Western Province Athletics

www.wpa.org.za

November 2011 Newsletter

Editorial

Western Province Athletics again leads the way for the rest of the athletics federations in the country with the seamless handover from one Board to the next at the recent Annual General Meeting. Elections are held every two years in Western Province and our constitution also provides that no-one may serve more than two terms in the same position. This prevents the building of dynasties and allows for the handing over of reigns without the need for a revolution every few years. In previous years the AGM has finished well after mid-night, this year it was completed by 22:30.

WPA is pleased to announce our newly elected President, Vice President, Board and Commission Members; we welcome them and wish them much success for their two-year terms. Jakes Jacobs was elected as the new WPA President, he has been the chairperson of the Commission for the past four years and has done a fantastic job. He has ample experience, enthusiasm and passion for the term ahead. Kevin Harlock was elected unopposed as the Vice President. James Evans successfully completed two consecutive terms of office and is currently the President of Athletics South Africa.

The commission chairs for 2011-2013 are Glynis Bowie (Road Running); Russel Mehl (Cross Country); Malcolm Salida (Race Walking); Cedric van Wyk (Track & Field). Richard van Schalkwyk is the financial officer, while Allen Barnes and Norma Nonkonyana are additional members. Nazema Abels is the chairperson for technical officials.

During October Western Province also played host to the SA 50km Race Walking Championships, which was held at Youngsfield Military Base. The event was an IAAF approved event and race walking judges from the United Kingdom, Russia and Kenya were present. They praised the standard of the event and suggested that we look at hosting an annual international level event for Race Walking in Cape Town. At the same time, the Confederation of African Athletics has again requested South Africa to host the African Cross Country Championships. They will again be held in Cape Town in March next year. The inaugural African Championships were held in Keurboom Park in March this year. After 2012, the African Championships will be held every second year, in even-numbered years, with the World Championships every other year. The World Half Championships will be held every second year, in the odd- numbered years.

The Western Province Kids Athletics programme is progressing well, with it being rolled out to more and more areas. This programme is part of the IAAF's athlete progression, which aims to take young children all the way to Olympic senior level. Instead of making athletics for young children into a small version of athletics for adults, the Kids Athletics programme is geared towards teaching youngsters the basics of the sport in a fun-filled team environment. The skills they learn through that competition will bode well for their future development as senior athletes.

Coupled with that is the next round of WPA Coaches Courses, which will be held in November and December. Athletics South Africa is revising the national structure to mirror that of the international coaching framework, so that the development of coaches mirrors that of the athlete's progression.

Commission News

CROSS COUNTRY

The following commission members were elected at the WPA AGM on 6 October 2011:

Chairperson : Russell Mehl Vice Chairperson : Andy James Additional Members : Ben Oliver Gavin Burgess Vonnie Dreyer Nazema Abels Glen Bentley Wesley Neumann Selectors : Andy James, Glen Bentley, Vonnie Dreyer

Cross Country leagues over the past 5 years have shown a steady growth in numbers, for those of you who have not attempted cross country; you‟re missing out big time.

The WPA 2012 Handbook will be available in January 2012. The Handbook has been designed and published to help you make your season more enjoyable by providing you with essential information and inspiration.

Keep up the training and remember that Cross Country running will help you improve your performances in both as well as Road Running.

RACE WALKING

The following commission members were elected at the WPA AGM on 6 October 2011:

Chairperson : Malcolm Salida Additional Members : Pieter Vorster Cindy Lange François Brandt Lydia Richards

What a fantastic day everybody had at the ASA Race Walking Championships which were held on 8 October 2011. So much work had been done behind the scenes in preparation for the event, which resulted in a perfectly orchestrated Championship event.

The early morning sunrise was met with the National Anthem played by the SA Army band which sent shivers down our spine. The heroes of the day kicked off the 50km with 9 athletes. The winning time for the 50km was Marc Mundell (AGN) in 4:22:14 and the ladies‟ event, Sandra Steenkamp (AGN) in 5:17:55 bettering her previous ASA record.

Our WP athletes saw Ross McDonald taking Silver in 5:06:38, Joseph (Essie) Esterhuizen took 6th place in 6:09:17, and in the ladies‟ race Trudi Carstens took Bronze in 6:18:50.

