Remember when you were a kid and you used to run around outside with your friends running, climbing, jumping and just plain having fun? Well the Hollard Jozi Urban Run Adventure, taking place on the 27th May 2017 at Marks Park, is the ultimate adult version of that.  Urban is the new trail and the Hollard JURA turns Johannesburg into one big obstacle course for you, your friends and family to enjoy. If that’s not enough to get you all laced up and ready to go, there are over R50 000 worth of prizes up for grabs for both the fresh-off-the-couch potatoes to the more athletically inclined. 

For those feeling competitive and looking to add to their “new running shoes” fund. We have a total of R24 000 waiting at the finish for the top three men and women for all three distances – from full 18km adventure to 6km fun run.   

For those running with their family, BFF or boyfriend, feel free to dress to express. The Best Dressed Family, Best Dressed Ladies or Best Dressed Mixed Team stand a chance to win up to R3500 each with the total of R19 500 just one crazy wig away. 

For those who want to break free from the ties; suits and pencil skirts and do some good while they’re at it. The Best Dressed Corporate Team stands a chance to win R5000, a commemorative Trophy and R5 000 to the charity of their choice.  If you feel, like we do, that sweat just adds that extra glow. Then strike a pose, upload your selfie to the Hollard JURA Facebook page and stand a chance to win your slice of R6 000 for the Best Selfie of the Day.  

For those who want to document their Hollard JURA experience on, whether it’s Chariots of Fire style or a even a little more Forest Gump why not enter it into the Best Runners Video category. Just Upload it to our Facebook page and you could stand a chance to win R7 500 and a brand spanking new GOPRO - Hero 5. What are you waiting for - Run Forest, Run!  For those who just want to enter for the experience…

Think awesome, yet optional obstacles from water slides to reed tunnels, hay bales to rock climbs and much more. Choose a distance from 6km fun run, to 12km or 18km adventure and celebrate with a cold one and some festivity at the Hollard Adventure Weekend Race Day Village at Marks Park. The Hollard Adventure Weekend Race Day Village features a mini obstacle course for kiddies, an SAB beer garden and “Gig Rig”, Joburg’s top food stalls and much more. Follow all the latest news and announcements via social media by following us on Facebook. 

Entries are open. Entry fees are R249 ex VAT for the 6km Fun Run, R299 ex VAT for the 12km Adventure and R330 for the 18km Adventure ex VAT. Runners, fitness fanatics, and adventurous spirits unite! Visit www.joziadventure.co.za for entries and more information. 

It is often said that sport has the capability to bring together a nation and change lives. The Change a Life Academy was started in 2008 when Martin Dreyer won his seventh Dusi Canoe Marathon alongside Thulani Mbanjwa. After four intense and vigorous months of training together, Mbanjwa became the first black person to ever win the race.

“Thulani lived in a very rural setting in the Valley of a Thousand Hills and did not have much of a support structure at the time,” says Dreyer. “His friends used to run barefoot with us when we trained twice a day.”

The following year my Change a Life Academy was started. “My goal was to try get ten of Thulani’s friends into the top 50 at the Dusi. I again, rigorously trained for four months down in the Valley of 1000 Hills, but this time I was able to provide them with a blueprint on how to win as well as additional support through supplements, clothing, and equipment.” Amazingly, all ten of the CAL paddlers finished in the top 356 out of 1 500 paddlers.

Three years ago, Dreyer started a mountain bike team and, earlier this year, he created a running team, which has subsequently been sponsored by Merchants. Merchants provides the team with everything they need to be successful, and has also sponsored a vehicle so that the team can travel to their required destinations.

Dreyer wanted to challenge the Merchants CAL running team and opted to focus on the gnarly Jeep Warrior Races, a series of eight obstacle course trail running races across the country. “Straight runs are too easy and we needed to up the ante in difficulty, to make it a proper challenge. It’s a tough goal for an athlete to complete the Black Ops Elite category, which is a 15-kilometre trail run race with 30 obstacles,” says Dreyer. He adds that the race organisers initially advised him to enter the athletes in the Commando division. “They said it normally takes a regular athlete a year before they are able to complete a Black Ops Elite race.

