Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 95, June 2017

Ma Comrades THE COMRADES IS HERE! Check out all the latest news and important info from the world’s biggest, oldest and most famous ultra, the Comrades Marathon, which will be run for the 92 nd time on Sunday 4 June. – BY DELAINE COOLS & NONKULULEKO MDLALOSE COMRADES MARATHON INSPIRED TO #GOGREEN T he #GOGREEN campaign, a waste management and anti-littering movement run by the partnership of Old Mutual, Wildlands Trust and POLYCO, was launched at the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon earlier this year. Approximately 16 tons of waste was collected off the 56km route, and the waste is set to be transformed into 500 Green Desks, which will be distributed to disadvantaged schools in the Cape. #GOGREEN was developed by Wildlands and supported by Old Mutual, and aims to provide a practical solution for collecting waste from athletes and spectators at endurance events, while educating them about not littering, as well as recycling and upcycling. The Comrades Marathon Association was inspired by the success of this campaign in Cape Town and is now working with Wildlands to implement #GOGREEN along 27km of the 87km Comrades route this year. That will see 300 #GOGREEN Throw Zones along the 27km allocated to Wildlands, which means that runners will see a bin on either side of the road every 150 metres. “We believe #GOGREEN is a waste management plan that offers a sustainable way to collect and process the non-organic waste generated during a race such as this,” says Wildlands’ Strategic Manager Buyi Dlamini. There will be a team of around 100 Wildlands recycling staff that will ensure the 27km allocated to #GOGREEN and Wildlands will be spotless once the race has come to an end. They will also ensure all the waste collected is sorted and baled for transportation to Rural Waste Poverty Alleviation (RWPA) Solutions’ headquarters, where it will be transformed into Wildlands Green Desks. These Green Desks will be used to address the 300,000 shortage of school desks in South Africa. Old Mutual Head of Brand, Karen Thomas, says, “One of the most exciting aspects of Old Mutual’s sponsorship of events like the Comrades Marathon is that it allows us to be innovative and to connect with people in a direct and engaging way. This year, mindful of our responsibility to make the world a better place, we are proud to be a part of the #GOGREEN campaign, which aligns strongly with our responsible business philosophy.” The 500 Green Desks that will be produced from the waste collected at Comrades and distributed to KwaZulu-Natal schools, have been made possible through a partnership between Wildlands and POLYCO (Polyolefin Recycling Company NPC). POLYCO is a not-for-profit industry body that aims to achieve greater diversion of plastics from landfill. POLYCO is involved in supporting the recycling industry by funding collection, recycling and new end-use growth projects. CMA General Manager, Chris Fisher, says, “The CMA is excited about the introduction of the #GoGreen Throw Zones along 27km of the Comrades Marathon route. This clean-up initiative is what Comrades subscribes to. We are proud to be associated with the #GoGreen movement.” Wildlands would like to encourage all runners to throw all their waste in the #GOGREEN Throw Zones, as well as the cardboard bins provided all along the route. Runners are also urged to try reduce, or even eliminate litter along the route. 2017 COMRADES REFRESHMENT STATISTICS • • • • Water sachets – 1.875 million Energade sachets (150ml) – 828,000 Coke – 30,350 litres Fanta & Crème Soda – 10,650 litres • • • • Energade RTD bottles (500ml) – 51,360 Coke paper cups (175ml) – 450,000 Bananas – 9 tons Oranges – 8 tons • Potatoes – 3 tons • Biscuits – 1 ton • Racefood honey nougat energy bars – 21,000 CMA Race Director, Rowyn James, says that “The health and wellbeing of our runners is paramount and we are exploring all resources to ensure that we cater to our athlete’s needs on the day. We would like to thank our sponsors and partners for coming on board and supplying the required refreshments and facilities, thus ensuring that this year’s Comrades Marathon is a memorable one for our runners.” 50 ISSUE 95 JUNE 2017 / www.modernathlete.co.za Runners can look forward to a feast on race day at the 2017 Comrades Marathon, with the 45 refreshment stations along the 86.73km route set to provide the following:

Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 95, June 2017 | Page 50