What’s on at #joburgsbestdayout 

As one of the oldest and most well-loved events on the South African entertainment calendar, visitors to The Rand Show have come to expect an out of this world entertainment offering, but this year, an added focus on the injection of on-trend and relevant content has really upped the entertainment ante, in fact, there is so much on offer, that visitors should plan to arrive as early as possible to ensure that everything can be experienced. 

Fashion, Beauty and Fitness

See the latest in all thing’s Fashion, Beauty and fitness related and meet some of your favourite fitness fundi’s at the Beauty and Fitness Expo taking place daily on the Main Stage in Hall 5 on weekends and public holidays.

The Fitness Runway Model SA 2019 – South Africa’s biggest  Fashion and Fitness Extravaganza will take place on 20 April at 10am on The Main Stage in Hall 8. 

Pump up the adrenaline!

Experience the 125m long Zipline at the Suzuki Adventure Zone daily from 19-28 April. Along with this there will also be abseiling, trampoline bungy, aqua rollers, paintball and a climbing wall.

Take part in high-octane drifting daily from 19-28 April at the Outdoor Drifting Track. Here visitors can also be thrilled by daily variety shows featuring all the driving tricks and manoeuvres. 

No Business like Showbusiness

Starstruck followers of all things Showbiz can get their fix at Joburg’s Talent Show – With daily rounds at 10.30 am on the Main Stage in Hall 8 from 19 – 22 April.

The final rounds to choose Joburg’s best talent are taking place on the weekend of 27 and 28 April at 10.30 am. 

Live Cook-off

SA’s newest reality based cook off – the JacarandaFM Clash of Ages, will take place daily at the Chef’s Village in the South African Garden and Home Pavilion at 10am from 19-22 April.

The final live celebrity cook off will be sizzling on the weekend of 27 and 28 April at 10am. 

Flowers and Decor

Visit the gorgeous Flower Show in Hall 5 on the Main Stage daily for your chance to win a trip to the breath-taking Chelsea Flower Show 2019. 

Gaming and Cosplay adventures 

A Fortnite Gaming competition will take place at the Gaming Entertainment Pavilion at 10am daily on 19, 20 and 21 April.

Gaming qualifiers will take place daily at 2pm from 23 to 26 April with the Grand Final taking place on 27 April.Daily

Fortnite Dance Competition will take place on the Main Stage of The Gaming Entertainment Pavilion daily.

The Masquerade Cosplay Ball will take place on the first and last weekend of the show in the Gaming Entertainment Pavilion. 

Fun for everyone

Visit the magnificent Animal Kingdom daily at The Outdoor OS2.

The Kalahari Scientist will be wow-ing audiences daily on the Main Stage in Hall 9 with shows throughout the day for the entirety of the Rand Show period.

There will be a daily street parade at 1pm every day.

Watch out for entertainment Buskers performing a variety of acts daily on the Busker Stages.

Don’t miss the Zip-Zap Circus on the Main Stage in Hall 8 at 5pm on 26 April, and then 12pm and 5m on 27 April, or at 12pm on 28 April.

World famous Sword Swallower Murray Malloy will be on the Main Stage at the Outdoor Link on 26 April at 5pm, 27 April at 3pm and 28 April at 1pm. 

Rand Show Favourites

The SANDF display, one of the most beloved show relics, will not disappoint fans this year and will take place from 19 – 22 April at the Main Arena from 11am – 1pm.

The Drum Majorette Gold Cup will take place in the Main Arena on 27 April from 5-9pm.

The Rand Show Museum will be open daily from 10am – 7pm. 

The prizes up for grabs are almost as unbelievable as the entertainment line-up and include a Suzuki Swift which can only be won if you purchase your tickets online, a magnificent Easylife Kitchens home makeover, trips to Twitchcon USA, Chelsea Flower Show UK, Lesotho, Kirstenbosch Gardens and so much more!

All that is left to say is that this is one super-sized family day out that you definitely don’t want to miss. With an entire day’s worth of out of this world entertainment packed into each and every ticket, what are you waiting for? Visit www.randshow.co.za to get yours now!

