Lameck Msiwa(Nedbank) took the 21.1km Men’s Open race title in the BestmedTuksRace in a time of 67:36, while René Kalmer(Modern Athlete) was the first to cross the line in the 21.1km Women’s Open race in a time of 78:08at the LC De Villiers Sports Grounds at the University of Pretoria Campuson Saturday morning.
“When preparing for any race, the goal is to come first. I am happy with my results this year, and I look forward to the upcoming races in the athletics calendar, both locally and internationally,” says René Kalmer.
Lucas Jani (Transnet), who finished second said that he is pleased with his time. “I aimed at being among the top 3 at this race, and I finished second in 67:41 minutes. This is a platform that will drive me to work hard, as I prepare for other races this year,” says Jani.
Rutendo Nyahora (Nedbank)won the 10 km Open Women’s race in 35:34 minutes. “I was not expecting to win this race, as I was not ‘speed’ ready – this is actually a miracle. My aim is to improve on my speed, and do well in the Durban marathon, and the Two Oceans half marathon. This year my biggest aspiration is to run a marathon, in order to qualify for the Olympics. Most importantly, I run because I love running, and I do my best in big races to be recognised. I am grateful for the support I get from my sponsors,” says Nyahora.
SikhumbuzoSeme (Transnet), who improved his record of 30:28 minutes in February 2014 to his personal best of 29:25 minutes in December, took the 2015 Bestmed TuksRace gold medal in the 10 km Men’s Open race, in a time of30:33.
Seme, the 2014 Great Run 10 km champion, trained by his father and coach, Michael (Sponge) Seme, comments, “Crossing the finishing line is an achievement, but finishing first is the best. This year I plan to participate in international races.”
The 21.1km Women’s Walk was won by Sandra Steenkamp(Irene) in a time of 2:09.42; the 21.1km Men’s Walk by Wayne Snyman(Tuks) in a time of 1:40:44. The 10km Women’s Walk was won by Chanice Klink (Tuks) in a time of 56:56; the 10km, and Men’s Walk by LebogangShange(Transnet) in a time of 41:33.
“The Bestmed TuksRace, which has become popular for its inclusiveness, is the largest race of its kind in the region,” comments Bestmed’s CEO, Dries La Grange. “It’s an annual event that caters for everyone – from elite runners and walkers to social participants and the whole family. The wheelchair race is gaining popularity year on year, with numbers growing. With over 9,000 participants in a field of over 13,000 this year, we are excited to see so many people taking a step to improving their lifestyles by becoming more active. It all starts with 1 km, and that’s why we’ve introduced this category this year.”
La Grange was challenged to a 1 km walk by University of Pretoria (UP)’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Cheryl De la Rey to support CANSA and encourage people to start living a healthy lifestyle. La Grange says, “We were chained together today and walked the 1 km in tandem, all in the spirit of supporting CANSA and donating the proceeds of the challenge to this worthwhile organisation.”
“Bestmed in partnership with UP, also acknowledges the support of the event’s sponsors; Audi Hatfield, Ford Hatfield, Iemas, 4D Health, Mediscor, and Run a way Sports, as their involvement has enabled this race to become one of South Africa’s most sought after and premier road running events, and we look forward to an even better race next year,” concludes la Grange.
