At the launch of this year’s race, race convener, Mr Max Köhler said this is going to be the greatest race yet in the rich history of the GTR.
The GTR is taking place on August 23.
GTR’s timeline can be stretched back to 1987 when the Rotary Club of Coalfields launched the first relay event against a steam train along the private Amcoal railway line between Wolvekrans and the then Witbank.
This event took place annually for the next five years. In 1992 the race route was relocated to run along the railway line and road between Middelburg and eMalahleni incorporating two of Mpumalanga’s larger cities in the event. This led to the involvement of the four local Rotary Clubs and subsequently the Rotary Greatest Train Race was born.
Three main sponsors, Anglo American, Glencore and Eskom again committed to themselves to the race.
Mr Bheki Khumalo delivered a message on behalf of Anglo American.
He mentioned that Anglo American is proud to have been a sponsor to such a celebrated event.
“Once again we are on board and looking forward to making a difference in the lives of the various beneficiaries benefiting from the event,” Mr Khumalo said.
Agreeing with his counterpart, Mr Cecil Sibeko from Glencore said it is an honour to be associated with the GTR
“This annual community event allows our employees not only to interact socially with each other, but also with the many other participants with the common goal of assisting the needy in the local communities where Glencore operates. This event sets the stage for Glencore to invest in sustainable projects that make an immense difference to the lives of the less privileged and we are able to align this investment to our company’s values of taking responsibility in the societies where we work and live,’ he said.
Mr John Nkosi from Eskom said almost 7 500 Eskom guardians participated in the race last year. “Eskom is proud to be associated with this community driven event. Our association with Rotary goes back more than a decade and we are happy that we are able to contribute to the upliftment and improvement of the quality of life of the communities where our employees and their families live,” Mr Nkosi said.
Mr Charles Diener, Rotary assistant governor congratulated the three Rotary clubs involved in the project with the incredible work they do and the difference they make in the lives of the community.
With all the speeches done and the commitments signed, the GTR entries were officially declared open.
The closing date for entries is July 18. This race is open for running groups, walking groups and individuals.
For more information contact 086 118 7246 or click here.
