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Home / Day zero at this year’s Two Oceans Marathon
Day zero at this year’s Two Oceans Marathon
2018-01-29Staff Report 2 Staff Reporter Cape Town-Following an entire year of extensive planning, this year’s annual Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon gets underway on the 31st of March 2018. As one of the City of Cape Town’s premier sporting events on the calendar, the ongoing severe drought has presented a harsh reality for the event, stakeholders and participants. “We are aware of the concerns voiced by worried citizens, and we take saving water – and the event’s overall water impact on the City – incredibly seriously. “We have been and are currently working closely with the City of Cape Town and their disaster management team, as well as our sponsors, to put the appropriate provisions and solutions in place for the 49th OMTOM event as part of a very comprehensive water management plan and can happily confirm the following solutions in the meantime,” reads a statement from the event organizers. “No municipal water will be used for any of our events, no showers at the finish, nor will refill stations be available for hydration pack users. Organizers also encourage all runners to be as self-sufficient as possible. “We are reducing the number of refreshment stations, while still being well within the range – more than the limit, in fact – of IAAF/ASA water point regulations. “We understand that Capetonians are worried, especially because approximately half of the entry field is from outside of the Cape Town Metropole. However, we are also required to consider the economic boost for the City (over R675 million, together with thousands of jobs being created during this time) and the charities that partner with the event (over R3 million is raised every year).” “It is also important to consider that Cape Town welcomes thousands of visitors from across the globe on a daily basis – not just during major events like the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon - who play a vital role in the economic growth of the City,” it added. “A formal announcement detailing all event organizers’ interventions will be made as soon as we have concluded our agreements with the relevant role-players. “And while we are working hard behind the scenes to finalize these details, we as fellow Capetonians remain fully committed to saving water and use less than our allocated 50 litres per person per day. “Through close collaboration with the City and relevant stakeholders, organizers have pledged to host the event responsibly and not impact negatively on their scarce resources.” Follow the online conversation on Facebook (www.facebook.com/TwoOceansMarathon) or on Twitter and Instagram (@2OceansMarathon). Runners may also visit www.twooceansmarathon.org.za for more information. Alternatively they can contact the entries team at info@twooceansmarathon.org.za or 087 740 5260. 2018-01-29Staff Report 2
