Cape Town — Elana Meyer is confident that the Cape Town Marathon will be able to attract some of the top runners to the event this year as it continues the quest to become an elite race.
The Cape Town Marathon is on a three-year journey to become one of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, which currently includes the Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York Marathons.
Meyer and co-founder of the Cape Town Marathon, former Springbok rugby captain Francois Pienaar, welcomed adidas as a technical partner to the race at the V&A Waterfront on Wednesday, and they hope that the deal can assist in bringing the world’s best runners to the Mother City.
This year’s race takes place on October 16.
“In the last eight years, we gradually grew the event from a really small city event, and then every year, align with the World Athletics criteria. In the first year, we achieved the silver label, and for that, you needed a certain level of top, elite athletes here. Then we moved up to gold and achieved that a couple of times, and now we need to step up to another level,” Meyer told Independent Media on Wednesday.
“The partnership with adidas is absolutely crucial in that regard. adidas have signed some of the greatest athletes in the world, and through this partnership, we will have the opportunity to have those athletes competing in the race.
“This year, we are on a new starting line again, and in partnership with adidas, those are the athletes that endorse their brand, and they pay them to be part of the brand. They will certainly be some of the elite athletes on the starting line.”
Meyer, a silver medallist in the 10 000m at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, is hoping to get into contact with world record-holder Eliud Kipchoge, who is in Cape Town this week, to sound out the possibility of the Kenyan great taking part in the Cape Town Marathon one day.
“On every level of the criteria, we need to comply. If it is the route, the field, the wheelchair athletes… we cannot just come in during year three and say we’ve (fulfilled the criteria). We need five male and five female athletes from out of probably the top 100, and I am confident that we will have 10 athletes of that status on the starting line this year,” she said.
One of the top athletes who participated last year was Olympic star Gerda Steyn. She has also recently joined the adidas stable, and said via Zoom on Wednesday that every athlete should try to take part in the Cape Town Marathon.
“I’ve made some very exciting changes this year, and the biggest of them all is joining adidas. Since I started talking to adidas a few months ago, I’ve heard such good things from the other athletes, and they really embrace the athletes in their corner,” Steyn said.
“The Cape Town Marathon is unique in so many ways, and that’s what stands out for me personally. What I can say to any other athlete considering taking part is that it’s in the most beautiful city in Africa, and in the world in my opinion!
“I like to explore the surroundings after a race, and that is a big highlight of the Cape Town Marathon.
“The fact that it is the only World Athletics labelled marathon in Africa, that is a must for me. Africa is where long-distance running is from and where it is bred, and where our hearts lie.
“I can’t imagine going through a career without running the Cape Town Marathon.”
IOL Sport