The 50km and 20km races were both Olympic Qualifying races which, along with the other supporting races, had almost 140 athletes taking part in the different provinces. Unfortunately for us, Central Gauteng Athletics beat Western Province Athletics in the overall points, by only 4 points!

Other gold medal placings on the day were: Wally Hart (M60-64) 20km, Jurgen Spencer (M70-74) 20km, Dave Kirby (M75-79) 20km, Althea Janari (W45-49) 20km, Peggy Reid (W70-74) 20km, Gail Williams (W50- 54) 10km, John Child (M60-64) 10km, John Hotston (M80-84) 10km, Bronwyn Roman (Sub Youth Girls) 5km, … and Siobhan Dunn stole the show at only 10 years old, walked the 3km distance all on her own – with a massive crowd support! Congratulations to all the athletes and thank you for making the day a huge success. We would also like to thank our hosts at the Youngsfield Military Base for a perfect venue and for all their assistance in allowing us this opportunity. A huge thank you to all our judges (local and international), all the organisers and officials, family and friends; we thank you and congratulate you on a job well done.

ROAD RUNNING

The following commission members were elected at the WPA AGM on 6 October 2011:

Chairperson : Glynis Bowie Additional Members : Chris Dooner Chris Goldschmidt Charlotte Kettlewell Priscilla Williams Gavin Wright Frikkie Kotze Marshall Moiloa Busisiwe Matiwane

The RR commission is there to work for you so you are invited to contact any of the above members should you have any problems, suggestions, input etc. for improving RR in the WP.

Reminder of some basic domestic rules for clubs and athletes:

Licence numbers – your official current licence number MUST be worn on the front and the back of your running vest during all races, failing which you may be disqualified. If a race number is issued, this can be placed over the front number on your vest. Clubs need to inform athletes purchasing temporary licences that these must be worn on the front of their vest/ T shirt during the race.

Race entry cards – these must be issued to all athletes who are required to keep these in their possession throughout the race. Finish cards must be placed on the results board as soon as possible for the officials to verify and so as not to delay the prize giving.

Correct club colours (vest and shorts) must be worn by any athlete wanting to be taken into consideration for the team prizes.

Age category tags must be worn on the front and the back of the athlete‟s vest, must be secured so that it does not fold over and must be visible at all times. (The best position is at the top of the vest on the shoulder area.)

Most of all have respect for your fellow athlete and behave in such a way that everybody‟s running experience is a pleasant one.

Club News

ATLANTIC ATHLETIC CLUB

OUTSURANCE 94.5 KFM GUN RUN

TOP CAPE TOWN EVENT ATTRACTS A RECORD FIELD

A record field of over 11 000 participants lined up outside the Cape Town Stadium to take part in the OUTsurance 94.5 Kfm Gun Run , 10km and 5km run/walk on a perfect Cape Town morning. The near perfect running conditions saw Gauteng runner Gladwin Mzazi and last year‟s winner Xolisa Tyali involved in a sprint for the finish line in the half marathon, with race referees putting Mzazi in first place. Their time was 63:41, almost two minutes ahead of third placed runner Gert Thys, who finished in 65:21. Mzazi won R5 000 for his efforts.

The women‟s half marathon title went to another up country runner Nolene Conrad in 76:26, with local runners Bulelwa Simae (80:08) and Joanna Thomas 83:19 taking second and third places respectively.

Lindikhaya Mthangayi took line honours in the 10km in 30:05 and pocketed R3 000 for his efforts with Celtics runner Nomvuyisi Seti taking the women‟s race in 37:56.

A cheque for R35 000 was presented to Ron Rutland from the Bobs for Good Foundation, thanks to the runners, sponsors and Atlantic Athletic Club. The money will be used to provide learners in the impoverished areas of Cape Town with locally made leather school shoes.

Deputy mayor, Alderman Ian Nielsen, fired the gun to start the half marathon, with 94.5 Kfm DJ‟s Liezel van der Westhuizen and Charmaine Noy starting the 10km and 5km events respectively. Ward councillor for the area Beverley Schafer fired the cut off gun at 10h00.

The new start outside the Stadium and the stunning finish in the Green Point Park were the cherry on the top for an extremely successful event and a great morning out was had by all, despite the Springboks losing to Australia.

CELTIC HARRIERS

HAROLD BERMAN 50 not out...

