The last event athletes can use to qualify for the 2007 Comrades Marathon, the Nedbank Johannesburg City Marathon on Sunday 6 May runs along one of the most historic routes in the country, taking runners through some of the country’s rich heritage sites.
Although based at Emmerentia Dam, as per the 2006 edition, there have been some slight adjustments to the initial four kilometers, to provide easier access to the start line and a cleaner get-away.
Some of the historic sights along the route include Sophiatown, Constitutional Hill, the Mandela Bridge, Newtown and the Apartheid Museum.
The race passes close to the historic Anglican Church (Christ the King) in Sophiatown – one of the few buildings left standing by the apartheid government, when the town was demolished after forced removals in that area.
The church has subsequently been declared a national monument.
The toughest parts of the route are the hills around the Westdene Dam, Universities of Johannesburg and Witwatersrand and Constitutional Hill.
Constitutional Hill, another national monument, was used as a Fort and prison, and dates back to the Anglo Boer War.
The Nelson Mandela Bridge is the gateway to Newtown. The bridge was officially opened in July 2003, and is signals the start of the faster sections of the route.
The easy kilometers include passing Turffontein racecourse and Gold Reef City.
Here the route also passes the Apartheid Museum, one of the most favoured visiting spots for tourists in the City of Gold, before heading towards Nasrec.
From there the race winds its way past the venue for the 2010 World Cup Soccer finals, through historic Mayfair, past the Gas Works and the bottom of the SABC into Melville.
Next up, a short sharp decent takes participants back to Emmarentia Dam and the Botanical Gardens for the finish line.
The course has a demanding first half, but serves as an ideal dry run for those athletes preparing for Comrades, with a steady climb of about 150m in the 1st 7.5km, so runners are cautioned to start conservatively.
Entries for the Nedbank Johannesburg City Marathon are available from the following sports shops: Bedford Runner, Fourways Runner, Randburg Runner, The Sweatshop Dunkeld and Fourways, The Edge Bedford Centre and Westgate. In Pretoria, the following stores will also be selling entries: Varsity Sports, Run-a-Way Sport and Running Inn.
Entries will also be taken at the offices of ASA in Houghton, and on line at the Nedbank Sport website.
Entries cost R65 for the marathon and R25 for the 10km. Closing date for entries is 26 April.
For those runners’ walkers and family members looking for a shorter event, there is a 5km run which starts at the same starting venue but has been completely redesigned, to provide a faster looped course around the local suburbs.
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