It’s almost time for Joburg’s most iconic event and this year promises to be an all-round show-stopper! Celebrating it’s 125th year anniversary, the Rand Show is synonymous with family entertainment on a grand scale, and this year, the injection of on trend content will leave visitors wanting for nothing, except maybe a little more time to soak up the fun!

TO DIARISE:

This year the Rand Show will be running from Friday 19 April until Sunday 28 April. Joburg’s Best Day Out will take place once again at one of Joburg’s best known landmarks – the Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec, Corner Nasrec Rd & Randshow Rd, Johannesburg. This is South Africa’s largest purpose-built exhibition, conference, convention and event venues and can accommodate a vast array of super exciting things to see and do. The ability to jam pack the venue with entertainment and shopping makes for a perfect 10-day event to keep your family entertained during the April holidays.

EARLY BIRD SPECIALS:

Normal ticket prices are R 80 for children under 17 and R 150 per adult. A limited number of Early Bird tickets are now available! Purchase of an Early Bird ticket offers you a saving of up to R 70 on the ticket price, meaning that for as little as R 100 per adult and R 50 per child, the whole family can come along. This great saving includes free entry into the Gaming Pavilion, as well as automatic entry for every adult ticket purchased to win a Suzuki Swift, sponsored by Suzuki South Africa. Limited tickets are available so don’t miss out!

WHAT YOU CAN EXCPECT AT THE 2019 RAND SHOW?

The 125th celebration includes the introduction of a host of family orientated, and never before seen attractions.

Gaming, Cosplay and Dance are just some of the new additions to the entertainment menu, and gaming fans will be given a real treat at the new Gaming Entertainment Pavilion with a Fortnite Gaming Tournament where R 100 000 is up for grabs.

Well-loved Show favourites are back, such as the gorgeous South African Garden and Home Pavilion, exciting Military displays featuring supersonic jets, attack helicopters, armoury and synchronized aerial displays and of course the fantastic fun fair.

For petrol heads – and who isn’t in SA? -  there is the world class World of Motoring showcasing a Motoring hall, spinning and drifting, driving course, the anticipated IASCA World Record Sound Competition.

The chance to win big is made even greater with a host of other prizes up for grabs, ranging from a  stunning home make over from EasyLife Kitchens, which includes a new kitchen and cabinetry in each room. It comes with R150,000 furniture from Home Italia and a Mlily Manchester United bed. You can also be off to the Chelsea Flower Show in London and local travel to the beautiful Kirstenbosch or beautiful Lesotho – the whole family can walk away winners.

All these activities have also been super-charged with the addition of a world class Fashion, Beauty and Fitness Expo which will be attended by some of the world’s biggest names in fitness such as; Hattie Boydle from Australia, Tom Coleman from the UK, AJ Ellison from the USA and our very own Jaco de Bruyn.  This Expo will also host events such as SA’s Fitness Runway Model competition and public workouts where visitors can themselves take part in fitness sessions. All followed by delicious healthy, nutritious treats available at the pavilion.

Cape Town’s famous Zip Zap Circus will also entertain with breath-taking performances from Friday 26 to Sunday 28 April.

Or if cooking or talent shows are your thing, be sure to catch the finals of SA’s brand new Jacaranda Clash of Ages and the Joburg’s Talent competition.

There is so much more happening, but just a last teaser, one of SA’s favourite spectacles is watching a great Drum Majorette challenge and this year the Drum Majorettes Gold Cup is back!

This is truly a 10-day, super-sized festival of fun for all ages.

Visit www.randshow.co.za for more information.

 It’s almost time once again for Joburg’s most iconic and well-loved family day out, and this year it is not simply going to be a show but is guaranteed to be an all-round show-stopper! Celebrating it’s 125th year anniversary, The Rand Show is synonymous with family entertainment on a grand scale, and this year, the injection of on trend content - to appeal to a whole new generation of Rand Show fans - will leave visitors wanting for nothing, except maybe a little more time to soak up the fun!

Early Bird tickets for the show are now open, and we all know that the proverbial early bird catches the worm, with the ‘worm’ being a Suzuki Swift and a tidy saving on the entry fee!

