Come Sunday 12 October, South Africa’s top women runners will all be there, battling it out to cross the finish line but the challenge is about far more than the winners.
It brings together women of all ages, shapes and sizes, and most of those taking part are doing it for fun.
Many of them will walk rather than run, and the sounds of laughter and chatter will echo round the leafy suburbs of Melrose, Illovo, Atholl-Oaklands and Killarney.
Some famous faces will also be taking part, including well-known television sports presenter Vaylen Kirtley, Morning Live’s Andile Masuku, who will be taking a break from telling us about the weather, and fans of ‘7de Laan’ will be delighted to be able to catch up with Melanie du Bois, better known as Felicity.
Other faces not as well-known are those of the women from Reach for Recovery, the Challenge’s designated charity.
Reach for Recovery is a support group for women with breast cancer. Its members are all women who have been through the ordeal of breast cancer and are well placed to talk to women who are undergoing treatment. The Reach for Recovery runners are easily recognized by their pink t-shirts and the laughter that accompanies them wherever they go.
Although the Challenge is a women’s race, men are allowed to take part on the condition that they dress in drag.
Social media has become part of the fun of the Spar Challenge and Fun Run, and the organizers are encouraging participants to enter the spirit of the occasion by tweeting photos and comments.
The hashtags are #SparRaceJHB #SPARJozi
As always, there are wonderful prizes on offer, including a lucky draw for a Nissan Micra, the Bring-a-Buddy competition, where an entrant and her friend can win New Balance shoes, and the schools competition, where the school with the most entrants can win prizes from electronics giant Mustek.
Pre-entries for both races have closed, but late entries will be accepted at registration on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and before the race on Sunday.
Both races start at 8am, and finish at the Wanderers Club.
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