The second SPAR Women’s Virtual Challenge, which replaced the popular SPAR Women’s Race series since last year due to the Covid-19 crisis, was tackled with great enthusiasm by thousands of women (and men) across Pretoria on Saturday.

While the SPAR Grand Prix series continues with six different races in six major South African cities only for a group of selected athletes, September 4 was predetermined as the day on which the Virtual Race would take place nationwide.

Participants who pre-registered at their nearest SPAR or online were therefore able to tackle the race on their own time and the place of their choice yesterday.

In Pretoria, participants who did not want to run entirely on their own, gathered at strategic places to complete the Virtual Race, without losing sight of the specific Covid-9 regulations.

One of the sites where the SPAR Virtual Race was tackled with great enthusiasm is the campus of the Centurion Academy in Highveld, Centurion.

Staff and students at this prestigious tertiary institution have embarked on the project with the same enthusiasm and energy as was done earlier when the traditional SPAR Womens Race was presented in the pre-Covid-19 period in Centurion.

A track of approximately 2.5 km has been laid out on the grounds of the Academy, as well as in an adjacent area under the custody of the National Parks Board. Participants were then able to tackle this track at least twice to cover the required distance for the Virtual Race.

The same festive atmosphere prevailed, with whole families, as well as a few pets, sharing in the fun.

According to Theo Schoeman, CEO of Centurion Academy, they have a long association with the SPAR Womens Race, as well as with the SPAR in Highveld, near their campus. This Highveld SPAR bought into their idea of hosting the Virtual Race on campus for a group of participants and in addition to assisting with entries, Highveld SPAR sponsored water on the route.

Throughout the proceedings, all Covid regulations and protocols were upheld, but the uniqueness of the event was that staff and students from Centurion Academy were able to participate in the Virtual Race together, unlike others who took on the challenge on their own.

A festive atmosphere was celebrated during the morning’s proceedings on the campus of the Centurion Academy.

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