A limited number of early bird tickets are available online with a saving of up to R 70 on the ticket price, meaning that for as little as R 100 per adult and R 50 per child, the whole family can come along.  This great saving includes free entry into the Gaming Entertainment Pavilion, as well as automatic entry for every adult ticket purchased to win a set of adrenaline-charged wheels, sponsored by Suzuki.

Festival goers can get a taste for all the thrills of driving one of these little beauties at the Suzuki Adventure Zone.  Also, in the zone, for true adrenaline junkies, there is a 125m zip line to really get hearts racing.

Aside from pulse quickening adventure activities, the 125th celebration of Joburg’s Best Day Out includes the introduction of a host of family orientated and never-before seen attractions in a new Gaming Entertainment Pavilion. Gaming, Cosplay and Dance are just some of the new additions to the entertainment menu, and gaming junkies will be given their true fix with a Fortnite Gaming Tournament where R 100 000 is up for grabs.

The chance to win big is made even greater with awesome, reality inspired competitions such as the Jacaranda Clash of Ages live reality cooking show, as well as a public Talent Show that each boast R 125 000 in cash to the lucky winners. The list of prizes just goes on and on and includes an Easylife Kitchens home makeover, trips to Twitchcon USA, Chelsea Flower Show UK, Lesotho, Kirstenbosch Gardens and so much more. With all that and more up for grabs you literally have nothing to lose!

Well-loved Show favourites such as the gorgeous Garden and Home Flower and Décor Pavilion, Military displays and of course the fantastic fun fair have all been super-charged with the addition of a world class Fashion, Beauty and Fitness Expo which boasts some of the industries most recognised fitness fundi’s; as well as Cape Town’s famous Zip Zap Circus and the Drum Majorette Gold Cup.

With all this and so much more, the Rand Show has truly come full circle as one of the oldest and longest running lifestyle events in the world! 125 years of entertainment legacy is about to culminate in the biggest and best Show yet – one that South Africans simply cannot miss out on.

To book your Early Bird ticket today visit the Rand Show website or book through Computicket here.

The holidays are here and they bring with them a wonderful opportunity for families to spend time together, laugh, be silly and enjoy activities together and in so doing, re-connect and bond in deeper, more meaningful ways.

Cindy Glass, Co-founder and Director of afterschool remediation franchise, Step Up Education Centre gives the follow tips on how you can re-connect with your child, whether you are travelling or stay at home this festive season: 

Create a sense of excitement within the family: Have something to look forward to. Choose to make this holiday one of family connection. Remember, what you give to others, you give to yourself. Encourage tolerance, love and peace by being tolerant, loving and peaceful yourself!

Listen without judgement: Holidays provide a great opportunity to stop and listen!  Your children want connection as much as anyone on the planet and being heard is essential in achieving this! Ask questions about each other’s lives. Let your children teach you about their passions and interests – you may just be in awe of how your children view life. So often children shut the doors of communication for fear of how their parents will react – if connection is your goal, listen without judgement!

Expect challenges: Being human means that things can, and will, go awry from time to time. Allow for these moments. Own them when they happen and find positive solutions. There is, after all, a solution for every challenge! It is how each family member chooses to react to challenges that will make or break your holiday!

Be prepared: If you are travelling and you know that boredom could lead to a less than desirable journey, make sure that you are well-prepared with exciting treats and some games to play in the car! Some old favourites like ‘I spy, 20 questions and adding numbers up on licence plates’ can keep little people entertained for hours!  

“The opposite of frustration, irritation, guilt and a lack of fulfilment is…. non-judgemental human connection, and happiness is rooted in meaningful human connection. Laugh, be silly and allow for the odd challenge. Teach respect and integrity by your being respectful a person of integrity. Choose to use these holidays as a golden opportunity to create positive connections and beautiful memories that will last a lifetime!” Cindy concludes. 

