Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 94, May 2017 | Page 29

SANDTON’S
FASTEST MILE
Race Advertorial
Ma
The inaugural KPMG SunMile closed down the streets of central Sandton in Johannesburg on 6 April,
and in spite of heavy rain in the afternoon, an electric atmosphere saw the runners have a wonderful
time in the evening street mile through the financial district.
W
ith music pumping, the siren sounded and the first wave of runners were set on their way by race commentator Arnie Geerdts, to be followed
by more milers eager to take on the street course. On the route they had plenty of entertainment to keep them motivated, from DJ’s pumping
the music and African drummers to energetic dancers inspiring everyone with their slick moves! The finish line was also a hive of activity as
runners pushed hard to get that PB, welcomed home by the commentary and high fives of Modern Athlete Editor, Sean Falconer.
Moving through to the hospitality zone, the runners quenched their thirst with a cool drink of 32Gi, had their pic taken in the race photo booth, then moved
to the entertainment zone for some much-needed refreshment. A bit later the fresh sounds of Rubber Duc kicked the celebrations into high gear as runners
celebrated their miling achievements.
The Elite Race was fast and exciting, with Jerry Motsau and Lebogang Phalula taking top honours in the men’s and women’s races respectively, but for many
this was a first attempt at racing a mile, with many corporate team entries from business based in Sandton as well as from local running clubs.
The official charity for the race, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of South Africa, was awarded an amazing R55,000 from funds raised by the CEO Executive
Challenge, with various local CEO’s taking on the mile in a special CEO’s starting wave. These funds will really help the Foundation continue its important
work.
All in all, it was an exhilirating, well-organised event enjoyed by all that took part, made even more exciting
when title sponsor KPMG and presenting sponsor Sun International co-announced that the series will be
taken national, so Durban and Cape Town can look out for the KPMG SunMile hitting your streets soon!
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