SAYS sport man says by MANFRED SEIDLER
SPORT MAN
SAYS sport man says by MANFRED SEIDLER
Calendar Conundrum
I have heard people ask whether we need a national calendar in South African road running . Here ’ s why the answer is a most definite yes .
The South African road running calendar has a number of races that are classified as National Events , starting with the ‘ Big Four ,’ i . e . Comrades , Two Oceans , Cape Town Marathon and Soweto Marathon . These races have captured the imagination of the SA running community , both in terms of participation ( including elites ) and TV coverage . Also on the national list are the SPAR Women ’ s Challenge races , which have had an elite Grand Prix competition added to the mass participation side of things since 2007 .
In more recent years , the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series has grown from one race in 2015 to five races in 2023 , and they attract the country ’ s best athletes as well as top international competition , on top of large fields of more social runners . Another event on the national list is the Nelson Mandela Bay Half Marathon , which incorporates the SA Half Marathon Champs . Athletics South Africa ( ASA ), in consultation with provinces and event organisers , determines the dates of these events and places them on the national calendar , and then provinces effectively build their local calendars around them .
While many National Events are organised by non-profit companies or professional event companies , most other races on the SA road running calendar are organised by the backbone of the sport , the community clubs . Most of these clubs just want to put on events so that their members , and those from other clubs , are able to enjoy a race each weekend . These ‘ club races ’ cater to more than 90 % of the road running fraternity in South Africa , and they keep the sport of road running alive .
There are sometimes clashes between the national and club events , either directly within a province , or with a bigger event taking place in a nearby province . This is why very few races are put on in any other provinces on the same days as the Comrades in KZN , or the Two Oceans in Western Province , as few race organisers want to compete with these national events for entries . It is also why local provincial calendars are affected when national events are moved – for example , the 2022 Comrades moving to August ( and then moving back to June in 2023 ) caused mayhem on most provincial calendars , not just KZN !
The Elites Count
Whereas National Events are often focused on the elite side of the sport first , it is not the core focus of club races to cater to the needs of the small minority of ‘ elite athletes ’ – those who run for prize money and glory . In fact , more often than not , the routes of these club races are not designed for fast times , often because the host club follows the traditional SA doctrine of “ tougher is better .” On the other hand , these club races tend not to attract major sponsorships , and few get TV coverage . As a result , many struggle to break even … because contrary to popular belief , hosting road races is not a money-making exercise , and if not for financial sponsorships , many races would probably disappear from the calendar .
Meanwhile , it is the elites who bring the sport athletic credibility and media coverage . For example , while the Comrades Marathon receives 13 hours of TV coverage each year , the viewer statistics clearly show that the majority of viewership happens after the first hour ( when it is dark and not much can be seen ) and up until the top 10 women have finished . Then it drops off , with some peaks at the various cut-offs and another big block of viewers coming back for the drama of the 12-hour final cut-off . What that means is that while mass participation does attract some coverage , it is the elites who really make the media coverage happen . And that is what sponsors look for .
Room for Both ?
All of this contributes to the challenge that ASA is faced with : How best to accommodate the National Events and all the club races on a congested calendar without disadvantaging anyone . World Athletics ( WA ) is facing the same problem with its global and ‘ Major ’ events , which are seemingly stacked on top of each other on a congested international calendar , so this fixtures challenge is not unique to South Africa .
One possible solution would be for ASA to introduce a two-tier division of races , with the top tier catering to the elites , and the second tier catering to mass participation . While these two divisions would be mostly separate , there could still be some overlap , such as elites racing the Comrades , but the race still catering to the masses as well . This way both tiers of racing could have the same or similar dates without compromising either the elites or the masses , and if the sport is to attract more sponsors that aid both the elites ( good prize money ) and the masses ( keeping costs low ), then ASA will need to continue with its national calendar .
About the Author
Manfred Seidler is a freelance sport journalist who has been in the industry since 1994 , in both print media and broadcasting , covering four Olympic Games for SABC Radio , and producing various athletics shows for the SABC . Follow him on Twitter : @ sportmansa ; Facebook : Sport Man SA ; Instagram : sportman _ sa .
A Two-tier system of road races could cater for the elites …
38 ISSUE 163 | www . modernathlete . co . za
… as well as the more social athletes
Images : Rogan Ward