About Step Up

Established in 2016, Step Up Education Centres is a dynamic after-school remediation and tutoring franchise with a difference. Step Up offers children an opportunity to succeed in a schooling system that is, at times, very unsympathetic.  From the moment, a child walks through a Step Up Education Centre doors they feel different.  They no longer feel silly or stupid. They no longer feel misunderstood. They no longer feel judged. After just one lesson they feel hope. They see possibility. After a few sessions, they walk taller, feel smarter, do better.

Why? Because Step Up believes that every child has potential…And our passionate educators will not give up until they reach it!  

Press release disseminated on Behalf of:
Cindy Glass
Director and Co-Founder of Step Up Education Centres

Press release disseminated by:
Carmen White
081 260 4011
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Sam Watt Marketing Communications

KWAZULU-NATAL, BALLITO, 19^th JULY 2016 – This weekend, 16-17 July, saw the Jeep Warrior series Race 4 of 8 take place in KwaZulu-Natal at Sugar Rush Park in Ballito, with over 3500 competitors all racing to get the opportunity to drive off in a brand new Jeep until the next Jeep Warrior event, should they hit the top spot on the podium in the Black Ops Elite category.

Sugar Rush Park saw some unusual rain prior to the race, making many of the obstacles slippery and immensely challenging, physically and mentally, but the Jeep OCR Team, Thomas Van Tonder, Jay Jay Deysel, Joshua Masudi, Carina Marx and Hlubi Mboya, faced up to the challenge and excelled.

In the Black Ops Elite Men’s Race, Jeep Team star racer, Thomas van Tonder, took top spot on the podium with a time of 01h40, over 30 minutes ahead of his biggest rival, KeyHealth Nevarest team racer, Greg Avierinos, in a time of 02h11, with fellow Jeep Team racer, Jay Jay Deysel, in 3^rd place in 02h13, rounding off the Jeep Team’s solid achievements in the top elite race.

Jeep Team’s Joshua Masudi, also raced in Black Ops Elites, but cramped half way ending his race for podium.

Women’s Black Ops Elites, who compete over the same course as the men’s Black Ops Elites, had Jeep Team’s up-and-coming OCR star, Carina Marx, competing and nursing an injury, but achieving a respectable 5th place overall in a time of 02h29.

Jeep Team’s celebrity competitor, Hlubi Mboya, competed in the Commando Elite Women’s Race, and says of her race, “This was one of the hardest Warrior Races I have ever competed in. It took me two hours but I refused to give up my band and be disqualified, even when it meant trying to complete an obstacle over and over again.” Mboya’s inspiring tenacity saw her just short of a Top 10 place in the Commando Elites.

The Jeep Team will be competing in Jeep Warrior Race 5, which takes place from 20 - 21 August 2016 at Hazeldean Valley in Pretoria.

RESULTS

BLACK OPS ELITE - MEN

1. THOMAS VAN TONDER - 01:40:07
2. GREG AVIERINOS - 02:11:32
3. JAY JAY DEYSEL - 02:13:26
4. CLINT PRETORIUS - 02:23:40
5. ANRICH ZIMMERMAN - 02:23:45

BLACK OPS ELITE - WOMEN

1. HANNEKE DANNHAUSER - 02:13:26
2. TRISH BAHLMANN - 02:15:43
3. DOMINIQUE DOLIVEIRA - 02:16:49
4. SABRINA DAOLIO - 02:23:32
5. CARINA MARX - 02:59:26

COMMANDO ELITE - MEN

1. MICHAEL ROSS - 00:51:42
2. CALEN HASTIE - 00:51:53
3. GARETH MARQUISS - 00:56:01
4. JASON FRIEDMAN - 00:56:01
5. DARREN MARQUISS - 00:57:28

COMMANDO ELITE - WOMEN

1. DANIELLA LUSHINGTON - 01:21:17
2. CINDY WILLS - 01:30:23
3. TARYN STRYDOM - 01:32:46
4. KAELEE LUSHINGTON - 01:33:07
5. AMOR BEYERSBERGEN - 01:33:42

