CSIR Road Race attracts nearly 4000 runners
Participation in this year's CSIR Road Race, which was again presented on the campus of the CSIR in Pretoria, has almost doubled compared to last year.
It’s one of the oldest road races in Pretoria and a popular opportunity for road athletes to test themselves and their fitness levels at the dawn of summer over distances of 5km, 10km and a half marathon (21.1km).
The 31st edition of the race, which was first presented in 1993, took place on Saturday in and around the grounds of the CSIR in Brummeria, Pretoria. It is presented as a project of the CSIR’s athletics club, which currently boasts a membership of more than 100 runners.
This year the CSIR Road Race got new impetus when the medical scheme, Bestmed, threw their weight behind it and the evidence was there that this race is ready for the next three decades.
Karen Pienaar, Bestmed Sponsorship and CSI Specialist, told Rekord that one of the biggest reasons why they got involved in the race was the values and goals of the CSIR, which include assisting the public in a healthier way of life.
The surprisingly large turnout for this year’s race – about 3,900 compared to last year’s 2,000 – is proof that participation in road races, which have declined considerably in popularity since Covid, are normalizing.
One of the aspects that contribute to the popularity of this race is the fact that the route through the streets of the Brummeria area is quiet on a Saturday morning, while a large part of it takes place on the CSRI’s campus itself. This part is particularly popular with the hill on the eastern part of the site which properly tests athletes in terms of uphill and downhill sections.
The 21km half marathon was won by Philani Buthelezi from the Faranani club. Two athletes from the Masai club, Thomas Ndlovu and Kensani Ngobedi were second and third respectively.
Yolande Maclean, Comrades star of the interesting new club Die Vuilhonde, won the ladies section of the half marathon. Kaitlyn Bubb from the Benoni North club was second and Sandra Cogzell from the Vitality club was third.
Thank you for joining us at this year’s EPIC #CSIRRace2024, powered by @BestmedScheme!
We hope you had as much fun as we did, and we hope to see you all at next year’s race. pic.twitter.com/jrIv6Js0z5
— CSIR 🇿🇦 (@CSIR) October 19, 2024
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