It’s man versus machine this Sunday morning as the inaugural Nelson Mandela Bay Train Race sets off from Port Elizabeth station with over 2,000 people taking part in this 38km relay race against the Metro Rail train to Uitenhage Station.
Residents of Port Elizabeth, New Brighton, Swartkops, Redhouse, Despatch and Uitenhage are encouraged to line the roads and support the race which takes place between a standard Metro Rail diesel train pulling 10 commuter coaches filled with 600 VIP guests and 7-person corporate, social, club and school teams.
The race, hosted by Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism, starts at 9am on Sunday morning from the Port Elizabeth Station in Strand Street with the race route along Swartkops Street and into Paterson Road from Broad Street and continuing to the Sydenham Station change over point. From there the race proceeds along Grahamstown Road through Deal Party and into Swartkops and then onto the M19 passed Redhouse and Perseverance. After Perseverance the route travels into Despatch and onto Holland Street all the way to the Despatch Railway Station and then up Diaz Road into Main Road, along Botha Road and down Springbok Road to enter a private farmland for a long stretch of off-road running along the railway line passed Transnet’s Cuyler Manor. The route crossed over Marconi Street as it follows the railway line passed De Mist Station and onto Algoa Road, Uitenhage, before turning into Stow Road for the final 200m stretch into the Uitenhage Station. The winning teams are expected to take just over 2 hours to complete the course.
“We are getting very excited for this weekend, all the entries are in and it’s time to prepare the route and finish area for the athletes and spectators.” Said Michael Zoetmulder from the organisers Zports. “Like our Urban Run event, we are thrilled to introduce another event to Nelson Mandela Bay that re-introduces participants and spectators to the historic parts of the city that they may never have seen or have long gone forgotten. Of the 600 people travelling on the train this weekend, the majority have never been on a Metro rail train and a significant number aren’t aware that PRASA manage a daily commuter train service between PE and Uitenhage.”
Whilst entries are closed and all train tickets have been snapped up, media partners Die Burger and OP Koerante are running a competition on their PE Express website with sets of 4-VIP passenger tickets for Sunday up for grabs.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Train Race is not all about athletes racing and spectators having fun, it’s also about creating awareness to the struggles of the local communities along the way and to this effect the event has partnered with local non-profit organisation Love Story, founded in 2012, who are starting to make an impact in the local communities and particularly amongst the homeless and those families struggling to make ends meet. Love Story manage numerous feeding schemes in the city as well as early childhood development programs and community upliftment initiatives throughout Nelson Mandela Bay.
All pre-registered teams are required to collect their race pack from the Love Story offices at the Old Fire Station building on Albany Road between 10am and 3pm on Thursday. Teams are also encouraged to bring donations of any kind, particularly food, toys, blankets and unwanted clothing, and drop this off with Love Story at the same time.
A festival of activities is being planned for the finish at Uitenhage Station from 10am through to 2pm on Sunday with secure parking available at Laerskool Albertyn in Union Avenue next to the Station. Information and maps on the course are available on the event website www.nmbTrainRace.co.za.
Alan Straton
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