ROOKIE ELITE - MEN

1. ADRIAN ROUSSEL - 00:31:41
2. SHELDON CROUWKAMP - 00:32:00
3. RICHARD EKSTEEN - 00:33:17

ROOKIE ELITES - WOMEN

1. CHANTE HABIB - 00:40:49
2. LEONIE VAN ZYL - 00:42:09
3. KRISTY VAN DER MERWE - 00:43:07

Jeep #Warrior5 - Pretoria – Hazeldean Valley - 20 Aug – 21 Aug
Jeep #Warrior6 - Nelspruit – Kwanyoni Lodge - 24 Sept – 25 Sept
Jeep #Warrior7 - Meerendal, Western Cape - 22 Oct -23 Oct
Jeep #Warrior8 - Pretoria - Legend MX - 19 Nov – 20 Nov

Editor’s Notes

All photo credits: ZC Marketing Consulting

ABOUT THE JEEP WARRIOR SERIES

The Jeep Warrior Race is South Africa’s largest obstacle course race series that spans eight events across four provinces.

The series burst onto the scene in 2013 and immediately spearheaded the meteoric rise of obstacle racing in South Africa. It quickly grew to up to 9000 participants per event and remains at the forefront of the growth spurt in the new sport of obstacle racing with its larger than life obstacles and innovative courses to challenge South Africans.

What makes Jeep Warrior Race so popular, is that anyone can participate - all you need is a pair of old running shoes and a great sense for adventure.

To find out more, go to the Jeep Warrior website - www.warrior.co.za. To keep up with the action, like Jeep Warrior’s Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/thewarriorrace - or follow the event on Twitter - https://twitter.com/thewarriorrace.

5 JULY 2016, DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA – Canoe king, Hank McGregor (Jeep Team), continued his world-class reign of legendary back-to-back victories to claim his fourth Investec Mauritius Ocean Classic title on Saturday, 2 July 2016. The 26km event, which took place near Black River, Mauritius, also doubled as Round 1 of the 2016 ICF Ocean Racing World Cup, which is a new, three-part series on the world surfski calendar. Paddlers faced rough 25-knot downwind conditions at Saturday’s race, with McGregor commenting that “conditions were pretty wild out there, it was super cool! There were some wide-eyed paddlers.” It was a close race against McGregor (Jeep Team), with Australia’s Cory Hill and Michael Booth, and South Africa’s Jasper Mocké and Barry Lewin (Jeep Team), all battling it out for the title until the final two kilometres where McGregor edged ahead to claim the win in 1h08. Hill finished 2nd in 1h09, followed by Booth in 3rd (1h10), Mocké 4th (1h11m30) and Lewin 5th (1h11m57).

Said McGregor, “The final 2km saw us head into the notorious Le Morne Pass, where it’s a hard slog against strong headwinds to the end. I was able to get the lead going into this point, managing to keep it at three hundred metres all the way to the finish. I’m stoked with my fourth win here in a top-class field. The Mauritius Ocean Classic is one of my favourite surfski events as it is a very family-orientated race. This year, my wife Pippa and son Thorsten were here with me, and it was awesome to have their support!” Said Lewin, “I’m stoked with my 5th place finish in Mauritius. Love racing the top guys in the world, and the challenge of a wild ocean. Can't wait for next year.” Round 2 of the ICF Ocean Racing World Cup, the Nelo Summer Challenge, takes place in Portugal this weekend, 8 - 10 July 2016. The third and final event is happening in Tahiti in September 2016. It’s turning into another remarkable year for canoe king McGregor as he proves an unbeatable force in world surfski. At the end of May, he conquered the world’s toughest surfski ultra marathon, the 53km Maui Jim Molokai Surfski Challenge in Hawaii, for a third time. Just a few days later, he won the world’s oldest surfski event, the Illovo Pirates Umhlanga Pirates Surfski Race, in Durban. Then on 29 June, McGregor claimed victory at the FNB Durban Downwind, which is a 2016 World Surfski Series title event. In-between these surfski races, he also won the K1 title at the 2016 South African Canoe Marathon Championships in Cape Town, a result which has qualified him for the 2016 ICF Canoe Marathon World Championships taking place in Germany later this year.

