Thousands of runners and supporters of road running are expected in Boksburg this Sunday for the 44th Colgate Race at Boksburg Stadium.
The runners will paint the town in their respective club colours but it’s the iconic red Colgate Smile T-shirt, a familiar sight among road runners in the province, which will shine the brightest on the roads in Boksburg South, Parkrand, the CBD and Boksburg East.
“The race is hosted by the Boksburg Athletic Club (BAC) and proudly sponsored by Colgate Palmolive.
“With both organisations having a long history of being based in Boksburg, the Colgate Race is now a well-known event on the road running and the city’s sporting calendar,” said BAC deputy president Richard Montjoie.
The race was first run as a single-lap 15km event and Colgate came on board in 1979 as the title sponsor after the 1966 Comrades Marathon winner, Tommy Malone’s wife, the late Margaret-Ann, assisted with the negotiations for the sponsorship.
According to Montjoie, from 1983 the race became a two-lapper when the distance was increased to 32km, taking over from the John Hattle Memorial Race.
Hattle was a founding member of the club who was killed in a car crash near the Boksburg Stadium. The memorial race was run in his honour.
“Since 1994, the race has started at Boksburg Stadium but before it was run from Prince George Park – except for when it was moved to Willowmoore Park in 1988 and 1989.
“The race brings over 6 000 runners plus their supporters to Boksburg and it’s a fun outing for the whole family,” Montjoie said.
The Colgate Race is a value-for-money event with participants walking away with bags full of Colgate products, a tradition set to continue on May 7.
The event is not only iconic for the goody bag and red Colgate T-shirts, but it’s also a good conditioning for runners who are going to participate in the Comrades Marathon in June.
“The race is a firm favourite on the road running calendar due to its timing to the Comrades.
“It’s an ideal ‘taper run’ for athletes training for the ultramarathon, who are also looking to reduce their mileage to recover from hard training in the lead-up to the ultimate human race.”
Last year Samuel Moloi won the men’s 32 km, cutting the tape in 01:46:30 while Kenyan Jennifer Koech clocked 02:11:53 to win the women’s race.
Derocious Makhobalo won the men’s 15km race while Kate van Jaarsveld won the women’s race.
The 44th edition of the race will start at 06:30 at Boksburg Stadium.
Also Read: Time is running out to enter the Colgate Race
Also Read: Van Jaarsveld ready to defend Colgate Race title
