PE Kicks Off Grand Prix Series

As summer comes to an end and autumn is in the air, thousands of women will once again be taking to the streets of the Friendly City as they take part in the SPAR Women’s 10km challenge with Bokomo at Kings Beach on Saturday May 5th.

The SPAR Challenge has become a major event on the Port Elizabeth sporting and social calendar. This will be the 14th year that PE will stage this race. It’s also an important event on the South African road-running calendar, as it is the first of five SPAR Challenge races held around South Africa.

In keeping with Port Elizabeth’s reputation as the Friendly City, the race remains popular catering for women of all shapes and sizes as they get together to share in the fun.

This year, the Port Elizabeth Challenge is even more important – it is to be the first race in the new SPAR Grand Prix.  The Grand Prix is a new innovation,  which enables the top runners to earn points towards winning a grand prize of R50 000 after the final Challenge in Johannesburg in October.

With the incentive of earning points, more of South Africa’s top runners than ever will be heading for the Nelson Mandela Bay to start accumulating their points right from the start. One of the most exciting aspects of the Grand Prix is that points can be earned in three different ways:
o    Overall position in the race
o    Position in age categories
o    Time incentives, with bonus points for beating the time posted in the 2006 Challenge.

As always, there will be cash prizes for the top three runners on the day, with the winner taking home R3000, the runner-up R2000 and the third placed runner R1000.

Of course, only the top runners will qualify for points or cash prizes, but for the thousands of others who enter, May 5 will be a day of fun. There are spot prizes and lucky draws, and Algoa FM will provide pulsating entertainment.

With a number of foodstalls offering a wide range of food and plenty to keep the youngsters occupied, the Challenge offers an ideal opportunity for a family day out.

The SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge remains the flagship of the Eastern Cape’s sponsored events.  "We are immensely proud of and indeed satisfied with the overwhelming support which we have received from the fairer sex of Port Elizabeth", said Mark Hedderwick, Marketing Director of SPAR Eastern Cape.

“We have grown our participative numbers year on year without fail and we are challenging the running fraternity, workers, students and scholars to embrace this year’s event in the true spirit of the Eastern Cape and of course SPAR", said Hedderwick.

SPAR Eastern Cape anticipate at least 8 000 women to take part this year, which will reaffirm the races status as a highlight in terms of the sporting calendar of Port Elizabeth.

Whilst a number of elite runners are expected to be dicing for honours on the day, the real race is about simply completing the course or returning a better time than last year for most ladies.

This year, a portion of every entry fee will go towards the Yokhuselo Haven – a haven for victims of domestic violence.  The Haven is a secret safe house that provides shelter for families whose lives are in danger.

While at the Haven, the women and their families are provided with accommodation, three meals a day, clothing, assistance in obtaining protection orders, help in finding employment and ongoing counseling.

So women who enter can have the additional pleasure of knowing they have done something to help one of their sisters in dire need.

Entry forms are available at all SPAR, SUPERSPAR and KWIKSPAR stores or online at the SPAR website.

For further race enquiries please contact Lloynes Jenckerson from the SPAR Walmer Athletics Club on 041 581 5643 or 082 644 6422.