East London to host race to celebrate Border champs status

East London Athletics Club, one of the oldest in SA, will host its flagship race in Beacon Bay, East London on Saturday and celebrate the award of Border Championship status to the now well-established event.

It is very early in the year, but those seeking such status will have known well in advance that 2020 would insist on such a challenge in January.

For the thousands of more social runners it makes little difference, though many, probably most, will chase as good a time as their current preparation allows.

It has been a steamy week out on the roads, with heat and humidity in training, though the long-term forecast for the race is rain and an air temperature of about 22ºC at the 6.30am start outside the Beacon Bay Country Club. Thus racing conditions are looking close to ideal.

Only the PWC 10km last weekend gives any idea as to the 2020 form of potential top contenders, but not all prospective winners were in the field, as runners choose which challenges to take on at the opening of what is set to be a long season.

Yanga Malusi of Zwelonke won the race comfortably, and in a time better than he had returned previously at that event and quicker than

Luthando Hejana ran to win in 2019.

He is looking very sharp. Hejana of Old Mutual gave the appearance that he needed a break from racing towards the end of last year, but he can be expected to bounce back sooner rather than later.

Zuko Kupiso of Easy Equities Born 2 Run is another who looked a little jaded in December, and is not expected to be back in action until February or March.

Masixole Kaledeni of Old Selbornians, on the other hand, finished 2019 in the form of his life with a great win at the final Galaxy 10km race in Gonubie during December. Is he the man to beat?

He was a fairly distant second last weekend, but pedigree suggests one race does not deliver an annual verdict.

Expect fireworks in the age categories too.

There are a number of both established and up and coming women who will be in the mix for championship medals and podium positions, with much depending on their interpretation of how to tackle the somewhat complex course.

Visiting runners invariably pop up early in the season, before universities return, and that also offers possibilities of upsets in the race itself, rather than the championship.

Entries are still available at Beacon Bay Country Club and Sportsmans Warehouse, Beacon Bay.

There are a number of both established and up and coming women who will be in the mix for championship medals and podium positions, with much depending on their interpretation of how to tackle the somewhat complex course