When none of the athletes completed the first two Black Ops Elite Warrior Races held in Krugersdorp and Ballito, Dreyer started questioning whether he had set the bar too high for the athletes. I organised with “Claude Eksteen, a seasoned OCR athlete and 2015 series winner, for my runners to train at his Obstacle Course Training facility once a week. With advice from an expert, their technique improved tremendously, along with their strength. As a result, three of my athletes finished the next Black Ops Elite Warrior Race in Pretoria in an incredible 9th, 10th, and 15th position overall.”

The athletes have since gained tremendous confidence and at the Warrior race at Meerendal Wine Estate in Cape Town, two of them amazingly cracked a top five overall, 4th and 5th and also 12th place.  “There is so much raw talent in the Valley of 1000 Hills. It just goes to show what providing a support structure, hard training and mentorship can achieve,” says Dreyer.

Kwanda Mhlophe, who came 4th at that Warrior Race in Cape Town, has been selected as the team captain. “My secret is to push my limits and test my mental power. I enjoy the unique obstacles, which are out of my comfort zone, and test my physical and mental capabilities. I'd recommend this event to others because it tests every person’s capabilities and boosts one’s self-esteem when you overcome an obstacle.” The Change a Life Academy supported Mhlophe in his sports management diploma, which he completed last year at Varsity College, to prepare him to take on a stronger leadership role within the Academy.

Hlelani Radebe came 5th in the same race. “I've grown to love this sport and it helps me persevere. I enjoy the challenge of the obstacles I come across. I would recommend it to other rural people because it is still new from where we come from and it’s not a typical choice of sport in the Valley of a Thousand Hills.”

Dreyer says it’s not always about winning, but rather participation for everyone. “There is so much discipline and hard work involved in this sport and it has really taught the athletes amazing life skills. They train twice a day and they are beginning to realise that what you put in, is what you get out.” He adds that the athletes receive food parcels to take home to their families, which gives them a sense of purpose and enables them to provide for their families. “This, in turn, gets the families to support that athlete to train and ensure they are eating healthy to maintain their training regime and races.”

“Merchants coming into the academy and supporting the running team has just given it wings. Now there is a team that travels around the country doing this national Warrior series,” says Dreyer. A group of 133 Merchants employees also participated in the Rookie division of the Cape Town Warrior Race. “It was humbling to see how the Merchants teams worked together, stuck it out and got to the finish line. It’s awesome that the company is providing this platform for its employees to be more active and participate in these races. It’s also great that they are aligning themselves through not only sponsoring the team but participating in the race as well,” he says.

“People and customers first is a message that you hear quite often, yet it’s a principle by which we live within Merchants. Our aim is to create meaningful and sustainable futures for our people and the communities that we serve. Our people have embraced the Change a Life Academy sponsorship, by actively participating in these races and improving their lifestyles,” says Jennifer Algie, People Director at Merchants. 187 Merchants employees will be taking part in the upcoming National series final Warrior Race taking place in Pretoria on the 19th of November.

MPUMALANGA (NELSPRUIT) 28 SEPTEMBER 2016 – This past weekend saw approximately two thousand OCR warriors descend upon Nelspruit to race in front of approximately 3300 spectators at Jeep Warrior round 6 event, powered by Reebok, held at Nelspruit’s new OCR venue, Kwanyoni Lodge, just outside the city centre.

The Nelspruit terrain was perfect in sorting the men from the boys and took no prisoners. Hailed as immensely tough and technical, the Warriors that finished, really earned their Jeep Warrior stripes. “This course was the perfect preparation for the OCR World Champs,”

says Fritz Pienaar, Race Director of The Warrior Company, “we were lucky with the natural elements. We had a world-class terrain, which made it tough and technical but this is similar to what they can expect at the OCR World Championship event in October.”

Jeep Team's OCR Elite athletes, Thomas van Tonder and JJ Deysel, did not disappoint in the toughest event of the day, the Black Ops Elite race, as they crowded the podium taking 1st and 3rd respectively.

This is van Tonder’s 3rd win out of the six Jeep Warrior races so far in the Jeep Warrior series of 8 races. Both van Tonder and Deysel have also been selected for the OCR World Championships taking place in Canada this October.

Nelspriut Black Ops Elite course presented athletes with 33 demanding obstacles over an 18km trail course. The course culminated in a final set of obstacles, which were exceptionally complex, arduous and tough, putting the athlete's agility and strength to the ultimate test. With a starting line of 63 male and female athletes, only 24 made it to the finish line.

