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Fun filled Cross Country day for whole family - TheEd - 31-08-2012
Friday, 31 August 2012 ââ¬â Amanzimtoti, KwaZulu-Natal will be the host of the annual SA Cross Country Championships on 8 September. This will be a fun day filled with athletics for the whole family.
Not only will the senior and junior athletes compete, but the different categories cater for all age groups. Age categories range from under eight years to over 75 years.
In 2011, athletes such as Tshamano Setone, Stephen Mokoka and Xolisa Tyali had strong finishes. Elroy Gelant moved up the ranks when he won the SA Cross Country Trials in February as well as the SA 10km Championships in Kimberley in May this year. His 5th place finish at the SA Half Marathon Championships in Cape Town last week makes him a strong competitor to look out for.
Amongst the women, the Phalula twins, Nolene Conrad and Mpho Mabuza dominated the top of the rankings at the previous championships and the outcome was more or less the same at the trials in February with the exception of Conrad who finished 7th. Defending champion, Lebo Phalula, won the trials and finished second at the SA 10km Championships in Kimberley, making her a strong contender for the title once again. Conrad is in top form after a good track and field season and a third place finish at the SA Half Marathon Championships on 26 August. She actively competes in road running and cross country events during the off season.
Senior athletes will compete over 12 km for the men and 8km for the women while the junior men and women will run 8km and 6km respectively. The course will consist of a 1km or 2km loop.
There will be prize money for the top 4 athletes in both the senior and junior categories for men and women. The winner of each category will receive R2000 while the next three positions will pocket R1500, R1000 and R500 respectively.
The first event will start at 08:45 at Hutchinson Park in Amanzimtoti while the last event gets underway at 16:20.
The SA Cross Country Championships will serve as a means for the selection of a team for the World Cross Country Championships, taking place in Poland on 24 March 2013.