THE official launch for the Pretoria leg of the SPAR Women’s Challenge in association with Jacaranda FM was held at the Atterbury Theatre in Pretoria on Wednseday June 4.
The launch heralds the official opening of entries for the race. Among other announcements, the official race date was made public, this year’s theme revealed and the 2014 Brand Ambassadors were unveiled.
The sight of some 25 000 runners taking part in the Pretoria leg of the SPAR Women’s Challenge each year is often referred to as “a sea of colour”. This year, that might literally be the case as bright blue T-shirts worn by SPAR staff at the Atterbury Theatre unveiled 2014 colour. Key partners, sponsors, organising committee members, SPAR staff, celebrities, top runners and the media all joined in to officially kick off this year’s race.
Entries are now open
Entries are now officially open for the Pretoria Leg of the SPAR Women’s Challenge, the biggest and most popular race in the SPAR Women’s Challenge Grand Prix series, which attracts a whopping 25 000 avid runners each year.
“We are so excited at this time of year,” said Jerome Jacobs, Marketing Director at SPAR North Rand. “Once entries open we know that it is crunch time, but at the same time we start to look forward to seeing all the ladies turn out on race day.”
Entry costs R70 per person and entry forms are available at SPAR stores across Pretoria or online. Visit www.spar.co.za for more information. All participants will receive a T-shirt, a race number and a copy of My Race magazine when they enter.
My Shoes, Your Shoes
The 2014 theme is My Shoes, Your Shoes. This concept invites all the race participants to think about what it means to walk in another woman’s shoes.
“The phenomenon of 25 000 ladies running side by side, on a singular path, striving for the same goal, naturally led us to this theme for the 2014 race,” said Jacobs. “Last year we wanted every runner to think about what makes life beautiful, for the theme to become a celebration of everything that is good in life, and for each participant to understand that every woman would have a different aspect of life that is beautiful for her. This year we want to build on that understanding and to take it further by asking participants to think about the woman running next to them – who she is and what her struggles might be.”
The theme is being backed by a social media campaign asking all women running in honour of someone who cannot – those literally running in another woman’s shoes – to share their stories on the SPAR Women’s Challenge Pretoria Facebook page.
Race Day Details:The race will start at 14:00 on Saturday August 30 and takes place at Super Sport Park in Centurion. As always, the race will offer women the opportunity to partake in a 5km or a 10 km race, with the 10km challenge forming part of the SPAR Women’s Challenge Grand Prix Series, which has cash prizes at stake for the more advanced athletes.
As always several local artists will entertain the crowds with live performances on race day, and will set the stage for the handover of SPAR’s donations to the race beneficiaries.
On the day, all entrants will receive a goodie bag filled with wonderful products, and all runners to cross the finish will receive a medal compliments of SPAR and the race sponsors. Families, groups and friends are encouraged to come and enjoy the day together – bring a picnic basket and make the most of this great event!
