The lure of Table Mountain and the wine farms add to the attraction of a long weekend down Cape Town way at this time.
For runners there is the business end to be put to bed first, however. with the Two Oceans Marathon next Saturday.
Cape Town may be over 1000km away and an expensive destination at that, but it is not stopping in excess of 650 local runners from making the trip to the water-starved Western Cape.
There are as always two major distance races on offer with the original 56km around the Peninsula being the flagship event. The 21.1km race is also popular, while there are trail runs and fun runs as part of the weekend package.
Many of the local contingent are novices and are likely to be in for a baptism of fire as they make their way through the hordes of runners, from all corners of the world.
The field assembled for the 56km event probably has more depth than any other over the past 10 years.
Scribes and coaches across the land are scrambling to make predictions for the 2018 chapter of the fine old race aided by the fact that there is a much bigger gap between Two Oceans and Comrades this year.
It is difficult to imagine that the race record of 3:03:44 set in 1988 and held by the late Thompson Magawana, will fall. The closest anyone has come was Zimbabwean Marko Mambo in 2005 when he recorded a 3:05:39. Likewise, the women's record of 3:30:36 belonging to Frith van der Merwe, which she ran in 1989.
The modern course has a much tougher finish as it climbs up to the sports fields at UCT, whereas it previously finished at the home of Celtic Harriers and the Villages Rugby Club at Brookside, thus a gentle downhill finish.
The men’s elite field has major depth and includes many fast marathoners, most of the top current Comrades runners and has a strong international field with at least six top Kenyans, six Zimbabweans, two Ethiopians and perhaps the most dangerous of all, eight or nine top men from Lesotho.
Buffalo City is represented in the elite field by Siyabulela Madlavana, a top veteran runner who should feature well in his age group.
On the women’s front the number of elites may be fewer, but there are still 25 top contenders from various corners of the globe.
Dominika Stelmach of Poland is one of the favourites with a best marathon of 2:37 and a best half- marathon of 75 minutes.
Another is American, Lindsey Scherf who has an even better pedigree with a 2:32 marathon and a 71:45 half-marathon. Again Buffalo City has one runner in the elite field in Stephanie Smith who finished ninth last year.
The consensus is that all the women’s gold medals could all be delivered in under four hours.
Border runners off to Two Oceans
For runners there is the business end to be put to bed first, however. with the Two Oceans Marathon next Saturday.
Cape Town may be over 1000km away and an expensive destination at that, but it is not stopping in excess of 650 local runners from making the trip to the water-starved Western Cape.
There are as always two major distance races on offer with the original 56km around the Peninsula being the flagship event. The 21.1km race is also popular, while there are trail runs and fun runs as part of the weekend package.
Many of the local contingent are novices and are likely to be in for a baptism of fire as they make their way through the hordes of runners, from all corners of the world.
The field assembled for the 56km event probably has more depth than any other over the past 10 years.
Scribes and coaches across the land are scrambling to make predictions for the 2018 chapter of the fine old race aided by the fact that there is a much bigger gap between Two Oceans and Comrades this year.
It is difficult to imagine that the race record of 3:03:44 set in 1988 and held by the late Thompson Magawana, will fall. The closest anyone has come was Zimbabwean Marko Mambo in 2005 when he recorded a 3:05:39. Likewise, the women's record of 3:30:36 belonging to Frith van der Merwe, which she ran in 1989.
The modern course has a much tougher finish as it climbs up to the sports fields at UCT, whereas it previously finished at the home of Celtic Harriers and the Villages Rugby Club at Brookside, thus a gentle downhill finish.
The men’s elite field has major depth and includes many fast marathoners, most of the top current Comrades runners and has a strong international field with at least six top Kenyans, six Zimbabweans, two Ethiopians and perhaps the most dangerous of all, eight or nine top men from Lesotho.
Buffalo City is represented in the elite field by Siyabulela Madlavana, a top veteran runner who should feature well in his age group.
On the women’s front the number of elites may be fewer, but there are still 25 top contenders from various corners of the globe.
Dominika Stelmach of Poland is one of the favourites with a best marathon of 2:37 and a best half- marathon of 75 minutes.
Another is American, Lindsey Scherf who has an even better pedigree with a 2:32 marathon and a 71:45 half-marathon. Again Buffalo City has one runner in the elite field in Stephanie Smith who finished ninth last year.
The consensus is that all the women’s gold medals could all be delivered in under four hours.
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