SPAR Grand Prix series postpones its first race
JOBURG – Race organisers and Athletics South Africa agree to postpone Durban leg of the SPAR Grand Prix.
Durban leg of the 2021 SPAR Grand Prix Women’s 10km Series that was to have been run on 27 June, has been postponed until later in the year.
The decision to postpone the first race was taken after extensive discussions with key role players including Athletics South Africa, the event’s medical team and representatives of the City of Durban, because of the rapid rise in the number of Covid-19 cases, particularly in Gauteng.
“We know the athletes are desperate to get back into competitive running and to earn money,” SPAR group marketing executive Mike Prentice said.
“But in view of the severity of the third wave of the coronavirus epidemic in South Africa, we believe it is in the interests of all parties that the race should not be run at this time. The majority of the elite runners are resident in Gauteng, where conditions are dire.”
He said there were also international athletes who planned to fly in for the race, and their safety must also be considered.
Prentice stressed that the race had not been cancelled but only postponed until conditions improved.
“We fully intend to host all six SPAR Grand Prix races this year, but only when conditions are safe,” he added.
Athletics South Africa said it was a sad decision to reach considering the amount of spadework that had been put into preparing for the race.
“It is unfortunate that everything we do and plan these days is subject to the status of the corona pandemic at the given time,” James Moloi, the president of Athletics South Africa said.
“Lives come first and that is the bottom line here. We took note of the pronouncement made by the Gauteng government that in the next two weeks the rate of infections will reach its peak. We, therefore, felt with the bulk of participating athletes coming from there [Gauteng], we needed to protect the Durban leg of the SPAR Grand Prix and everyone since the third wave has been more brutal in all provinces that are affected. Let’s stay alive, to run another day.”
The Durban SPAR Grand Prix was to have been the first of six invitational races to be run in Durban, Tshwane, Pietermaritzburg, Cape Town, Joburg and Gqeberha.
Each race will be limited to a maximum of 250 invited runners.
Substantial prize money is on offer in each race and the ultimate overall winner will pocket a cheque for R190 000.
