COUNTDOWN TO THE MERRIFIELD MILE -
IT’S Merrifield Mile time again! Swimmers and spectators can look forward to fun in the water at Wriggleswade Dam on March 4 for the 16th edition of the annual Merrifield Mile, powered by feature sponsor Nedbank.
A fourth event has been added to the day’s proceedings – the TerraForce 250m – in addition to the usual 1.6km swim, a 500m dash and a fun Spur Splash for swimmers aged eight years and younger.
The Merrifield Mile is a marketing event for Merrifield Prep School and College which celebrates its 21st year of existence this year.
It’s always a great day out for the family on the banks of the beautiful Wriggleswade Dam, and this year looks set to be more festive than ever.
“We have food stalls galore, face painting, music along the banks and fantastic camping facilities for those wanting to make a weekend of it,” Merrifield marketing manager and Mile organiser Tracey Mangold said.
“The TerraForce 250m, for children aged eight years and older, adds that extra element of fun and includes even more swimmers of all levels, and a real highlight will be the flyover before the start of the day’s proceedings by Border Aviation pilots.”
Entries are open for all four events at Merrifield Prep School and College, Sportsmans Warehouse and Cycle HQ, or enter online at www.merrifieldmile.co.za
“I am very proud of Merrifield School, to be able to host an event of this nature. The Mile has grown from a vision 16 years ago to an event of about 1 000 swimmers and 4000 spectators,” she said.
“Our dream to grow the Mile has been made possible by the support from our team of sponsors and the involvement of the Border community.”
As the Mile has grown in prominence on the region’s sporting calendar, so too has the school blossomed since opening in 1997, becoming the region’s leading independent school renowned in particular for its nurturing ethos and academic excellence.
“Over the years, the Merrifield Mile has grown in stature to become a key event on the public sporting programme in the region with the capacity to attract leading corporates, such as Nedbank, as its feature sponsor,” Merrifield executive head Dr Guy Hartley said.
“This growth is in direct correlation to the developing reputation of Merrifield Preparatory School and College as the leading independent educational provider of primary and secondary schooling in the area.
“For the school to host such a celebrated event is indicative of its own professionalism and organisational strength as an institution. Merrifield is indeed proud to host one of the major events on the region’s sporting and recreational calendar.” For more information visit
www.merrifieldmile.co.za or call the school on (043)748-6094.
Merrifield School is located on the corner of Bonza Bay Road and the N6 turn off to Stutterheim.
Contact organiser Tracey Mangold on (043) 748-6094.