Top athletes gear up for Comrades
Posted by planetultramarathon on February 14, 2007
http://sport.iafrica.com/news/627927.htm
ATHLETICS
Top athletes gear up
Tue, 13 Feb 2007
Over 2 000 top South African road and lifestyle athletes will be seen in action on Sunday, 18 February 2007, when the Puma Resolution Health Peninsula Marathon returns to Green Point in celebration of its 40th anniversary.
The route for the Puma Resolution Health Peninsula Marathon has been in use since the very first race in 1964 and with one exception, this marathon has always been run in a southerly direction from Green Point to Simon’s Town.
After being discontinued for four years from 1994-1997, the marathon made a comeback in 1998 and with the help of Puma and Resolution Health, and soon became the fastest marathon in Africa.
This year one of South Africa’s top marathon runners, Michael van Eck (48), is hoping to finish the Puma Resolution Health Peninsula Marathon and clock up a 150 completed marathons.
The Puma Resolution Health Half Marathon will start outside the Bergvliet Sports Club, follow Ladies Mile road before joining the marathon route in Main Road.
The 8 kilometre Walk will start above the Naval Sports Grounds and then go out and back along Cape Point Road offering spectacular views of False Bay.
All finishers in the 42 kilometre, the 21 kilometre, and the 8 kilometre events will be eligible for lucky draw prizes from the sponsors.
The first 42 kilometre runner to finish under 2 hours and 10 minutes will also take home a R50 000 cash prize.
The Puma Resolution Health Marathon is a qualifier for the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon and the Comrades Marathon.
The race carries a total prize purse of more than R80 000.
The two official charities of the marathon are the Beth Uriel Home and the Cape Times Fresh Air Fund.