At a dinner held recently, many past and present athletes and administrators gathered to pay tribute to Harold Berman for 50 years service to Celtic Harriers Club and Western Province Athletics. For nearly forty years, Harold Berman has been the personality and voice behind the microphone at countless roads and cross country races across the Western Cape, providing welcome comfort for thousands of runners, relieved - if not elated - at reaching the finish. However to Celtic Harriers, Western Province and South African Athletics, his undying dedication and commitment to the sport has represented far more.

Harold grew up in Green Point and attended the Sea Point Boys Junior and High Schools where he enthusiastically pursued his interest in athletics, competing in the 100 yards and 220 yards sprint events.

He joined Celtic Harriers Club as a junior athlete in 1961 and wasted little time in making his presence felt in the administrative field. In 1967 he was elected Track Captain and a year later, as Honorary Secretary, a position he held for 15 years. Valued for his meaningful role at Celtics, he became an Honorary Vice President in 1978. During his tenure in the 1970s, he was involved in the significant merger that took place between Celtics and Villager Football Club. Twenty years ago, in 1991, Harold was elected President of Celtic Harriers Club (a position he still occupies), succeeding Charlie Savage, who had served as President for the previous 30 years.

Besides organising some track and field meetings, he organized a few Don Lock Memorial Road Races and Peninsula in their earlier years and has been associated with the Two Oceans Marathon since its inception in 1970 and today serves on the Board of Directors. He also introduced the Tafelberg 10km Road Race, which he convened for many years.

Harold has been the Celtic Harriers delegate to Western Province Council Meetings since 1970 and is sure to closely scrutinise the minutes or financial statements, always with the best interests of good governance at heart. He is widely respected for his integrity, tact, diplomacy and unassuming manner, and the fact that he is not afraid to speak his mind, but never raises his voice in anger.

He has served Track and Field athletics since qualifying as a Timekeeper and Track Judge in the late 1960s. Over the years, he has served at various times in Western Province athletics, on the Collison Cup Committee, the Disciplinary Committee and as a Trustee.

Awards and acknowledgements include:

Life Membership of Celtic Harriers Club, in 1996. Various Celtic Harriers Club awards, including Club Honours, The Garnett Lipsett Trophy (twice) and the Pedro Ugolini Ambassador Shield (three times). Honours for Service by the Western Province Amateur Athletic Association, in 1982. Merit Award from the South African Amateur Athletic Union (now ASA), in 1990. Life Membership of the WP Masters Athletics Association, in 1995.

Harold‟s love for Celtics is perhaps best illustrated by the fact that, save for about ten occasions (when ill or away on holiday), he has attended every club committee meeting since 1967, in spite of not having been obliged to do so since 1984. Being a passionate clubman with a profound interest in the heritage of Celtics, he cites his role in co-coordinating the club‟s 75th, 90th and 100th anniversary celebrations as being amongst his highlights.

Harold still possesses a receipt for 25 cents, being his junior club membership fees in 1962, only his second year at the club – it was 25 cents well spent! Having given so much to our club and athletics in general, it is our great privilege to be able to honour Harold Berman - 50 years at Celtic Harriers Club and still going strong...

DEFENCE WP AC

Merrell Hobbit 100km Trail Run: 15/16 October 2011

Having done the Comrades, Two Oceans, Washie, other assorted 100 Milers, the Puffer and Three Peaks on a variety of occasions, Peter Johnson, Garth Lary, Andre Kleinsmith, Peter Kwa Kwa and Katiso (Kat) Monoane decided to take on something different; the Merrell Hobbit 100km Amatola Trail Run. Although several Three Peaks and the Puffers had taught them that Trail Running is tougher than Road Running the Amatola‟s 100km spread over 2 days seemed within reach. They were to discover that the addition of some serious “jungle”, slippery descents and “Everest” type ascents made the event one that eclipsed anything that they had done before. Normal people enjoy the Amatola Trail over 5 days; Trail runners cover it in 2. To their credit all 5 of our athletes completed the event, despite the physical, mental and weather related challenges. Four of them were part of a group that took a wrong turn in very thick mist to discover at about 17H00 that they were back at the same point as they had been at about 10H00. Instead of a simple 8km to a warm, dry finish they put in 14km before they finished, their average speed being 4kmh (15 minute km). The Organisers impressed by the way they went about locating and ensuring the safety of all participants when it became apparent that the weather had caused some nasty navigation problems. Of the 37 starters, 4 bailed after day 1 and one did not make a safety cut-off on day 2. Defence WP‟s intrepid novices achieved the following results: . Kat Monoane 10th in 20h32m39s . Peter Johnstone, Andre Kleinsmith, Garth Lary 24/25/26th in 25h24m04s . Peter Kwa Kwa 29th in 25h55m11s

Having declared that the event was tougher than the Washie all 5 have entered into the Three Peaks with the 100km Sky Run to follow on 12/13 November.

