MARISKA OOSTHUIZEN Head of Brand at Sanlam
Welcome to all runners and supporters .
Now in our ninth consecutive year as the founding sponsor of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon , we celebrate nearly a decade of shared vision , pride , and spirit as , together with our partners , we have grown this race . What a journey it has been !
This is a momentous year for us as the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon will make its debut as an Abbott World Marathon Majors Candidate Race - a first-of-its-kind for our continent . It has always been our shared dream to elevate the status of this race and it would not be possible without our runners and supporters . By stepping up to the start-line and cheering from the side-line , you are all helping us achieve Abbott World Marathon Major status . We thank you and we hope that you are as proud as we are to be part of this amazing event .
The theme this year – African Champions Unite – resonates deeply with Sanlam . As Africa ’ s biggest non-banking financial services provider , our aim is to empower and equip Africa ’ s people to be the champions of their own lives and to live with confidence .
In our ongoing commitment to support the Cancer Association of South Africa ( CANSA ) we encourage runners to unite and make every step count by pledging their run to the fight against cancer via the race ’ s official fundraising platform , GivenGain . For over three decades , Sanlam has helped raise over R100 million for this worthy cause and with your help we can continue to raise more .
Thank you to our partners for their passion , enthusiasm and expertise , and to everyone who makes this race as special as it is . Good luck to our runners , we will be cheering you on , and to quote the words of celebrated South African writer and poet , Lebohang Masango : “ Who we are is who we have always been : A proud people who live with confidence , Knowing we are worthy of this dream Worthy of winning together Beneath these open skies We race to meet our best selves at the finish line Here in Cape Town where African Champions Unite ”
You are all African champions .
KATE WOODS Senior Brand Director adidas South Africa
We ’ re incredibly proud to be partnering with the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon during their quest to become Africa ’ s first Abbott World Marathon Majors race .
Globally , adidas partners with two other World Marathon Majors , namely the Boston and Berlin Marathons , and we ’ ll be bringing the same level of product expertise to the Cape Town Marathon .
As technical sponsor , adidas is providing all Marathon participants with their official event t-shirt , and we ’ ll have an exciting range of branded race merchandise on sale at the Expo .
When it comes to running , adidas has always been at the forefront of innovation , starting when our founder Adolf Dassler created track spikes for Jesse Owens . We ’ ve continued to innovate , to provide the best possible products for athletes such as Haile Gebrsellaise and Peres Jepchirchir ; and most recently for Tigist Assefa and Amos Kipruto , winners of the 2022 Berlin Marathon and 2022 London Marathon respectively .
Closer to home , adidas is proud to partner with current SA Marathon record holder and Olympian Gerda Steyn as well as two remarkable trail athletes who joined the adidas Terrex team earlier this year , Toni McCann and Bianca Tarboton .
Partnering with the Cape Town Marathon gives us the chance to work with people who may not have thought it possible to run a marathon ; and this year , we have eleven special ladies who have been training under the guidance of coach Kathleen Shuttleworth towards their first ever marathon , so look out for Zoe Brown and her fellow runners on race day !
Beyond the expo and race day activations , we ’ re committed to supporting the sustainability goals of the event . This year , we ’ re piloting a free two-month recycling initiative in nine suburbs that fall alongside the Cape Town Marathon route . We hope the collective results achieved will encourage residents to continue recycling in the long-term , which will ultimately benefit the environment .
Best wishes to those taking part in one of the Cape Town Marathon events – may you achieve beyond what you think is possible .
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