Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Harsh ‘red card’ penalties in place for those athletes who don’t use ‘Throw Zones’
THE build-up to the 48th running of the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon next weekend is underway, with visitors from far and wide arriving in the Mother City for Cape Town’s biggest running extravaganza.
30 000 runners will participate in the bouquet of road and trail events ranging from the 56 metre nappy dash for toddlers to the 56 km ultra-marathon, contested by some of the world’s leading marathoners.
And with last year’s champions Zimbabwean Mike Fokoroni and Pretoria marathoner Caroline Wostmann back for more, together with most of last year’s gold medallists and several elite newcomers, the depth of quality of racing is once again assured.
The Two Oceans has become more than just a foot-race, having morphed from a Comrades training run for 26 runners in 1970 into one of Cape Town’s most prestigious and successful calendar events, and there is every indication that that 2017 event will surpass even the high standards of past years, both in respect of the quality of competition and the event’s economic reach.
Recent research undertaken by the Universities of Cape Town, Stellenbosch and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology revealed that the 2016 Two Oceans boosted the regional economy by approximately R672 million.
“The Two Oceans Marathon is not just a celebration of running; it is also a celebration of Cape Town and all that the Mother City has to offer,” emphasised Carol Vosloo, General Manager of the Two Oceans Marathon NPC.
“The fact that two-thirds of our ultra-marathon field comes from outside the Western Cape and that runners from over 80 countries will visit Cape Town this Easter drives job creation, skills development and skills transfer.
“685 permanent and over 16 000 temporary jobs were created in the run-up to last year’s event. Many of these employees received training to perform their duties, which will stand them in good stead for future employment.”
Another aspect being emphasised this year is environmental care, with particular attention being paid to littering – a thorn in the flesh of many road running events in the country, with many discarded plastic water sachets finding their way into water courses and the sea.
As part of the Two Oceans’ GOGREEN campaign, race officials will be taking a hard line on littering runners.
“No littering will be tolerated anywhere on the route, including the start, finish and refreshment stations. There will also be severe consequences for runners who continue to litter,” warned Vosloo.
“Over the years, we have looked at different solutions to encourage runners to not throw their race waste on the road.
“Despite having clean-up crews working around the clock during and after the race, the wind still carries much of the discarded waste into drains, culverts and the ocean.”
“We are now adopting a more hard-line approach. Participants guilty of intentional littering may be fined, disqualified or even barred from future events.
“This year we will introduce official Throw Zones – large and clearly branded bins that will be placed at every kilometre point and after every refreshment station.
“In conjunction with these Throw Zones, we are also adopting the IAAF Yellow / Red card prin- ciple,” explained Vosloo. “Participants identified by race officials as littering will be shown a yellow card and given a warning. A second yellow card may result in a red card (disqualification) during or after the event.
“We want to keep the world’s most beautiful marathon litter-free. Let’s work together to achieve this.”
“The Two Oceans Marathon route must be as clean at race end as it is at the start,” echoed Karen Thomas, Head of Brand of the title sponsor.
“If every runner does their bit, we can make a meaningful difference. Let’s go green and ensure that the world’s most beautiful marathon remains just that.”