Athletics has changed its domestic road running rules, with the consent of ASA, to allow race organisers to place refreshment stations at intervals of 5km. This is still in line with IAAF rules, whereas ASA rules call for stations every 3km, due to the hot weather generally found in SA. The good news for the fight against litter is that less plastic sachets will be handed out in Cape races, meaning less plastic potentially ending up in the environment.
More # GOGREEN Desks donated to Schools
The # GOGREEN waste-management and anti-littering campaign is a partnership between Old Mutual and WILDLANDS, supported by Polyco, that saw plastic waste collected during the 2017 Old Mutual Two Oceans and Comrades ultra-marathons. This waste was then converted into school desks for underprivileged schools – it takes 60kg to make a two-seater Green Desk – and batches of 20 desks were recently presented to the Axios School of Skills in Eerste Rivier( Cape Town, below) and Nobanda Primary School in Sweetwaters( Pietermaritzburg). A total of 667 desks will be produced from the race waste of these two events.
Races Sign Up for FREE Bins
As part of the Modern Athlete # runclean campaign, Garbie( East Rand Plastics) is providing FREE fold-up cardboard bins and plastic bin liners to any running or walking event held in South Africa that registers as a # runclean event. To qualify, events must put the # runclean and Garbie logos on their entry form and website, and must promote the # runclean message at their event. Once an event is registered and approved, Garbie will arrange the free delivery of the bins, while Modern Athlete will promote the event as a # runclean event.
Here are some upcoming races that have signed up, and we hope Modern Athlete readers will support these races – and use the bins! 3 March Run The Vines Trail Run # 1, Boland 3 March UNIWISP Fast 5-in-1 Marathon,
Mpumalanga 4 March Cape Gate Vaal Marathon, Vaal Triangle 4 March Hot 919 Hot legs Challenge, Central
Gauteng 10 March Constantia Village K-Way 15km,
Western Province 10 March Neon Nite 2018, Central Gauteng 10 March PwC Kosmos 3-in-1, Mpumalanga 11 March Carletonville Half Marathon, Central
Gauteng 17 March Old Mutual Om Die Dam, North West
North 17 March Galaxy Bingo & BRAC 10km, Border 24 March Ravensmead 15km, Western Province 25 March Stella Royal 25km, KwaZulu-Natal 25 March Spar Women’ s Cape Town, Western
Province
To register an event as a # runclean race, go to http:// modernathlete. co. za / bf. php? fid = 287 or sign up via the link on www. facebook. com / runclean.
Think before you throw – # runclean Share your # runclean efforts or experiences at www. facebook. com / runclean or mail them to letters @ modernathlete. co. za.
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