Some of South Africa’s top runners gear up for the 2012 Bestmed Tuks Race, taking place at the University of Pretoria’s Sports Grounds on 18th February.
Olympic qualifier Rene Kalmer will be searching for gold prior to the athletics season kick-off at the end of February. Having participated in the 2008 Olympic Games, twice in the World Championships in Athletics and eight editions of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Kalmer’s experience will make for tough competition in the 21.1km category of the Bestmed Tuks Race.
“There are many top runners in this year’s race and I am looking forward to taking them on.
“I am glad that the pressure of qualification is now gone and I can focus on winning the title and hopefully break the race record,” said Kalmer.
Fellow team-mate Irvette van Blerk, who started 2012 on a high note with a victory in the Dischem 21.1km race, will be using the Bestmed Tuks Race as preparation for the Olympic Qualifier London Marathon in April.
“I have been training extremely hard over the last few months and the Bestmed Tuks Race is the beginning of a long series of preparation races ahead of the London Marathon. It is a dream to be able to qualify for the London Olympics and with a lot of work, I am hoping to race to even faster times,” said Van Blerk.
The winner of the 2012 Dischem 5km race, Lebogang Shange has his eyes set on fast times at the Bestmed Tuks Race and the Olympic Games.
“The Bestmed Tuks Race presents a great platform for athletes to prepare for various Olympic Qualifier events. I am looking forward to the Russian Marathon in May, where I will be racing against some of the world’s top athletes in the hope of achieving an Olympic Qualifying time,” said Shange.
Stephen Mokoka will be looking to defend his 2011 10km Bestmed Tuks Race title and possibly break his own record in that distance when he hits the road on Saturday. Mokoka is a two-time medalist from the Universiade Games in both 2007 and 2011 and has already qualified for the 2012 Olympic Games in London at a marathon in China.
“It is a great honour to be able to come back and defend my Bestmed Tuks Race title. Every race this year is of vital importance, especially as it is Olympic year, and we are all looking to do our best in every event.
“Having already qualified for the Olympic Games, I am putting all my focus on the Yellow Pages Series which starts next week,” said Mokoka.
2011 10km runner-up Frik Guys recently finished second in the Bonitas City2City Marathon and says that Mokoka is his main competition for Saturday’s race.
“Stephen is a talented runner and I am looking forward to competing against him. It is going to be a tough year ahead with the hectic athletics schedule as well as the Olympic Games.
“My main goal is to train hard for the up-coming Yellow Pages Series and race to an Olympic qualifying time in the process,” said Guys.
This year’s race starts and finishes at the University of Pretoria’s Sports Grounds, also taking in the suburb of Hatfield, with 15 000 athletes across all age groups and genders expected to take part in the 06h00 start. The winning male and female runners in the full 21.1-kilometre race will each earn R5 000 in prize-money, with a total of R66 000 to be won. Both runners and walkers will have a chance to double their winnings by breaking the standing records in the various distances.
Among Mzansi’s top runners will also be a host of over 1000 pupils from schools around the Gauteng area participating in the 5km fun run.
Online entries can be made at www.entrytime.com or www.sa-active.com until 15 February.
List of registration shops:
• Run-a-way Sports, Glenfair Centre, Lynnwood Manor, Tel: (012) 361 3733 until 15 February 2012
• Running Inn, c/o Lynnwood & Duncan streets, Brooklyn, Tel: (012) 362 7322
• Wanabee, Main campus until 17 February 2012 until 16:00
• Tuks athletics office, LC de Villiers, Tel: (012) 420 6080
• The Sweat Shop, Dunkeld, Tel: (011) 325 2567 until 15 February 2012
• The Sweat Shop, Fourways, Tel: (011) 467 5966 until 15 February 2012
• The Sweat Shop, Centurion, Tel: (012) 665 0048 until 15 February 2012
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