Garth Lary, Peter Kwa Kwa, Peter Johnstone, Kat Monoane, Andre Kleinsmith at the start

EDGEMEAD RUNNERS

We have come to the end of our club‟s 2010/2011 running year & look back to a very successful year for Edgemead Runners. The club membership has grown by approximately 40% in the last year. Our beginners group was established in 2011, is very active & is still growing on a weekly basis. The general performance of our members at races is commendable & our participation at races has increased dramatically in the last year.

The 2011/2012 Club Committee elected at our AGM in October 2011 are the following: Francois Gouws (Chairman), Riaan Muller (Men‟s Club Captain), Charlene Brown (Ladies Club Captain), Christo Bothma (Financial Officer), Shaun Martheze (Secretary), Brian Merryweather (Registration Officer), Lindy Matzke (Social Convener) & Steve McCarthy (Race Events Convener). 2 Club Members have also been elected to the WPA Board for 2011/2012. Richard van Schalkwyk has been elected as Financial Officer & Glynis Bowie has been elected as Chairman of Road Running. Congratulations to all & good luck with the tasks ahead!

With summer approaching it is always good to see the number of members at races, especially those that took a break during winter. Members are constantly improving their personal best times & it is evident that club member support has encouraged members to perform at their best. Well done to all of you, keep up the great running. Our weekly time trials & club runs are well attended & we plan interesting changes to the format of these runs in the coming year. Thanks to Gavin, Erwin, Pierre & Faffa for your commitment & guidance with the beginner group as well as those members assisting with club runs & time trial duties!

We are looking forward to another successful 2011/2012 running year and wish every club and all their members‟ good luck for the year ahead. We hope that all the administrators of all sporting codes (road, track and field, cross country and walking) will work together and unite to build and make WPA the best province in SA.

If you would like to find out more about us please go to www.edgemeadrunners.org.za or email us on [email protected] or contact one of the committee members or speak to us at one of the races.

OLD MUTUAL TWO OCEANS MARATHON

Entries for the 2012 Old Mutual Two Oceans Half Marathon are opening online on 9 Nov @ 10:00. We are asking clubs to check their club‟s contact details are correct on the TOM website by clicking on http://www.twooceansmarathon.org.za/support/athletics-clubs/club-details and selecting their club name. If the information against your club is not correct, please contact us on [email protected] with the updated/correct information. This information will be used to communicate info to clubs with regard to the club gazebo site bookings as well as members entering against a club. To check which members so far has entered against your club, go to http://www.twooceansmarathon.org.za/results/club-results, select your club and 2012 for current entries, or any other year for comprehensive results for that year.

RAVENSMEAD ATHLETIC CLUB

2011 - The Magical Year for Ravensmead Athletic Club

Hip hip hooray!!! Ravensmead Athletic Club is 30 years old!!! The club was founded in 1981, and has been a member in good standing of Western Province Athletics. After 2 years of re-building, the Club is back on its feet, staffed by an active, willing and able executive committee, volunteers, and a participative membership willing to go the extra mile (no pun intended!) to help the club grow.

In recent times, the club has been offering road running and social walking to those with interest in the sport of athletics; but aspires to go back to its roots and offer a holistic experience of athletics activities in the near future. In the past, the club produced athletes who competed at the highest level provincially and nationally. Currently, the club has strong representation in the veterans and higher age groups, and very few members in the senior rank, and no juniors. So we are committed to attracting young athletes for cross country and track and field events, at both schools and provincial levels, through active recruiting. Our strong relationships with local clubs, such as rugby, cricket and football, community organizations, schools and WPA augurs well for our future endeavours in terms of athletics development.