After a gruelling battle for over 90 minutes, Jeep Team Elites Black Ops athlete, van Tonder, lived up to his nickname ‘#BEASTMODE” and clinched 1st place in a time of 01h33. Van Tonder exhibited a sterling performance showing his grit and determination when, at one stage, he was lying 5 minutes behind the first place contender. Digging deep, he found his "extra gear" and took first place in what can only be described as a world class effort.

Said van Tonder: "I am very excited to be able to take home a win in the Black Ops Elite this weekend. The course was challenging and tough, with those last obstacles really placing me under immense pressure but I just had to keep up my momentum and I'm happy that it all paid off. I had to remain focused and steadfast to my belief that whatever you do you must give it your all and walk away knowing that you have given it absolutely everything you got." 

As race winner, van Tonder gets to drive off in a Jeep Renegade along with R10 000 prize money. He gets to keep the Renegade until the next event in Meerendal Wine Estate on the 22nd and 23rd of October.

Ice Model and OCR athlete, and just back from injury, the impressive Trevor Lagerwey, took a surprise 2nd place in a time of 01h41 with Jeep Team's Jay Jay Deysel seemingly coming out of nowhere with a herculean effort, taking 3rd place in 01h43.

The women's Elite Black Ops race, which is over the same course as the men’s Elite Black Ops, proved to be extremely demanding with only two out of the 7 starters completing the race.

South Africa’s second seeded OCR female athlete, Trish Bahlmann, took 1st place in a time of 02h01, followed by South Africa’s top seeded OCR female athlete, Hanneke Dannhauser, in 2nd place in a time of 02h04.

The OCR World Championship is being held in Toronto, Canada, from 12-16 October. South Africa has a strong 6-athlete team going. They are Jeep Team's Carina Marx, Thomas van Tonder and Jay Jay Deysel. Joining them are Bradley Claasen, Hanneke Dannhauser and Sabrina Daolio. Approximately 116 South African OCR athletes have qualified to compete in the OCR World Champs.

The Jeep team will be competing in Jeep Warrior Race 7, which takes place from 22-23 October 2016, at Meerendal Wine Estate, Western Cape Results:

BLACK OPS ELITE - MEN

1. THOMAS VAN TONDER - 01:33:54
2. TREVOR LAGERWEY - 01:41:48
3. JAY JAY DEYSEL - 01:43:40
4. EGOR OUSSOV - 01:47:39
5. BRADLEY CLAASE - 01:48:24

BLACK OPS ELITE - WOMEN

1. TRISH BAHLMANN - 02:01:46
2. HANNEKE DANNHAUSER - 02:04:30  

COMMANDO ELITE - MEN

1. DANIEL GREEFF - 00:59:23
2. LEON SCHOLTZ - 01:02:36
3. ANGUS WATSON - 01:03:13
4. ADAM HABIB - 01:07:43
5. ARMAND VAN DER MERWE - 01:08:12  

COMMANDO ELITE - WOMEN

1. DANIELLA LUSHINGTON - 01:08:04
2. TALITHA SCHOLTZ - 01:08:20
3. NIKKI CAROMBA - 01:13:35
4. CINDY WILLS - 01:17:32
5. NATASHA DELEY - 01:19:43  

##Ends 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.

Jeep #Warrior7 Meerendal, Western Cape 22 Oct -23 Oct

Jeep #Warrior8 Pretoria - Legend MX 19 Nov – 20 Nov  

Issued by Hot Salsa Media on behalf of Jeep Team SA. For more information, interviews or high resolution images, feel free to contact Viv Quann: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

13 SEPTEMBER 2016, JOHANNESBURG – It is less than a month until the world’s top OCR athletes fight it out at the third OCR World Championships from 14-16 October 2016 at the Blue Mountain Resort, Toronto in Ontario, Canada.

Jeep Team athletes, Thomas van Tonder and Carina Marx, have both qualified and have been in full Warrior mode ahead of the World Championship.

Both Van Tonder and Marx were on fire at the recent Battlerush OCR fundraiser, a gruelling OCR Training event designed to push athletes through tough individual obstacles that may be seen at the World Champs; and both won the Savage Beast race at The Beast OCR event this past weekend.

