Upcoming Event - Rudamans Kaapsehoop 3-in-1

Date: 01 November 2014
Time: 05h30
Organisers: Nelspruit Marathon Club
Distance: 42.2; 21.1; 10;
Start: Kaapsehoop Town Main Street
Kaapsehoop.
Finish: Mbombela Stadium

Enquiries:

Winnie Uys - 0824100170 / winnie@rudamans.co.za

Entry Details:
Late entries are still possible at Mbombela Stadium on Friday, 31 October from 10h00 and 19h00 or on Saturday 1 November from 03h00 and 05h00, or at the respective starting points (10km, 21.1km or 42.2km) along the route from 04h30 on race day. Race numbers can only be collected at Mbombela Stadium on Friday, 31 October between 10h00 and 19h00 or on Saturday morning between 03h00 and 05h00 or at the respective starting points (10km, 21.1km or 42.2km) of each race from 04h30.

Route Description:
Difficulty Rating: 1. Route Type: Point-to-point
This is a fast downhill and scenic route.



Prizes and Give-Aways:
All category winners get gold medals. The next 30 finishers in all races receive silver and all other finishers go home with bronze medals. The first 100 entrants receive T-shirts.

Nelspruit Marathon Club are proud to announce that the 2014 running of the popular Kaapsehoop 3 in 1 Race will once again soon be staged in the warm heart of the Lowveld. Entries are now open and all runners (and walkers) are invited to participate in this scenic race.

The familiar and testing downhill course, which starts in the misty heights of the picturesque village of Kaapsehoop and follows a beautiful panoramic route down to Mbombela, will not only test the mettle of any athlete, but is also an early qualifier for both the 2015 Comrades and Two Oceans.

The finish line for all three races will be at the Mbombela Stadium – from which bus transport also departs to take athletes to their respective start points on the morning of the race. The stadium can accommodate all spectators, has more than enough toilet and shower facilities and offers ample secure parking, as well as easy access to the nearby N4. Of course, the stadium also has a lovely, shady picnic area for post-race socialising and that all important thirst-quenching cold beer after all your hard work!

The Kaapsehoop 3 in 1 race has gone from strength to strength in recent years, with a record number of runners taking part in the 2013 event. It is now the largest race in the Lowveld and the second largest in Mpumalanga. Due to the cancellation of the very popular Elands Valley Marathon earlier this year, the Kaapsehoop 3 in 1 now forms an even more vital part of every runner’s training when it come to downhill runs in warm temperatures. We look forward to seeing you there!

Please note that pre-entries for the Kaapsehoop 3 in 1 close on 17 October 2014 and race numbers for the pre-entries can only be collected at Mbombela Stadium on Friday, 31 October between 10:00 – 19:00, or on Saturday morning 03:00 – 05:00 or at the respective starting points (10km, 21.1km or 42.2km) of each race.

T-Shirts will be given to the first 800 pre-entries. Late entries are still possible at Mbombela Stadium on Friday, 31 October from 10:00 – 19:00 or on Saturday 1 November from 03:00 – 05:00, or at the respective starting points (10km, 21.1km or 42.2km) along the route from 04:30 on race day.

Upcoming Event - PWC Fast 3 in 1 Race

		PWC FAST 3 IN 1 RACE 42,2km, 21,1km & 10km Saturday, 1 March 2014
	Dear fellow runner. We at the Nelspruit Marathon Club wish you a prosperous 2014, with success in all your endeavours, whether running-related or otherwise. We also hope that 2013 fulfilled your wildest expectations, and that 2014 will exceed even that. The Rudamans Kaapsehoop Marathon keeps on going from strength to strength, with last year being no exception. In November 2013, the race saw a record number of entrants from all over the country, making it the largest race in the Lowveld and the second largest in Mpumalanga. It was gratifying to see road running being so well supported, and the positive comments and helpful suggestions will inspire us to even greater efforts in 2014. Furthermore, your participation not only contributed to the sustainability of Lowveld road running, but through your participation, especially those of you who travelled from far away, you also supported our lovely Lowveld. The gratitude for your participation extends to wider than merely us at the Nelspruit Marathon Club. It is hoped that you enjoyed the race since the success not only of this race, but of road running in general, depends on the continued support of people like you. We’d like to inform you of, and cordially invite you to, to our next race,the PWC Fast 3 in 1, (42.2km, 21.1km or 10km) scheduled to take place on 1 March 2014. Following three years of uncertainty about the route, due to circumstances outside our control, the route will in 2014 return to the original point-to-point format which it has always had. This scenic Marathon, half Marathon or 10km will follow the scenic and meandering Sabie/Lydenburg to Nelspruit road with the gradual drop in altitude allowing very fast times while occasional climbs offer challenges to serious runners. The race has been a fixture of the Lowveld since as far back as 1981 when it was known as the Nashua 3 in 1. For the last decade it has been sponsored byPricewaterhouseCoopers (Nelspruit) and the race has been known as the PwC 3 in 1 since then. The race starts out on the R37 road, the main provincial road between Lydenburg/Sabie and Nelspruit and meanders between rolling hills covered with dense plantations. The glorious sunrise gradually lights up deeply misted valleys and then, towards the end, with Nelspruit already in sight, the road passes through a long shady lane of African Flame trees, a sight which gives our race its name, the Flame of the Forest. It is a pleasant sight which, we have always found, inspires runners and gives that final spurt to tired legs to help them through the final kilometres. All three races will end at Mbombela Stadium, just off the N4 highway to the West of Nelspruit (25° 27.6’ S ; 30° 55.8’ E). The Mbombela Stadium’s shady picnic area allows participating running clubs to erect gazebos for post-race socializing, while ample secure parking, food stalls, a thirst-quenching beer tent and shower- and toilet facilities will be available for your convenience. Bus transport will be available on the morning of the race from Mbombela Stadium to the respective starting points. You can leave your car at the Stadium, relieving you of any post-race transport woes. However, if you wish to use own transport to the starting point, late entries will be accepted there on race day. Please take note that there is no secure designated parking at any of the respective starting points, so if you use own transport, please ensure that a non-running designated driver is on hand to meet you at the stadium (and, naturally, to also support you on the way!). It is unfortunate that 2013 has seen quite a few races being cancelled. Another victim of this trend in 2014 will be the scenic Sappi Elands Valley Marathon, a Lowveld running fixture for many years. I’m sure many of you have fond memories of this race and it will be sorely missed. It does mean that runners who had hoped to use the Sappi Elands Valley to qualify for the 2014 Comrades will have to reschedule their running programs. The PwC 3-in-1 allows a final chance to qualify for the Two Oceans, and is also a Comrades qualifier. The quick, downhill (mostly) and easy (generally) route allows good qualifying times for both the Two Oceans and the Comrades. Please note that pre-entries for the PwC 3 in 1 close on the 21st of February 2014 and race numbers for pre-entries can only be collected at Mbombela Stadium on Friday 28 February 13:00 - 19:00, or on Saturday morning 03:00 - 05:30. T-shirts will be given to the first 100 pre-entries. Late entries are still possible at Mbombela Stadium on Friday 28 February 13:00 – 17:00 or on Saturday  1 March 03:00 – 05:30, or at the respective starting points (42.2km, 21.1km or 10km) along the route from 05:00 on race day. We invite athletes to visit our website for more information, or to phone the race organisers: Winnie at 082 410 0170 / 074 887 2291 or Arthur at 083 228 9534. Attached hereto please find the entry forms. Completed entry forms can be sent directly toinfo@marathonclubnelspruit.co.za or can be faxed to 086 527 8746. Runners can also enter at www.entrytime.co.za.