South Coast helpers’ run this weekend

THE Amanzimtoti Athletics Club South Coast Marathon helpers 42km and 21km run will leave on Saturday at 5am sharp.

Both the 21km and 42 km will start at 5.30am.

Members are to wear their Toti vest and black shorts. If anyone can help with seconding, be there on Saturday morning.

The 21km club champs took place on Sunday with the SAPS 21km starting at Kings Park Athletics Stadium. The one lapper route was flat with a few small climbs on the second half. The 21km champ is Mobongeni Maphumulo and among the women, 21km club champ is Hannetjie Nell. Well done to both these athletes.

With less than 16 days until the Goss and Balfe South Coast Marathon, the race committee is hard at work with the final preparations. The club urgently needs marshals to assist on race day on 6 October. All marshals will receive a short-sleeved race T-shirt and small lunch pack. Give your names to Martyn or Cornel 083-643-0111. Names will be taken at time trials and Saturdays at the Pipeline run. Help is also needed to serve tea on race day, to help runners collect race results and hand out goody bags.

This year's marathon is strictly a pre-entry event and entries close on 30 September. The race is on Sunday, 6 October at 6am. A free train ride will take the 21km athletes to Illfracombe station and the marathon runners to the start in Scottburgh. Both races end in Hutchison Park. Entry fee is R130 for the marathon and R90 for the half marathon All athletes will receive a goody bags and T-shirts. Cut-off for the marathon is 5.30am and for the half marathon 3.30am. Entry forms can be downloaded from www.totiac.co.za

The weekly time trial is on Wednesdays from Lords for walkers (8km) at 5.30pm, and runners (4km and 8km) at 6pm. On Saturdays there is an 11km run and walk from Lords at 5.30am for walkers and 6am for runners. Call chairman Des van der Merwe on 082-806-0348 or Renier Fouche on 084-504-9808. Coach Cecil Clarke trains athletes and advises about Comrades and ultra-marathons. His training group meets on Tuesday afternoons from 5.15pm or email cecil.clarke@lake.co.za.

Fourteen Toti AC athletes took part in the 2013 SA cross-country champs held in Potchefstroom on Saturday, 14 September.

With some extremely hot and dry conditions prevailing, the athletes battled to adapt to the weather. Noel Saville was the best performer, with a bronze medal in the 70 to 74-year-old group. De Villiers Oberholzer was the only other athlete who brought some silverware home, when he helped the men's 60 to 64 age group win a team bronze medal. Although the juniors didn't bring back any medals, it was invaluable experience for them to run at altitude and in hot, dry conditions.

KZN Athletics will host the third sub-youth (7 to 15-years) track and field league meeting on Saturday, 21 September at Kings Park Athletics Stadium, starting at 7.30am. Call Riaan Vosloo on 078-457-1936 for more information.