As we celebrate the club‟s 30th anniversary, we are mindful of the fact that the club continues to evolve and grow under tough conditions. These include, amongst others, the competition with other sporting codes and pastime games for athletes, lack of sponsorships, widespread unemployment, substance abuse and poverty. Despite all this, the club is committed to using athletics as a vehicle in redressing these social ills within the Western Cape, by offering kids and adults an avenue for a healthy lifestyle and social cohesion through participation.

In recent times, it seems like Ravensmead Athletic Club came alive in October. It all started with a short 100km run that two guys entered. William Charles and Abram Madiehe took up this endurance challenge. With a full 26 hours on offer to finish, Abram “got a feeling it was going to be a long, long day”. But, they actually only needed less than 18 hours to complete this grueling race, finishing in 17:46:48 (William) and 17:51:19 (Abram). Other members could not resist, and so took the challenge and entered 2 mixed teams for the 10 x 10km relay. The teams finished in 9:58:34 and 11:23:39. WELL DONE, RAVIES!!!

RUN/WALK FOR LIFE WP Athletic Club

Vital Run Half Marathon, 10km and 4km Fun Run

SUNDAY, 3 DECEMBER – LOURENSFORD WINE ESTATE, SOMERSET WEST, WESTERN PROVINCE

The Vital Run, organised by the Run/Walk for life WP Athletic Club, has become known as one of the most beautiful off-road „traffic free‟ Races through the Scenic Lourensford Wine Estate, in Somerset West.

This event will for the second time be held at the popular Lourensford Wine Estate.

The 2011 event now forms part of the Western Provence Powerade League events.

CHARITY

The 2011 Vital run is proud to launch the Red Socks initiative in order to raise funds for charity. Participants can purchase a pair of good quality red running socks to show their support towards the worthy cause. Proceeds of this race will be donated to PATCH Child Abuse Centre.

PATCH, the Helderberg Child Abuse Centre in the Western Cape, South Africa, aims to support all child victims of sexual abuse in the Helderberg and strives to prevent the incidence of this horrific crime committed against innocent children. We believe that every child victim of sexual abuse is entitled to immediate crisis intervention, free professional therapy in his/her home language at a facility close to the child victim‟s home, and preparation for their court case. In order to do this, PATCH has 7 satellite offices spread locally across the Helderberg basin.

PATCH remains the only organisation in the Helderberg area that specialises in the prevention and treatment of child sexual abuse. The total number of cases of child sexual abuse reported to PATCH during 2010/11 financial year totalled 562. We take pride in the fact that with the increased accessibility of our services, the different communities have come to trust PATCH and embrace the help we have to offer.

TRAFFIC & PARKING

Please note that there is only one public access road into Lourensford Wine Estate. It is the Race Organisers intention to enable free flow of traffic into Lourensford as well as accessible parking for participants.

The following arrangements have been made:

Start times between the 21km and 10km Races have now been extended to 1 hour in order to release the pressure and enable easier flow of traffic through Lourensford Road. People travelling from Stellenbosch side can access Lourensford Road along Irene Road. Traffic officials will be deployed on the main intersections in Somerset West and Lourensford Road and will be monitoring alternatives should any bottlenecks develop. Marshalls will be directing traffic to 3 various parking areas once entered into the Wine Estate. Participants are urged to arrive early allowing at least 90 minutes travelling time from Cape Town.

Due to the popularity of the Vital Run/Walk for Life Event, it annually attracts an estimate 2500 vehicles. We would like to encourage all of the participants in this event, to make a concerted effort to club together and form lift clubs. This will drastically reduce the amount of vehicles, lowering the carbon emissions and assisting Lourensford in achieving our continuous dedication to protection and preservation of the estate.

ENTRIES

Pre-entries close Tuesday 22 November. Registration takes place at selected Sportsman‟s‟ Warehouses the day before the race. Entries will be taken on race day at Lourensford Wine Estate.

Run it walk it … but most of all come and experience it!

More info: www.vitalrun.co.za / Tel 021 852 8473 / 083 713 2858 / [email protected] / www.enteronline.co.za

WPA Development

WPA KIDS ATHLETICS PROGRAMME

On the 15 October 2011, WPA facilitated the equipment handover to all the participating Kids Athletics Clubs. The clubs were extremely excited to receive the equipment, as they feel that it is vital that the kids have the opportunity to train with the correct equipment and are therefore able to practice the correct techniques. We are pleased to announce that Acsis VOB have recently joined the programme and they are doing well for a club that has just joined.

