The uncharted waters of COVID-19 pandemic are changing the landscape on the sport front.
There is no certainty what the future will hold for large events any time soon, the impact on the Greatest Train Race (GTR) 2020 event that was planned for August 22 is great.
The GTR committee that comprises out of volunteers and Rotarians from eMalahleni and Middelburg respectively had the think hard about the next step. The options were to postpone the event, cancel the event for 2020 or to think out of the box and offer the GTR 2020 race as a virtual run.
“The committee did not think twice and opt to go with the virtual run as our beneficiaries depend on us now more than ever before,” said Charles Deiner the GTR 2020 Committee chairman.
As the GTR is the largest charity event in Mpumalanga, the thought of not being able to help those in need, did not sit well with the team.
The main sponsor for the last couple of years, Glencore will be backing the GTR 2020 virtual race.
“We truly hope that other sponsors get onboard to ensure that we can help those in need during these difficult times,” said Deiner.
This is a new concept that took flame within the running community with all the races that have been cancelled due to the pandemic.
This gives an opportunity to invite people from other towns, even countries to get involved in the race.
As the team are still in the planning phase, and making sure that the entire basis are covered, more detail will follow soon.
Keep your eyes on the GTR Facebook page and website for more detail. www.gtr.co.za
