Even if you’re not taking on the 86.9km Comrades Marathon this year, if you’re a lover of road running in particular, and of sport and a healthy lifestyle in general, be sure you don’t miss the Bonitas Comrades Expo, South Africa’s best sport, leisure and wellness show.
Tipped to be the biggest Comrades expo yet, this year’s Bonitas Comrades Expo will welcome an anticipated 60 000 visitors to the Durban Exhibition Centre on Walnut Road, as the runners prepare for the epic trek from Durban to Pietermaritzburg.
Kicking off on Thursday, May 26, 2011 at 9am, the Bonitas Comrades Expo runs through to Saturday, May 28, 2011, with the big race taking place the following day..
Whether you love running, cycling or just keeping fit outdoors with your favourite sport, this expo has something for you.
A wide variety of major running, sporting and fitness brands are exhibiting this year, showing off the latest products and technology in the running and fitness world.
This is also the place to get to “know your numbers” and find out more about the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. Be sure to make a stop at the stand of Comrades sponsor, Bonitas Medical Fund, for free glucose testing, cholesterol screening and blood pressure monitoring.
Thought-provoking
In addition to top-class exhibits, organisers have put together a programme of thought-provoking talks by guest speakers (see the Comrades Marathon website for more information).
You’ll also get the chance to meet marathon runner and author, John Cameron-Dow, who will be signing copies of his informative new book, Comrades Marathon – The Ultimate Human Race, endorsed by the Comrades Marathon Association.
And catch former SA Idols contestants Graeme Watkins, Bongi Mthombeni, Boki Ntsime and Adeline Mocke, performing in aid of Comrades charity, PinkDrive, an initiative which raises funds to operate mobile breast cancer screening units. (Shows are at 5pm on Friday, May 27 and 12pm on Saturday, May 28 at the expo, with another performance at 5.30pm on race day at the finish line.)
Tip for the race: Two-time winner Steven Muzhingi looks a good bet again this year. He ran a comfortable fifth in this year’s Two Oceans Marathon in Cape Town, which he described as “a training run”. Muzhingi commented that he was having a look to see how the other contenders were performing on the day, and was in good form ahead of the 2011 Comrades.
For the ladies race winner, look no further than machine-like Russian twins, Elena and Olesya Nurgalieva.