The last inter-club league event for the year 2011 was hosted on 29 October, it was held in Strandfontein, at the Blue Waters Sports grounds. The event was well attended and everyone was enthusiastic and hands-on. All the clubs had to set up activity stations using the equipment that WPA had provided them with and the clubs had to take responsibility of everything. WPA together with the clubs managed to organise some water sachets from Old Mutual for the kids.

Rotary of Claremont (one of the Kids Athletics programme sponsors) was also there to witness this wonderful event.

The kids enjoyed every minute of the afternoon‟s activities and once again showed much progress. They are so disciplined and know what is expected of them, they know that time is important and move quickly to the next station for their next activity. Not only are they improving their technique but we are witnessing talent in other areas specifically endurance running.

This was an exciting year for the Kids, Clubs and WPA. We were able to initiate a progressive developmental programme to the province, where we have witnessed over 100 kids partaking in the Cross Country Leagues and Kids Athletics activities. We would once again like to thank Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon and Rotary of Claremont for making this possible.

In 2012 WPA together with the clubs aim to take the programme to a higher level by increasing participation and performance even further. We are appealing to dedicated clubs to become involved.

Should you wish to share your club or event news please send the information to [email protected]

JJOIN US ON FACEBOOK

November Event Diary

DATE DAY EVENT DIST TIME VENUE CLUB Contact Person Contact No. E-Mail

01-Nov-11 Tue Collison 3 19:00 Bellville Stadium Elize Engelbrecht 021 699 0615 [email protected]

05-Nov-11 Sat Elsies River 10km 10 07:00 Peninsula Technikon, Bellville Elsies River AC Bertram Windvogel 082 398 7148 [email protected]

05-Nov-11 Sat Tygerburger Junior Meeting 08:00 Bellville Stadium Adri Jordaan 021 913 3669 [email protected]

06-Nov-11 Sun SOWETO Marathon Soweto ASA / CGA

06-Nov-11 Sun Landmarks 21km 21,1 06:00 WP Cricket Club Grounds WPCC Chet Sainsbury 082 462 0715 [email protected]

Sun Landmarks Fun Run 6 06:45 WP Cricket Club Grounds WPCC Chet Sainsbury 082 462 0715 [email protected]

09-Nov-11 Wed ATC Sunset Team Time Trial 19:15 Green Point Recreational Area ATC Running Steve Attwell 082 739 9010 [email protected]

12-Nov-11 Sat Realtors International 21.1km 21,1 06:00 Seaside Village Centre Big Bay West Coast AC David Wilcock 084 490 5576 [email protected]

13-Nov-11 Sun Cape Point Half Marathon 21.1 07:30 Cape Point Trevor Ball 082 896 4537 [email protected]

13-Nov-11 Sun Discovery Cape Times Big Walk Var Various

16-Nov-11 Wed Pollsmoor 10km 10 18:30 Pollsmoor Rugby Field Correctional Service AC (WP) Ashwin Silver 082 774 1061 [email protected]

19-Nov-11 Sat Clive Truter 13:30 Parow Athletics Track Basil Carnie 083 284 4676 [email protected]

19-Nov-11 Sat Mr Price Winelands Marathon 42,2 05:30 Coetzenburg Stadium Helderberg Harriers Hans Hugo 072 290 8179 [email protected]

Sat Mr Price Winelands Half Marathon 21,1 05:45 Coetzenburg Stadium Helderberg Harriers Hans Hugo 072 290 8179 [email protected]

Sat Mr Price Winelands Fun Run 5 06:30 Coetzenburg Stadium Helderberg Harriers Hans Hugo 072 290 8179 [email protected]

22-Nov-11 Tue Twilight Run 5 19:30 Founder's Garden, Cape Town

29-Nov-11 Tue Collison 4 19:00 Parow Athletics Track Elize Engelbrecht 021 699 0615 [email protected]

30-Nov-11 Wed Sanlam Niel Joubert Plaaswedloop 13 18:15 Niel Joubert at Klein Simonsvlei - Klapmuts Sanlam AC Lorna Loubser 076 171 1297 [email protected]