27 Aug: ATC News

 

ATC Granted Permission to use Green Point Athletics Track

 

ATC has been granted permission to use the Green Point Athletics Track for our Tuesday Track Session!  This is great news for us and we are just busy finalising contracts with Cape Town Stadium management.  We will commence training on the track as soon as this is done and expect our first session on the track to be later in September.

 

ATC would like to thank the City of Cape Town, the Cape Town Stadium, Sue Forge, General Manager of WP Athletics and last, but not least, Chairman STeve Attwell for months of tireless efforts to seal this opportunity for ATC. 

 

This will give ATC exclusive use of the track for our Tuesday Track session between 18:00 and 19:00 with an option to include the morning (06:00) session as well.  We will manage access during this time in the same manner as we do for the ATC Canal Swim.  The session will be open to paid-up ATC members with a valid ASA License and Barcode Tag only.  Watch this spot for further development on this exciting new venture!

 

There were some great results from ATC’ers at two gruelling events this past weekend.

 

Congratulations to Caitlin Van Den Berg, who won the ladies race at the PUFFER, an 80 Km trail run from Cape Point to the Waterfront, on Saturday!  Caitlin (8:59:07) finished just a couple of minutes behind husband Cobus Van Den Berg, who was the second Veteran in a time of 8:55:55.  Jana Van Houwelingen was the sixth lady (3^rd Senior) home in 10:16:21.  Wouter Vink finished in 11:12:27.  Terry Deats (11:41:08), Karen Graaff (11:47:13) and Leandra Mendes (13:13:36) all finished within the top 10 of their respective age categories.

 

The Trans Baivaans is known as the toughest single stage mountain bike event in the world.  Not surprisingly, as it is a 230 Km ride from Willowmore, through the scenic Baviaanskloof, to Jeffreys Bay.  The route includes 2540 metres of climbing and riders have 24 Hours to complete the event.  Surprisingly, there is such an overwhelming demand for entries, so organisers decided to host two events this year, one on the 15^th and one on the 22^nd of August.  650 teams of 2, 3 or 4 riders completed the race this year. 

Piet Viljoen was in the RECM team of 4 riders who completed the race in 11:44 with a riding time of 10:44.  Well done Piet!

 

SWIM:  The canal swim will take place on Saturday afternoon at 16:00.  From our new start at the floating jetty next to the entrance to the Marina, we head straight out towards the Island keeping left all the way and proceed CLOCKWISE around the Island.  On the way back we stay on the left and head straight back to the start. 

The section of the old route that we now cut out is roughly the same distance as once around the island.  So you now swim twice around the island for 1.6 Km and three times for 2 Km, etc.

 

Scroll down for an image of the area with the swim start and altered route indicated.

 

BIKE:  On Sunday morning we will do a 2 - 3 hour ride, starting from the Point Virgin Active at 07:30. 

 

RUN:  Tuesday Track will still be at the Green Point Cricket Club (GPCC) with sessions in the morning at 06:00 and in the afternoon / evening at 18:00. 

This evening (Thursday), we will do a trail run starting from GPCC at 17:45.

 

Ironman 70.3 World Championships takes place this Sunday, 30 August, in Zell Am See-Kaprun, Austria.  Best of luck to the following ATC’ers taking part!  Rohan Kennedy (M35-39, 1710), Darrin Hofmeyr (M35-39, 1720), Jos Balk (M40-44, 1298), Paul Ingpen (M45-49), Nienke Van Schaik (F35-39, 1835), Andrew Cronje (M30-34, 2123) and Mariska Groenewald (F30-34, 2313).

 

This weekend is the Greyton Two-Day Mountain Bike Stage Tour.

 

On Saturday morning, PPA, in association with RaceTec, will host a hill climb up Red Hill and the results will be used for seeding.  There is no admin or cost to do the climb. Just arrive with your RaceTec timing chip, bike and helmet between 07:30 and 09:30 and roll over the starting mat.  There is NO Parking available near the start so please park elsewhere and ride to the start as a warm-up.  The climb is from the foot of Red Hill to the lookout area on the top.  After your climb you need to ride down the other side towards Scarborough or Cape Point.  Riders will not be allowed to descend on the same side as the timed climb.

 

If you fancy a climb of a different kind then head out to Tulbagh to try out the newly built Bone Trail with massive climbs and sweeping berms!  On Saturday the inaugural test ride of this 30 Km section will start from the Manly Restaurant, Tulbagh, at 08:30.  It is only 30 Km but experts estimate that it will take three and a half hours to complete and “roadies won’t make it”.  Please let us know if you are interested and we will arrange an invite.

 

The Saldanha Half Marathon takes place on Saturday, from Club Mykonos in Langebaan.

 

There are a host of trail runs this weekend:  On Saturday there is the Botter Trail Run in Hermanus, the Tygerberg Reserve Full Moon Run and the Trail Du Mont Rochelle Short trail run in Franschoek.   On Sunday there is the St Luke's Hospice Superhero Trail Run at UCT, the Dirtopia Change of Season Trail Run on the Delvera Farm and the Trail Du Mont Rochelle longer runs.

 

Enjoy the (not so uncommon, after all) 5^th weekend of August!

ATC