Why Women’s Challenge entries sold like hot cakes

More than 5 000 ladies will gather at the start line on September 27 for the 32nd running of the SPAR Women’s Challenge in Gqeberha.

The incredible response to the Gqeberha leg of the SPAR Women’s Challenge is testament to the success of a reimagined approach to the city’s most beautiful road race.

The online-entry cap of 5 000 was reached weeks out from the September 27 event, signalling an enormous interest in its 32^nd running.

It is expected that even more runners, joggers and walkers will gather at the Pollok Beach start line next Saturday as in-person entries will be accepted at the race village from Monday to Friday (22^nd to 26^th) next week.

The caveat is that they will receive a discount but no goodie bag or T-shirt.

SPAR Eastern Cape advertising manager Roseann Shadrach is delighted with the way the public have embraced the 2025 event and believes there are several reasons for the rapid entries.

“The big one is the change from a ‘normal’ branded T-shirt to one that is specifically designed for athletic activity,” she said.

The second is that participants can now win a car in their own region. In years past, one finalist was selected from each region with a single national winner drawn from among them.

The third factor is moving the date from late autumn to September last year.

“We changed our race from May, when it’s cold and dark, to spring when it’s warm and everyone wants to get outside.

“People are also in full preparation mode for their summer bodies,” Shadrach quipped.

In another first, entrants were able to register online and then confirm their registration at SPAR till points across the province.

Shadrach admits that there were some teething problems with the pilot project.

“But it worked well for those who knew how to use it. Next year it will be a fully-operational, integrated system.”

While businesses now operated in a digitally-savvy world, SPAR EC’s utopia was to always retain the human element, she said.

“A lot of people still have digital anxiety. They want to greet people in a store, not simply be prompted by a text message or email.”

To be eligible to win the car, entrants over the age of 18 must tear off a special strip from their official race number and place it into the designated entry box at the venue.

Shadrach reiterated that the lucky winner must be present to accept their prize. If not, another number will be drawn.

The Women’s Challenge incorporates the SPAR Grand Prix series for elites. On the entertainment side, there will be chart-topping performers, DJ sets and a range of food stalls.

Next week’s registration times are from 9am to 6pm at R80 for the 5km and R130 for the 10km.

A temporary Athletics South Africa licence at a cost of R40 is a prerequisite for 10km participants not part of a running club.