The Irene Athletics Club announced that the second Modern Athlete Irene Ultra race at a distance of 48km will this year also offers runners mat-to-mat timing.

Taking place this coming Sunday, the event also includes a half-marathon and a 5km fun-run. This Ultra, dubbed THEqualifier, is ideal for Comrades Marathon hopefuls who still have to qualify, or hoping to get better seeding.

“This is a truly exciting and unique running event with lots of benefits for participants. The 48km needs to be completed in six hours and comparing to the usual Ultras of 50km, runners get 2km free. In essence this means that you get an additional 18 seconds per km to qualify, which is good news for those who need that extra time. In 2016, 196 runners benefitted from this and qualified for Comrades. Furthermore, this year runners will be timed mat to mat, eliminating any time wasted while allowing runners to truly optimise their running time. It’s also a perfect opportunity for those who want to improve their seeding,” says Wynand Breytenbach, Irene Athletics Club General Manager.

This event is also the Gauteng ultra race that gives participants the best of both. The 42.2km as well as the 48km times will be automatically submitted as official qualifying or seeding times. This implies that whichever time best benefits the runner, will be used as the Comrades Marathon qualifying time.

The route is rated a moderate level three with no significant climbs. It starts and finishes on Irene Agricultural Research Council campus grounds and runs through the tranquil and beautiful Irene and other Centurion suburbs.

The organisers are planning a permanent number recognition system for this race. In addition to athletes obtaining a permanent number after the successful completion of 10 events, runners completing 5 events in a row will also achieve recognition. Considering the 1500 runners that completed the 2016 event – this is a number of runners that could achieve permanent status in 2020, making this recognition highly exclusive.

For elite runners, there is a R10 000 bonus prize for the first male and female breaking the 2016 records of 2:52,34 for men and 3:23,30 for women respectively.

The 5km fun-run will take place entirely in the Irene Agricultural Research Council campus, making it well-sheltered for younger runners. The fun-run that can also be entered for on the day, starts at 06:15 and does not require a ChampionChip or temporary licence. Irene Athletics Club offers a big picnic area, enclosed kiddies entertainment space with supervision, as well as food stalls for refreshments.

The 48km along with a 21.1km will start at 06:00. Race-day entries will start at 04:30 on Sunday 2 April, and can also be done at Irene Athletics Club on Saturday 1 April 2017, from 10:00 to 15:00.

For any enquiries, contact Wynand Breytenbach on 082-937-0733 or Email info@irenerunner.co.za

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