2016 INVESTEC MAURITIUS OCEAN CLASSIC RESULTS:

1. Hank McGregor (SA) - 1:08:46
2. Cory Hill (AUS) - 1:09:43
3. Michael Booth (AUS) - 1:10:18
4. Jasper Mocké (SA) - 1:11:30
5. Barry Lewin (SA) - 1:11:57

Other Jeep Team Results: BMX Jeep Team’s 16-year-old BMX athlete, Alex Dolman, took on riders much older than himself this weekend, as he competed in the Elite category at Rounds 4, 5 and 6 of the 2016 SA BMX National Age Group Series, which took place at the Rhino and Lion Reserve in Gauteng. Dolman managed to place 8th overall. OCR On Saturday, Jeep Team’s OCR champion, Thomas van Tonder, completed the Wolf Pack Challenge, an extreme, but fun, trail running event in Gauteng where there are no winners or losers. Started by Herman Mulder, the event has been designed for trail runners looking for a hard-core, no frills, back-to-basics physical challenge. The challenge comprised of five ascents of the Magaliesburg to the beacon above the Hartbeespoort Aerial Cableway. This equalled 1600m ascent over 21km.

Have a look at the following platforms to keep up to date with Jeep Team SA:

• Website: www.jeepteam.co.za
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/jeepteamsa
• Twitter: @jeepteamsa Instagram: JeepTeamSA

Editors’ Notes
For more information please contact Bronwen Blunden on 079 060 1905 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

FUN EVENT FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY – DARLING BREW BEER FESTIVAL

The Darling Brewery is hosting its first ever joint Micro Brewery Beer Festival on Saturday 2nd July, 2016 from 10 am - 6 pm in there wonderful home town called Darling on the West Coast.  

Come experience their great range of beers and six guests brands in their state-of-the-art working brewery.

Our guest Breweries:   Flagship Brew Berg River Brewery Garagista Mountain Brewing Co. Riot D'Cider  

FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY OF ALL AGES – KIDDIES PLAY AREA  

Live music all day Local and CT line up

Food stalls All seating undercover and on a first come first serve basis, unless you have pre booked a table of 8

ATM on site

Kiddies play area  

To list only a few of our band line up:  

• Brother Brother
• The Stone Jets
• Glyn Lewis
• Kashmir Live  
• Fun, music, eating, dancing, drinking, tasting, laughing, mingling  

ENTRANCE COSTS: R 75.00 per person, includes a branded DB beer glass  (seating will be on a first come first serve basis)  

or PRE BOOKING R 500.00 for a table of 8 people plus branded DB beer glass (pre Booked) (Tables will be reserved in your name pre event)  

If you would like to pre book so you get a good spot you can do this via telephone at our Brewery with the Manager on 021 286 1099 or email us on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

Don't miss out, come and have some fun with us on Saturday 2nd July 2016   More information can be found on our website:  www.darlingbrew.co.za

This winter school holiday, families are invited to experience endless childlike wonder with their little ones at the 2016 Traditional Children's Magic Festival in Claremont, Cape Town from Wednesday 29 June to Saturday 2 July, 2016. 

It is non-stop thrilling indoor fun as the College of Magic, the Mother City's only magical arts organisation, once again hosts this four day programme of unbelievable magic shows by more than 50 of the city's top magicians, jugglers, clowns, escapologists and more.

 From the must-visit magical Photo Booth for a memorable family photo session and hands-on magical training workshops to exhilarating game stations and amazing performances by special guest artists, this year's Festival is not-to-be-missed! 

A ticket to this affordable family experience includes an enchanting walkabout through the College's century-old building with numerous surprises waiting around the next secret door; a meet-and-greet session with our resident magical bunny; a surprise-filled goodie bag for each visitor and so much more. 

Celebrating 36 years of teaching the art of magic and its allied arts as well as vital life-skills to children and adults in 2016, the College of Magic cannot wait to welcome mini-magic fanatics and their loved ones to its mysterious Victorian manor in Claremont:

"Each year we see hundreds of Cape Town's families flock to the Festival, eager to be entertained and captivated by our large troupe of amazing performers. The 2016 event is bigger, better and even more magical than ever before so escape the blistering cold and join us for this heart-warming, must-attend family event "says David Gore, director of the College of Magic. 

