| TWO OCEANS
Conquer Two Oceans with
TOTALSPORTS , part of The Foschini Group ( TFG ), have announced a threeyear agreement as the new title sponsor of Cape Town ’ s iconic Two Oceans Marathon , which will now be known as the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon .
“ We fully appreciate the heritage of the Two Oceans Marathon and we are honoured to be the title sponsor ,” says TFG CEO Anthony Thunström . “ Totalsports is a firm believer in the unifying power of running and our investment is a celebration of the enduring spirit of runners everywhere , in overcoming the challenges of the past two years . It ’ s great to finally see our running community excited about taking part in landmark events like Two Oceans again .”
The Two Oceans Marathon ( TOM ) will once again be run over the Easter Weekend , but for the first time in the event ’ s history , the race will be run over two days . While the Half Marathon takes place on Saturday 16 April , the Ultra Marathon will be run on Sunday 17 April . Entries opened on Friday 11 February and will close at midnight on Sunday 20 February , with ballot draws taking place on Monday 21 February to determine which entries will be successful .
TOM Race Director Debra Barnes says , “ We are excited to be staging our world-class , globally iconic event in partnership with Totalsports , a leading retail sports apparel brand . The commitment to enhancing the runner experience underpins much of who we are as an organisation , and when it comes to doing more for the runner , we could not have asked for a better alignment than with a brand that is as runner-centric as we are .”
The 2022 running of the ultra will be its 51st since inception for this jewel event on the Western Cape ’ s calendar of highlights , and an economic impact study showed that the 2016 event contributed up to R670 million to the local provincial economy annually , making it one of Africa ’ s biggest running events when measured by this metric .
In speaking to this new and exciting partnership with Totalsports , TOM NPC Chairperson William Swartbooi says , “ In building this organisation , we trust those who add value , and value those whom we trust . We are confident that this partnership represents a valueadd on several fronts , but most importantly for our key constituents , our runners .”
President of Athletics South Africa , James Moloi , has also warmly welcomed news of the sponsorship : “ We welcome on board the new partners of the Two Oceans Marathon , Totalsports . This welcome sponsorship will continue the tradition of offering career development for athletes , coaches and teams ,” he says . “ I take this opportunity to congratulate the race organisers on the new sponsorship and trust that it is a beginning of a long relationship between the two parties .”
Totalsports Head of Business , Jonathan Stein , adds , “ We are committed to making running accessible to all South Africans , no matter the goal , distance , or motivation for running . We want to inspire runners to live their best lives , and we know many runners dream of completing the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon . It represents inclusivity , the natural beauty , and protection of the environment , as well as the excellence of the athletes who compete , and the world-class standards the event has maintained over its long history . As the leaders in running footwear and apparel , we share these values and look forward to supporting the Two Oceans Marathon to come back stronger than ever .”
As part of its support for the sport of running , Totalsports also sponsors the Phantane running club , promoting the development of elite athletes from disadvantaged backgrounds . Members of the club who are expected to participate in the 2022 Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon include KZN marathon champion Bonginkosi Zwane and 2:11 marathoner Sboniso Sikhakhane , who will both run the 56km ultramarathon , and Mbuleli Mathanga will tackle the half marathon .
Images : Roger Sedres / ImageSA & Shawn Benjamin
“ Totalsports wishes all runners in this year ’ s Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon a successful , enjoyable and exciting race ,” says Stein .
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