Entries are open for the 2021 MiWay Wally Hayward Marathon

MiWay is proud to announce the Wally Hayward Marathon will be hosted as a virtual event this year, each Saturday and Sunday during May.

This is after the disappointment of having to cancel last year’s event due to lockdown restrictions.

“We are delighted that despite the challenges we are still facing with Covid-19, we can offer runners an alternative event in the form of a virtual race. The pandemic has changed many things about how we live and do things, and this is our way of still bringing the running community a way to have fun and connect while maintaining all the safety protocols,” said head of marketing and brand at MiWay Nthabiseng Moloi.

The MiWay Wally Hayward Marathon is traditionally an eagerly anticipated event on runners’ calendar, and the last year has been extremely difficult for runners and athletic clubs alike.

“We understand the frustrations experienced by the running community. We, with MiWay, appreciate another year of striving to deliver the same Wally experience to athletes in order to keep their spirits up as they prepare for more running in the months to come,” said Francois Jordaan, MiWay Wally Hayward Marathon race director.

Here’s how it will work

Athletes can choose to run either the actual marathon route or a route that’s more convenient to them.

Some toilets and dedicated water refill stations will be placed along the regular marathon route each Saturday and Sunday during May from 6am to 11am.

You can pick up your medal and loads of great Wally merchandise during the weekends at the Alpha Centurion Clubhouse from 6am to 11am, or they can courier the medal to you at an additional cost.

The Active Experience app can be used should runners wish to use it to list their achievement on the leader board. However, this is not mandatory. The app has many other features that can be used to improve the runner experience, and it can be downloaded from the Google, IOS and Android Play Stores.

Athletes preparing to run the virtual Comrades Marathon, or any other long-distance race, should also consider taking part in the MiWay Wally Hayward Taper Challenge as part of their preparation. The concept is simple: run a 42.2km, a 32km and a 21.1km in a space of five weeks, in any sequence, at any point or on any route, a fun way to get fit and ready for longer distance races. The Taper Challenge does not include the 10km event.

The marathon is hosted by Alpha Centurion Runners and Walkers and honours the legendary South African endurance athlete Wallace (Wally) Henry Hayward.

“We know how fanatical runners are about maintaining their fitness and getting their much-needed time on the road, so we are confident that although the experience will be different, it will still be as fun and memorable as ever,” said Moloi.

The virtual event includes a 42.2km full marathon, a 32km run, a 21.1km half-marathon and a 10km race option.
For more information about the event or to enter, visit www.wally.co.za and follow #MiVirtualRun on social media.