Marks Park to host SPAR Women’s Challenge

IT will come down to the wire to determine who will win the most-coveted race at the Joburg SPAR Women’s Challenge leg at Marks Park Sports Club on October 6.

The 10km and 5km races will start at 8am.

The race is on between the front runners, and the winner of the SPAR Grand Prix will only be determine at this race on Sunday.

Leading the field at this stage is the sensation of the year in this competition, Helalia Johannes, as she won from the start of the SPAR Women’s Challenge and is the current log leader.

The Namibian, however, has to do duty for her country at the world marathon championship in Doha, Qatar, at the end of September.

This gives her little chance to recuperate and return for the Joburg leg to take full honours.

But chasing her is youngster Tadu Nare from Ethiopia, who could snatch the 10km title from her at any minute.

In the third and fourth spots, South Africans such as Kesa Molotsane and Irvette van Zyl are making a dash for it.

In the meantime, another accolade will go to one of the countries middle and long distance runners, Sonja Laxton. She will line up for her 100th SPAR Women’s Challenge.

It’s the third year the Joburg race will take place at Marks Park and the new venue has proved very popular with the women of Gauteng. The route passes through the leafy suburbs of Emmarentia and Greenside, taking in pretty gardens, some famous schools and the beautiful Parkview Golf Course.

The five area winners of the Face of the Race competition, promoted by Get It magazine, in conjunction with SPAR, were announced at the launch on August 22.

The Face of the Race competition is not a beauty competition. Instead, entrants were asked to provide information about what they were doing for their community and how, if they were named Face of the Race, they would contribute to the uplifting of women.

The Greater Johannesburg area was divided into five areas: north, south, east, west and Soweto, and a winner was selected from each of these areas, with one woman to be named the Face of the Race.

SPAR advertising and promotions manager Piet van Vuuren said: “The Joburg Challenge is a favourite sponsorship for the grocery giant. The majority of our customers are women, and we see the races as an opportunity to give something back to the community.

“It is a fun day out for the whole family, with a top line-up of live entertainment. October is a lovely month in Joburg, so we urge as many people as possible to come along and take on the challenge.”

The Drop of a Pair of Shoes to Show you Care campaign is also still ongoing. Runners are asked to drop off old running shoes, which can be passed on to runners who cannot afford to buy running shoes.

As always, the designated charity is Reach for Recovery, a support group for women who have had mastectomies.

Entry forms are available from all SUPERSPAR, SPAR and KWIKSPAR stores, or online at www.spar.co.za