Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 128, March 2020

RACE CALENDAR … d e n o p t s o P … Cancelled … s n o i s i c e D Awaiting MARCH / APRIL 2020 Normally we’d say welcome to SA’s biggest and most complete running and walking race calendar, containing all road and trail runs, as well as other running-related disciplines, but it’s not business as usual this month… Two Oceans Marathon, Western Cape Loskop Ultra Marathon, Mpumalanga D Many have, unfortunately, had to announce that they have no choice but to cancel outright, mostly for logistical reasons such as non-availability of venues and vital service providers later in the year. This list includes the Two Oceans Marathon and Spar Women’s Challenge Cape Town. Some races are giving refunds on entry fees, others are giving part-refunds, while some are unable to pay back monies that had already been committed to putting on their now- cancelled events. We Are Here to Help… ue to the rapid spread of the global COVID-19 Pandemic, leading to the SA Government declaring a national disaster and prohibiting any public gatherings of 100 or more people until mid-April (for now), all the races from mid-March to mid-April that would have appeared on these pages have been cancelled with immediate effect. Here at Modern Athlete, we are doing our best to keep runners updated with the status of upcoming events via a Race Status Update listing on our website, produced in conjunction with our long-time Race Calendar partner, the Nedbank Runners’ Guide. It’s a big task, and our combined team is working to make it as up to date as possible. This situation will be reassessed by the Government in mid-April, and at that time athletics officials will make a decision whether to resume the racing calendar, or extend the isolation period and thus order the cancellation of further races. In the meantime, let’s spare a thought for the affected organisers and service providers in the running industry. For many, their livelihood is under threat, and thus they are trying to think outside the proverbial box with new running concepts and ideas. On that front, look out for the various innovative virtual races now being advertised, which will allow runners to still be part of an active and interactive running community, even though we won’t get to run together and see all our running friends in person. Now the question on every runner’s lips is whether these races are cancelled outright, or will they be postponed to a later date, after the COVID-19 quarantine period comes to an end? Some races have already announced revised plans, like the Spar Women’s Challenge PE (was 21 March, now provisionally rescheduled on 17 October) and the Standard Bank Ironman Africa Champs (was 29 March, now rescheduled on 15 November), while many others have said that a new date is being sought, subject to confirmation. Dirtopia Trail Run, Boland Birchwood Half Marathon, Central Gauteng Hopefully soon the proper Race Calendar will be back in the mag, and we’ll all be together at the races again. Impi Challenge, Obstacle Racing Ironman SA, Eastern Cape Click here to get the latest updates as they become available 46 ISSUE 128 MARCH 2020 / www.modernathlete.co.za Cronje JP Morgan Corporate Challenge Central Gauteng

Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 128, March 2020 | Page 46