National Youth Run

The Comrades Marathon Association today confirmed that following on the overwhelming success of last year’s inaugural event, CMA in conjunction with KwaZulu-Natal Athletics, will again be staging the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Sport & Recreation National Youth Run as a prelude to the 2009 Comrades Marathon.

The event, which is sponsored by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Sport & Recreation and the Umsobomvu Youth Fund, will be staged on Saturday, 23 May 2009. It consists of a 10km Road Race/Walk and a 5km Fun Run/Walk, aimed primarily at exposing young people to the joys and benefits of running, while also providing them with a tangible opportunity to participate in the “Comrades Marathon experience”.

However, while the main focus of the event is on youth, both the 10km and 5km components are open to participants of all ages and present Comrades Marathon runners, their families, friends and supporters, walkers, joggers and exercise enthusiasts with an ideal opportunity to get into the “Comrades spirit” with a relaxing and festive run the day before the “big race”.

Last year’s inaugural National Youth Run was staged on the Durban beachfront, an enormously popular and successful venue, which attracted 3000 participants. Owing to extensive renovations currently underway in the build-up to 2010, the beachfront area is out of the question this year and the entire event has been moved to Durban North.

The organisers have however managed to secure an extremely pleasant venue with a glorious sea-view at Riverside Sports and have put together an attractive and enjoyable route through Durban North suburbs, which is very gently undulating and takes in occasional glimpses of the sea.

Entry fees for the event are nominal at R10 for the 10km (minimum age 15) and R5 for the 5km (minimum age 9), making it affordable entertainment for the whole family. And thanks to the generosity of sponsors, KZN Deptartment of Sport and Recreation and Umsobomvu Youth Fund, there are prizes to the value of over R80,000 prizes to be won, including over R20,000 worth of fabulous lucky draw prizes which will be awarded at random to participants of both the 5km and 10km.

With the emphasis of the event on youth positional prizes will be awarded for the 10km Race in the 15-19 age category only – from R1000 1st prizes (male & female) down to R100 10th prizes (male & female). Arguably the most fiercely contested prizes however will once again be prizes offered for schools participation, with R15,000, R12,000, R10,000, R8000 and R5000 up for grabs to the Top Five Schools with the Most Finishers.

The 10km Race/Walk starts at 09h00 on Saturday 23 May and the 5km starts at 09h15, with an official cut-off time of 10h30 for both races. In keeping with the traditions of the Comrades Marathon, official finishers of the National Youth Run will be awarded medals as follows:

• Gold medals to the 1st 10 men and 1st 10 women in the 10km
• Silver medals to all other finishers of the 10km under 60 minutes
• Bronze medals to finishers between 60 – 90 minutes in the 10km
• Copper medals to all finishers of the 5km.

T-shirts will be awarded to the first 3000 finishers of the 10km.

Entries are open now with entry forms available through schools, sports shops and at the offices of KwaZulu-Natal Athletics and Comrades Marathon Association, or download the entry form off our website.

For further information on the National Youth Run phone KZNA (031) 312 9374 or CMA (033)897 8650.