New finish line, Surfers!

“The common brown water snake is a constrictor and can reach 700mm in length. The specimen illustrated is a juvenile and these nocturnal and terrestrial snakes prefer moist habitats. They are harmless to humans and are sometimes confused with other species such as the brown house snake.”

Interesting indeed. – IT IS time for the organisers of the Surfers Marathon, together with environmentalists and participants, to come up with a solution to prevent the potentially harmful impact of plastics on the environment.

The idea of using cups is impractical. Upwards of 2 000 cups will need to be filled and refilled at a minimum of four water points. This will require excessive manpower and be time consuming to say the least, as well as creating a new problem – a health hazard derived from dirty cups. For me a win/win approach would include: ● Cleanup teams. I know this is happening and by all accounts 99% of litter is cleaned up;

● Waste bins situated for up to 400 metres from the watering points to enable ease of drinking and disposal; and

● Disqualification of any participant found littering along the route. This is already happening in the MTB and Eco sport events.

The Surfers Marathon has been a fantastic marketing tool for Buffalo City. Let each of us do our bit to ensure the future of this great event. — Mike Kemp, via e-mail