Aspen’s PE City event sure to attract best of region’s runners

LISTED by Runner’s World as one of the top 10 marathons in 2016, the popular Aspen Pharmacare PE City Marathon, which will start and end at the NG Kerk Lorraine in Marne Avenue, Lorraine, next Saturday, is expected to draw a record entry.

The race, hosted by Crusaders Athletic Club, includes a 10km race and is once again sponsored by South African pharmaceutical manufacturing giant Aspen Pharmacare. This is the 10th year the company is sponsoring the event.

A qualifier for both the Two Oceans and Comrades, it is an Eastern Province Championship and a Prestige and Participation League event.

The 2014 women’s winner, Caroline Wostmann, went on to make history by completing the double double – winning both the Two Oceans and Comrades last year and again this year.

Both the marathon and the 10km route are fast and flat and run mainly through the rural area of Theescombe with minimal traffic disruption.

The marathon starts at 5am and the 10km an hour later. There will be two cut-off times for the marathon.

Runners not reaching the 21.1km mark at 8.30am and the 36km mark at 9.50am will be asked to leave the field.

The winner’s purse in the marathon for men an women is R2 000. Runners placing second and third will receive R1 500 and R1 000 respectively.

The entry fee is R120 for the marathon and R50 for the 10km. There is a R30 temporary licence fee for unlicensed runners.

Runners entering on line at www.zsports.co.za will receive a discount.

Entries at sports shops in the metro close at 5pm on Wednesday.

Organisers are appealing for donations of food, blankets and toys at the race venue for Animal Welfare PE. For more info call Shaun Roberts on 082-711-1341, Robert Montgomery on 072-919-1054, or e-mail shaunoutthere@hotmail.com