The Festival will be held at the College of Magic, 215 Imam Haron Road in Claremont, with the two-hour show programme running daily at 10:30 am and again at 2:30 pm.

Get your tickets and experience the wonder of magic …

Tickets for the 2016 Traditional Children’s Magic Festival are from R80 and include a free goodie bag. Book yours TODAY at www.collegeofmagic.com/tickets.

For more information about the festival and the College of Magic, please visit www.collegeofmagic.com or call +27(0)21 683 5480.

Joubert and Dannhauser take Black Ops Elite Men’s and Women’s titles

JOHANNESBURG, 05 MAY 2016 – Over 6 500 Jeep Warrior participants faced extreme challenges at Race#3 of the 2016 Jeep Warrior Series, which took place on the 23^rd and 24^th April 2016 at Hobby Park in Krugersdorp.

Athletes who raced in Black Ops Elite (30 obstacles over 16km distance) on Sunday, were in agreement that the course was exceptionally tough, mentally and physically, as only 26 elites of 70 starters finished the race.

The toughest obstacle, ‘Breaking Point’, lived up to its name, and proved to be the game changer in the Elite Men’s race.

Breaking Point demands an extreme test of upper body strength that requires athletes to get through a 15m sequence of ropes, rings, chains and monkey bars without falling. Right at the end of Breaking Point, athletes need to move themselves over a few metres using only their fingertips, in a stretch known as the Cliff Hanger. It’s at this point that many fall.

New obstacles in the elite events included Extreme Monkey (a series of pivoting ladders) and a heavy barrel-carrying obstacle.

In the men’s Black Ops Elite, Race#1 winner Thomas van Tonder (Jeep Team) and Race#2 winner Claude Eksteen (Adventure Obstacle Training) started off convincingly, managing to get in front at the first bottleneck onto the first single track.

Two kilometres into the race, well-known runner, Eksteen, surged ahead through the flat running section, leaving Van Tonder in second, with Bradley Claase (Battlerush) and Michael Joubert (Nevarest Team) chasing a few seconds behind.

These Black Ops Elite leaders stayed in this order for three quarters of the race until Breaking Point.

Eksteen reached Breaking Point first, but was unable to get through on his first attempt. Van Tonder was next to attempt the obstacle, but he too fell prey to this extreme test of upper body strength, falling from the final cliff hanger section.

This gave Michael Joubert the opportunity he needed to surge ahead, getting through Breaking Point on first attempt and through to the finish line to claim the men’s title in 1h37m30, with Claase 2^nd in 1h40m22 and Greg Avierinos (Nevarest Team) 3^rd in 1h42m58. Jeep Team’s Jay Jay Deysel placed 4^th in 1h45m59, with Van Tonder finishing 5^th in 2h00m10.

Said Joubert, “It was a great race. I started a bit slow, trying to keep my pace and my energy. Bradley [Claase] and I raced alongside each other for most of the race and that was great. Breaking Point was really tough this time around after so much up and downhill running on the course. I kept an easy pace from the start, and this luckily gave me the edge, giving me enough energy to get through Breaking Point first time round.”

The Black Ops Elite women compete on exactly the same course as the men elite. In fact, throughout all the Jeep Warrior events men and women compete on all the same courses. It stands to reason why the Jeep vehicle brand loves the Warrior brand so much – it’s all about equality and strength.

Race#2 winner, Hanneke Dannhauser (USN), dominated the women’s elite race, securing the lead at the start and going on to conquer Breaking Point on her first attempt. No small feat. She claimed the women’s crown in 2h00m12, followed by Jeep Team’s Carina Marx in 2^nd (2h08m35) and Dominique D'Oliveira 3^rd in 2h12m02.

Testament to the strength of these warrior women – the top 3 women elites were placed in the Top 10 overall male and female. Dannhauser placed 6^th overall, Marx placed 9^th and D'Oliveira placed 10^th.

