Northerns Athletics Club extends a helping hand to Daveyton Hearts
The cheque was handed over to representatives of Daveyton Hearts Athletics Club on April 3.
Benoni Northern Athletics Club has donated R32 676 to Daveyton Hearts Athletics Club as part of its efforts to support less privileged runners during what is proving to be a very difficult time for running clubs.
The cheque was handed over to representatives of the Daveyton club on April 3.
According to John Eigelaar, chairperson of Benoni Northern Athletics Club, the Comrades Marathon Association had established a profit share mechanism on entry income for clubs.
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It encouraged entrants for the first-ever Race the Comrades Legends Virtual Event, which took place on June 14 last year, the day that the 2020 Comrades Marathon was supposed to be run.
“We had our friends, families and members of other clubs running under our banner with the vision to be one of the biggest clubs represented that day,” said Eigelaar.
“We had an incredible 419 runners out on the road on that cold day in June. It was spectacular to see everyone competing. It was just over a month after the president had announced that South Africans would be permitted to exercise outdoors.
“Until then, we had been running circles around our gardens and Benoni, it seems, was excited to get out on the road and celebrate the spirit of the Comrades Marathon.
“Based on the number of entries we generated, Comrades Marathon Association awarded a profit share of R32 676. We decided to donate the money to Daveyton Hearts, which, like most running clubs across the country, are struggling to survive in the wake of the rolling lockdowns and restrictions on sports gatherings.
“It is our way of supporting the development of runners in less privileged communities and the sport of running as a whole. It is important to keep our local clubs running,” he says.
Northerns also sadly announced that the Profix Scaffolding Marathon will again not take place this year.
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“Unfortunately, it has been cancelled, which is a major blow for us but we are hoping that next year we will be able to host it,” said Kerry Webb, club administrator.
