Grab your running shoes for the Johnson Crane Marathon

The 36th running of the Johnson Crane Marathon, hosted by the Benoni Harriers Athletic Club (BHAC), will take place on January 28.

The event is an old favourite on the Gauteng road-running calendar with the 42.2km race serving as a qualifying event for the 2018 Comrades Marathon down run in June.

With entries selling like hotcakes – the 42.2 km and 21.1 km distances have been sold out since November 30 – and with a further 500 opened in January and snapped up in 48 hours, the 2018 version of the race is expected to be massive with approximately 15 000 runners expected to rock up on the morning.

According to BHAC, only 10km and 5km fun run entries will be on sale during the collection period and on the morning of the race.

They will also have a free kiddies 1km run starting at 7am.

Collection points are:

• Boksburg Sportsman’s Warehouse (January 24 to January 26 from 9am until 6pm), Shop 5-6 at East Rand Value Mall, corner of Rietfontein and Madeley roads in Boksburg.

• Sahara Park Willowmoore, the race venue (January 27 from 9am until 4pm or on January 28 before the race), at 101 Harpur Avenue, Benoni.

Runners must arrive early and note that runners collecting on the day of the race, will not receive a goodie bag or T-shirt.

Ashvin Jivan, chairman of BHAC, urged motorists in Benoni and Boksburg to exercise patience on the affected roads for the safety of runners, marshals and traffic officials.

“Trouble hotspots usually occur when the race leaves town in the morning, on the second lap for the 42.2 km runners and when entering the Benoni CBD area once the runners head off Pioneer Drive at Virgin Active,” said Jivan.