RACE CALENDAR
Finish 2022 in Racing Style
South African athletes are blessed with an incredible number of running events , including not only road and trail running , but also many other running-related disciplines , so check out SA ’ s most complete running calendar , featuring two months of upcoming fixtures , and get your entries in , all right here !
– COMPILED BY NICOLE HAYES
From the Ed ’ s Desk … From the Ed ’ s Desk … by SEAN FALCONER
Trail is Where it ’ s Happening
One thing you quickly notice when compiling a race calendar is just how many trail events there now are across South Africa – and that number is growing with each passing month . I did a quick count , and of the 162 outand-out running events listed in this edition ( not counting multisport , obstacle racing or orienteering , nor the two virtual races ), 74 are trail runs , with at least another six or seven ‘ hybrids ’ that include sections of off-road running . That means the ratio of trail to road is roughly 50-50 .
When I started compiling a monthly race calendar in the year 2000 , I remember there were only a tiny handful of off-road races , and most were organised by road running clubs . That included the old Paarl Mountain 18.4km race in the Boland , or the Harrismith Mountain 15km in the Free State , and we also had a few marathons that featured large sections of off-road sections , like the Voet van Afrika in the Boland and the Knysna Forest Marathon in SWD .
Even when a race was completely off-road , it was invariably not called a trail race , as that name only really came into fashion several years later . Today , however , the calendar is packed with trail runs , and there are several reasons for this , over and above the popularity of the ‘ getting back to nature ’ vibe that trail offers .
A Different Ballgame
For starters , many trail organisers are commercial event companies , making a living from their events , in contrast to ( mostly ) amateur , non-profit running clubs run by volunteers , putting on a road race or two each year to raise funds for their club coffers , in order to pay for club activities and membership needs . This incentivises trail organisers to add more fixtures to the calendar , in order to make their businesses more viable , and I have seen some smaller organisers going all-in , with more than 10 events per month !
There is also far less control in the trail running domain , compared to road running , which allows the easier creation and addition of more trail events . Whereas road running events are ( mostly ) run under the auspices of running clubs , running provinces and the national federation , Athletics South Africa ( ASA ), meaning that race dates must be applied for and approved by the federations and other clubs , most trail events are completely independent of any national or provincial bodies , and the only ‘ red tape ’ they still need to navigate is the standard event permit application process and the health and safety
Looking Ahead to 2023
At this time of year , many of us working in the running media start searching for fixtures for the new year , because running provinces are busy finalising and publishing their calendars , and event companies are tying down their major dates as well . Therefore , the January fixtures published here must be accompanied by a disclaimer that 2023 fixtures are still a ‘ work in progress .’ We ’ ve included what we can , but must stress that there will be changes , and in our next edition , coming out in mid-December , we should have more clarity on January fixtures .
regulations that pertain to the area they fall under . It also means that trail runners do not require licence numbers , and trail events do not pay a race levy to a running province , nor do they need provincial officials and timekeepers on duty .
In terms of costs , trail races tend to avoid roads where traffic officials are needed , so that is usually a massive saving on the overall bill , but because the organisers tend to be small event companies , there are no club members to call on as volunteers , so everything needs to be paid for . There are pro ’ s and cons to this model …
Every Fixture We Can Find
The bottom line is that trail races are going to continue to spring up , and we will continue to try find them all and list them here in our calendar . I believe that this calendar is only effective if we list everything we can find and allow runners to make an informed choice what they want to enter . I ’ ve seen some published race calendars that only list a small handful of races , and in my opinion , those calendars are useless , as you are effectively limited to just the races that a particular editor or compiler chose ( or was paid to include ). This calendar is a huge job , but I ’ d like ot think it is also the most practically usable calendar you ’ ll find .
The Modern Athlete Race Calendar is compiled by pulling info from various websites and resources , including provincial calendars , online entry portals and event companies ’ sites . Thank you to all the organisers , administrators and volunteers that make this sport tick .
78 ISSUE 154 | www . modernathlete . co . za