MOSSEL
BAY, 03 September 2015 – The PetroSA Marathon has notched another impressive
milestone, with the announcement that it is one of South Africa’s qualifying
races for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Athletics
South Africa (ASA) has confirmed to the organisers of the PetroSA Marathon that
because the race is being run on an IAAF and AIMS certified course, performances
will be considered for Olympic qualification.
In
2014 the PetroSA Marathon route received accreditation from the International
Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and Association for International
Marathon Standards (AIMS). The accreditation meant that athletes could use the
PetroSA Marathon to qualify for international race meetings.
Ms
Mapula Modipa, PetroSA’s Acting Group CEO, said athletes were from as far
afield as East Africa, with the rest coming from the Southern Africa
sub-region.
“Some
of the early entrants for the 2015 race originate from countries that include Kenya,
Tanzania, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Lesotho. We are confident that this race will hopefully
grow as we continue popularising it in the South Africa and beyond,” Ms Modipa said.
The
13th edition of the PetroSA Marathon will be hosted in Mossel Bay on 26
September 2015. Winners of the marathon will share a total of R580 000 in
cash prizes. The cash prize for the winner men’s and women’s 42.2km race is R60
000. There are also cash prizes for the first ten (10) men and women athletes
in the 42.2km race.
Last
year’s 42.2km (men and women) races were respectively won by David Tumo of
Kenya in a time of 2:14:42 and South Africa’s Jenna Challenor in a time of
2:41:44.
“Our
vision for the PetroSA Marathon has always been to ensure we build it into a
popular brand among race enthusiasts. If the year-on-year increase in athletes
participating in the race is anything to go by, then we are confident of
achieving this objective,” Ms Modipa said.
Last
year, over 1000 athletes participated in the race, which boasts one of the most
scenic routes by a meeting in South Africa. This year we expect race
participation by more 1200 athletes.
The
PetroSA Marathon is held ahead of the well-established Mossel Bay Sports Festival
which hosts various sports activities.
“This
is an enjoyable period for our residents particularly those visiting Mossel Bay.
More importantly the PetroSA Marathon is critical to our town’s economy. During
this period our hotels and eateries are fully-booked, which is good for job
creation and for sustaining our tourism industry,” Mayor of Mossel Bay, Alderlady
Marie Ferreira said.
Entry
forms for the PetroSA Marathon are available on www.petrosa.co.za or on www.aswd.co.za . The race is scheduled to start
at 07h00 from Mossel Bay’s
picturesque Santos Beach. It will feature a 42.2km, 21.1km,
10km races and a 5km fun run.
The
event will be hosted by Athletics South Western District. For more information on the event, please
contact Moses Gericke (082 763 7974)
Ends
For more information,
please contact:
Thabo
Mabaso
Group Communications
Manager
PetroSA
Cell: +27-83-414-8144
Tel: +27-21-929-3365