Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 128, March 2020 | Page 27

ADVERTORIAL
SPAR Women’s Challenge
in PE Postponed
The SPAR Women’s
Challenge 10km
and 5km races in
Port Elizabeth, due
to have been held
on Saturday, have
been postponed to
later this year. The
date of October 17
has been proposed,
but this must still
be confirmed
The SPAR Women’s Challenge in Port Elizabeth, scheduled for Saturday 21 March,
has been postponed due to steps announced by the presidency to tackle the
coronavirus outbreak.
T
his was the message
from SPAR Eastern Cape
sponsorship and events
manager Alan Stapleton following President Cyril
Ramaphosa’s address to the nation on Sunday 15 March, in
which stringent measures were introduced to try to contain the spread of COVID-19.
“In the light of the statements from the government and the limitations imposed
on sports events, the race will be postponed,” said Stapleton. “The 17th of
October has been proposed as a suitable date, but we will still need final
confirmation once the finer details have been sorted out. Further developments
will be communicated to the community and all other role-players once they are
finalised.”
Stapleton added that the entries of those who had already entered would
remain valid for the race’s future date.
The Women’s Challenge PE offers distances of 10km and 5km, and was due to
have taken place in Summerstrand, adjacent to Pollok Beach. Annually this event
attracts thousands of runners and walkers to the PE beachfront, and as such, it
falls within the curbs imposed by the government.
In his address, President Ramaphosa declared a national state of disaster due to
the virus, and announced a range of measures to control further contamination.
“Gatherings of more than 100 people are prohibited,” he said. “In addition, large
events and celebrations are cancelled.”
The postponement of the Women’s Challenge falls in line with other major sporting
events that have been put on hold as the virus spreads its tentacles around the
globe. In PE, the Ironman South Africa race, initially scheduled for 29 March, has
been postponed to November, while the Two Oceans ultra-marathon, due to take
place in Cape Town over the Easter weekend, has been cancelled.
Stapleton said the confirmation of the new date and any other information
would be released on the retailer’s digital platforms and in the media as soon
as they became available.
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