Aspen PE City marathon

Aspen PE City Marathon Crusaders Athletic Club PROVINCE: Eastern Province DISTANCE: 42.2 / 10 / 5 DATE: 01 Dec 2012 START TIME: 05h00/ 06h00/ 07h00 ACTIVE YEAR: 2011 FINISHERS: 600 / 300 / 300 TIME LIMIT: 42km - 5 ½ hours 10km – 2 hours 5km - 1 hour START NG Kerk, Marne Avenue, Lorraine FINISH NG Kerk, Marne Avenue, Lorraine ENQUIRIES Graham Elbourne Colin McAll 041-3794393 (H) 041-3733112 (H) 041-4072854 (W) 041-5852125 (W) 041-4537452 (Fax) 041-3737894 (Fax) 082-8253784 (C) 082-8855050 (C) grahame@aspenpharma.com email cmcallqs@iafrica.com email ENTRY NOTES Online entries are taken at NG Kerk, Lorraine on the day before the race at the start venue from 16h00 to 20h00. Late entries are taken at the start from 04h00. Enter online at www.entrytime.com ROUTE DESCRIPTION This is a fast, flat course run through scenic, residential smallholdings. Traffic is not a problem. The difference between the highest and lowest point is 70 meters. The 10km race is run out and back over the first 5km of the marathon route. The 5km fun run has its own route, but shares the start and finish area. OTHER FACILITIES Full kitchen facilities at the church offering a variety of hot and cold drinks and foodstuffs. Toilet facilities only at the finish – no showers. Tog bag storage facility at finish. Accommodation sites www.pembba.co.za , www.ubuntustay.com PRIZES, MEDALS AND GIVEAWAYS First 5 Male & Female receive gold medals. Next 100 in the 42km receive silver medals; next 50 finishers in the 10km receive silver medals. All other finishers receive bronze medals. There are age-category prizes as well as lucky draw prizes for both races. Entry fee 42, 2 km - R70-00 Entry fee 10km - R30-00 Temporary licence - R25-00 T-shirts to first 350 entries in 42km and first 150 entries in 10km. EDITORS NOTE Walkers are welcome, provided they finish within the cut-off time. The 10-kilometre race starts at 06h00. This event does have a Fun Run. Wheel chairs not allowed. This is not a Pre-Entry only event. This is an official ASA event. This is not a champion chip event. GENERAL The race, in its current form, has been run from the Lorraine Primary School since 2004. The venue has moved next door to the Lorraine NG Kerk for 2012 but the route remains unchanged. The route was initially changed in 2004 to move the race away from the bustling PE beachfront and what had become busy suburban roads. The Lorraine NG Kerk is in the quiet residential suburb of Lorraine in Port Elizabeth and is well signposted. The marathon starts at the church at 05:00 and after 3km the runners will find themselves in the leafy suburb of Theescombe which is a residential smallholdings suburb largely given to small-scale farming and equestrian stables. Another 5 kilometers and we’re climbing up (the only major climb in the route) into Greenbushes – another smallholding suburb pretty much the same as Theescombe. Traffic volumes are low and consequently pose no danger to the runners. The route is marshaled at all major route turns and water points serving Coke and water are stationed every 3km. The route through these 2 suburbs is very scenic and quiet and the course flat with a couple of minor undulations. At the 30km mark we are back on the out route and after 36km we find ourselves back in suburbia and the last 6 km wind their way back along the route we started out on. At the finish there is a full church kitchen serving both hot and cold beverages as well as a variety of food. There is also a small supermarket only 200m from the church. This race is enjoying an increase in popularity for runners from other provinces as the fast, flat course is conducive to setting a fast qualifying time for both the Two Oceans and Comrades marathons. The fact that it is held in the Christmas school break allows out-of-town runners on holiday to use it as a qualifier as well.