The Loskop Marathon is here!
Exactly 4 588 runners will descend on Middelburg this weekend.
The big brother is, of course, the Loskop Marathon, which starts in town and ends at Loskop Dam, A Forever Resort.
Runners can also take on the half marathon (Wild Challenge) in the Loskop Nature Reserve, or tackle the new 10km route, which starts at the resort, sweeps down Varaday’s Hill, and finishes with a tough climb back.
The race continues despite the loss of a main sponsor. Many smaller sponsors, such as the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality, ensure that the run continues. Previous sponsors included Sasol, Columbus Stainless, and Forever Resorts.
Middelburg’s economy gets a big boost as every conceivable sleeping space is fully booked.
The race is estimated to contribute millions of rand to the economy. The 50km starts this Saturday morning (April 25) in Walter Sisulu Street opposite the municipal offices; the half marathon (Wild Challenge) at 06:30 at the Damwal Complex; and the 10km Tough Run also at 06:30 at the resort.
All the races finish within the resort.
There is also a fun run that starts on Saturday morning at 06:45 near the Loskop Dam wall and finishes at the Forever Resort. You can still register on Saturday morning for R50, and funds will go to the Friends of Loskop Dam.
One of the greatest features of the Loskop races is the well-staffed water points. This year will be no exception, with local businesses making a great effort to cheer on tired runners at their water stations.
Because the N11 will be closed to traffic very early in the morning, the route offers a fantastic running experience.
It is a race that tests runners with a long descent just outside Middelburg, long climbs up to Botshabelo, very long descents after Doornkop to stretch the legs, the special bushveld terrain, the difficult climb up Buggers Hill just before Kranspoort, a fast run down through Kranspoort, the long expanse of the ‘Valley of Death’, up Varaday’s Hill and then to the beauty of the Loskop Dam, which will welcome every exhausted runner.
- The Middelburg Observer will be deploying a team of journalists along the route to keep our readers up to date with the action.
- Our friendly in-house team will also be manning a water point on the half marathon (Wild Challenge) route. Keep an eye out for them and smile – plenty of photos will be taken!
