PIRATES ROAD RUNNING
ROAD RACES IN THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY
Information about the races has been obtained from the Runners guide website and is up to date at the time of publication of the newsletter.
2 FEBRUARY 2018
CENTRAL GAUTENG
ALL RACES
[su_heading size=”16″]Sunday 4th February [/su_heading]
Modern Athlete Bobbies Half Marathon & 10km
This is the fourth year where the Bobbies race is being run from Greenstone Shopping Centre. The route is described by the organisers as being considered as a fast course. The race is run through the suburbs of Edenvale, Illiondale and Greenstone which would indicate a more undulating route. Entries are available on the morning of the race.
[su_heading size=”16″]Wednesday 7th February [/su_heading]
Timbercity KHOSA Night Race
It is a little difficult to find a flyer for this race but it appears that it will be unchanged from prior years. That will mean a 7pm start for a 15km route through the very hilly Noordheuwel. Entries are available at the start and parking is generally readily available near the KHOSA sports club.
[su_heading size=”16″]Sunday 11th February [/su_heading]
Pick n Pay Marathon & Half Marathon
The Pick n Pay marathon is probably Joburg’s biggest marathon but one that is very difficult to get in to. Entries are sold out for the race. The route is quite a testing route through Edenvale and Bedfordview with parts of the course being very challenging if the weather is hot.
[su_heading size=”16″]Friday 16th February[/su_heading]
Randburg Harriers 10km Valentine’s Nite
The Randburg Race is one that occurs right on our door step. A big race with a big field does sometimes cause logistics problems when trying to find parking. There is more information on this race later in this month’s newsletter as we are encouraging Pirates runners to participate in it.
[su_heading size=”16″]Sunday 18th February [/su_heading]
Pirates Half Marathon
Our very own race and thus it fittingly receives its own section in this month’s newsletter. A reminder though that Pirates members cannot run in the race as everyone is required to help to ensure a successful event.
[su_heading size=”16″]Sunday 25th February [/su_heading]
Gift of the Givers Township Marathon, Half & 10km
The Township marathon takes place between Eldorado Park and Lenasia. The route is for the most part flat but does have some challenging hills, especially towards the end where you have to take on Heartbreakers Hill. Entries are available on the day of the race. This is the last chance to qualify for runners participating in the Two Oceans ultra as you need to submit your qualifying times by the end of the month.
GAUTENG NORTH
ALL RACES
[su_heading size=”16″]Saturday 3rd February [/su_heading]
Bidvest McCarthy Toyota Half Marathon & 10km
The McCarthy Toyota half is generally the quickest out of all of Pretoria’s half marathons. Normally the race organisers in that part of the world like to take you over a ridge or up a hill but the Rietondale area that the race takes place in is relatively flat. The 21km is pre-entry only.
[su_heading size=”16″]Saturday 10th February[/su_heading]
Bronkhorstspruit 32 & 10km
This race is relatively flat and fast. There are 3 major hills on the 32km but none of them are too long. Runners traditionally have a well-earned refreshment at the famous die Stoep. The race starts at 6am and you can get entries before the start.
[su_heading size=”16″]Wednesday 14th February [/su_heading]
My Spar Irene Lantern 10 & 5km Night Race
One of the many races hosted by Irene during the year. The Night Race is their flattest and shortest one. The unique characteristic of this race is that the entire route is lit by lanterns. Similar to most night races you are able to get entries before the start.
[su_heading size=”16″]Saturday 17th February [/su_heading]
Bestmed Tuks Marathon, Half & 10km
Tuks are celebrating 100 years by including a marathon in their event for the first time. Assume it will be a double lapper of their existing 21km route. The route runs through leafy Pretoria in its most historic suburbs. Entries are available on the morning of the race but would you really want to do it when it clashes with the Pirates Half?
[su_heading size=”16″]Sunday 25th February [/su_heading]
Deloitte Pretoria Marathon, Half & 10km
Pretoria’s biggest marathon and probably the best one in the whole of Gauteng. Each lap includes the testing Waterkloof Ridge as you go up to Fort Klapperkop but fortunately from that point it just gets easier. Entries are not available on the morning of the race but you can enter on Entrytime until the 11th Feb or at the venue on the Friday and Saturday. T-shirt limit of 5 000 already reached would indicate a big field. This is the last chance to qualify for runners participating in the Two Oceans ultra as you need to submit your qualifying times by the end of the month.
REST OF SOUTH AFRICA
ONLY BIG RACES
February is Marathon Month in the rest of South Africa so we have taken the liberty of only focusing on marathons, and the biggest of those.
[su_heading size=”16″]Saturday 3rd February [/su_heading]
Sasol Marathon, Half & 10km
The Sasol marathon is generally accepted to a very flat and quick marathon. The only problem is that with a lack of hills it also lacks any scenery – through the residential, industrial and commercial precincts of Sasolburg. Entries are available on the morning of the event.
[su_heading size=”16″]Sunday 11th February [/su_heading]
NOSA Hillcrest Marathon
The Hillcrest marathon is an ideal race for those that wish to start getting a feel of the Comrades area. The race is tough as the area is anything but flat. Entries are done via Championchip and it is a pre-entry race only.
[su_heading size=”16″]Sunday 18th February [/su_heading]
Cape Peninsula Marathon & Half
Billed as South Africa’s quickest marathon the Peninsula Marathon is unique in that it is a point-to-point race with the start at the Cape Town stadium and ending in Simon’s Town. You run for a long time on the Two Oceans ultra route. The race is pre-entry only. The big issue with the race is the conflict with the Pirates Half…
[su_heading size=”16″]Saturday 24th February [/su_heading]
Pirates Groot Gat Marathon, Half & 10km
The Groot Gat Marathon is our mother club’s biggest race. Last year we revived a tradition of going to do their race and thus there is a section dedicated to it in this month’s newsletter
[su_heading size=”16″]Sunday 25th February [/su_heading]
Witness Medihelp Maritzburg City Marathon, Half & 10km
They say a third of all Comrades entrants supply the Maritzburg marathon as their qualifier. That could indicate one of two things – either the course is very quick or alternatively it is Natal’s biggest marathon. I suspect the latter. This is a pre-entry race only with pre-entries closing on the 4th February. This is the last chance to qualify for runners participating in the Two Oceans ultra as you need to submit your qualifying times by the end of the month.