Said Dannhauser, “It was a close race. Carina and Dominique were chasing me the whole time. I kept looking over my shoulder and they were right behind me. Awesome that all three of us got through Breaking Point on first attempt and made the top 10 overall! The course was a great challenge, but I definitely didn’t enjoy all the uphills. I loved the Hobby Park venue because of the beautiful setting with lots of trees. It was also really spectator-friendly, which made for a great festive atmosphere.”

Said Van Tonder, “It was a superb day for racing - clear skies and ‪‎game faces all round. The route had a lot of steep hills with spots of very technical running. At the start the course went straight into single track. Luckily I was one of the first to get through to the front of the pack. Only about 2kms into the race did the course flatten out. As expected, it was here that Claude [Eksteen] cranked up the pace, securing the lead.

I think my biggest mistake of the day was not using my legs enough on the rope climb obstacle just before Breaking Point. The ropes took the extra bit of grip-strength that I needed for Breaking Point. I made it all the way to the cliff hanger part at the end, and then my old nemesis got some pay-back and I fell. The results tell the story of how that ended.”

The next Jeep Warrior Race is taking place from 16 – 17 July 2016 in KwaZulu-Natal at the Sugar Rush Estate in Ballito. To find out more and to enter online, go to http://www.warrior.co.za/events/2016-jeep-warrior4/.

To keep up with the action, like Jeep Warrior’s Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/thewarriorrace

Or follow the event on Twitter - https://twitter.com/thewarriorrace.

Use the hashtag #BeBrave to keep up with the conversation. 

JEEP WARRIOR #3- HOBBY PARK KRUGERSDORP – RESULTS

BLACK OPS ELITE (± 16KM TRAIL RUNNING with ± 30 OBSTACLES)

MEN

1. Michael Joubert - 1:37:30
2. Bradley Claase - 1:40:22
3. Greg Avierinos - 1:42:58
4. Jay Jay Deysel - 1:45:59
5. Thomas van Tonder - 2:00:10
6. Hanneke Dannhauser - 2:00:12
7. Marius Smith - 2:02:34
8. Michael Hills - 2:08:17
9. Carina Marx  - 2:08:35
10. Dominique D’Oliveira  - 2:12:02

COMMANDO ELITE (± 10KMS TRAIL RUNNING with ± 22 OBSTACLES)

MEN

1. Anrich Zimmermann – 00:55:42
2. Calen Hastie – 00:58:39
3. Brandon Hulley – 00:58:59

WOMEN

1. Kirsty Rault – 1:16:14
2. Sabrina Daolio – 1:16:15
3. Sam Ryder – 01:18:29

ROOKIE ELITE (± 5KMS TRAIL RUNNING with ± 15 OBSTACLES)

MEN

1. Ricardo Rebelo – 00:36:23
2. Joshua De Jager – 00:36:38
3. Adrian Roussel – 00:38:06

WOMEN

1. Kirsten Avierinos – 00:45:45
2. Chante Habib – 00:49:05
3. Leonie van Zyl – 00:50:16

For all the Saturday event results, go to https://www.saseeding.org/participants/event-results/jeep-warrior-race-3-saturday-2016-04-23

For all the Sunday event results, go to https://www.saseeding.org/participants/event-results/jeep-warrior-race-3-sunday-2016-04-24

Editor’s Notes

All photo credits: ZC Marketing Consulting

ABOUT THE JEEP WARRIOR SERIES

The Jeep Warrior Race is South Africa’s largest obstacle course race that spans eight events across four provinces.

The series burst onto the scene in 2013 and immediately spearheaded the meteoric rise of obstacle racing in South Africa. It quickly grew to up to 9000 participants per event and remains at the forefront of the growth spurt in the new sport of obstacle racing with its larger than life obstacles and innovative courses to challenge South Africans.

What makes Jeep Warrior Race so popular, is that anyone can participate - all you need is a pair of old running shoes and a great sense for adventure.

To find out more, go to the Jeep Warrior website - www.warrior.co.za. To keep up with the action, like Jeep Warrior’s Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/thewarriorrace - or follow the event on Twitter - https://twitter.com/thewarriorrace.