To have qualified for OCR World Champs, South Africans need to have achieved a Jeep Warrior Top 20 finish in an Elite category in their gender, or an Impi Challenge Top 20 finish in the Elite division in their gender.

Van Tonder, over in the past 12 months, has achieved three 1st places, six 2nd places, and one 5th place. Marx, over the same period, has achieved four 2nd places, four 3rd places and two 5th places. Both athletes are well qualified for the Championships but won’t know how they truly compare against the rest of the world until they are neck deep in mud in Ontario. 

The OCR athletes selected for Team OCR South Africa to go to World Champs is Thomas van Tonder, Bradley Claase, Michael Joubert and Claude Eksteen (not going) for Men; and Hanneke Dannhauser, Carina Marx and Trish Bahlmann (not going) for Women.

Joining van Tonder and Marx in Canada, is fellow Jeep OCR athlete, JJ Deysel, who was not selected for the SA OCR Team, but will compete in other races over the Championship weekend.

According to the event organisers, the OCR World Championships will put the world’s top athletes through the ultimate physical and mental challenge across a series of obstacles over a distance of approximately 13km and will marry natural elements with some of the most challenging obstacles in OCR history.

While the course will share some of the same terrain and obstacles our team will be used to, a significant portion of the course and obstacles will be new to athletes and unveiled only on race weekend.

It is the first truly-independent global Championship for the burgeoning sport of Obstacle Course Racing. It is a singular event created to unify, promote, and increase participation in the sport of OCR, while celebrating its strong and highly-versatile athletes.

Said Marx, “My OCR path started with my first Rookie (Jeep Warrior Race) two and a half years ago. It was love at first “mud”. I admired the Black Ops Elite ladies for their skills and toughness, even though they looked fairly soft on the outside. It was a dream and a goal of mine to get to that level. Two years later, I joined Jeep Team and selected for Team OCR South Africa, qualifying to take part at the OCR World Champs.”

Said van Tonder: “The Beast 6 was one of the best courses of The Beast Series so far. In this event, I got to run the 5km route with #StandWithStan amputee after our race, an incredibly humbling experience and a reminder of how blessed we are to be able to do what we are doing. This takes my BEAST winning streak to all 6 events. I’m so amped for the World Champs next month.”              

THE BEAST 6 RESULTS: SAVAGE BEAST

WOMEN

• 1ST - Carina Marx
• 2ND - Sabrina Daolio
• 3RD - Michelle Meyer  

MEN

• 1ST - Thomas van Tonder
• 2ND - Greg Avierinos
• 3RD - Clive Edwards  

BATTLERUSH OBSTACLE RESULTS:

3-km Scramble Course winners: Thomas Van Tonder, Carina Marx

Flying Monkey winners: Thomas Van Tonder, Michelle Meyer

Warped Wall winners: Thomas Van Tonder, Michelle Meyer

Spear Throw winners: Bradley Claase (new BR record 17.05m)

Grip Line winners: Thomas Van Tonder, Michelle Meyer

Devil's Ladder winners: Marius Smit and Thomas Van Tonder  

In other Jeep Team news:

Paddling – McGregor the Machine (sourced from Gameplan Media)

South African Jeep Team paddling icon, Hank McGregor, wants another K1 and potentially a K2 title at the ICF Canoe Marathon Masters World Championships taking place in Brandenberg, Germany from 16 to 18 September.

McGregor believes the German facility may well suit him better than the course in Gyor, Hungary where he won gold in the K1 event and silver in the K2 with doubles partner, Jasper Mocké.

“After all the years of racing international marathon championships, the German course is still one that I haven’t raced on,” the Euro Steel/Kayak Centre ace mentioned. “From what I can see, the course is far more open than last year’s.

“Also it isn’t on a river, which will suit me better, and if the wind picks up then the race might become a little like a surfski race, which again should benefit me.

“At about 210 metres, the portage is about three times as long as last year’s, so if you are not a strong runner then you might battle.”

“My partner, Jasper Mocké, is also in good form at the moment and came off a good win at the Breede Canoe Marathon recently, so if we can just make sure we remain fit and healthy then I think we should be in with a good shout in the K2 race as well.

“Having narrowly missed out on gold in the K2 last year in the end sprint, we have got more than enough motivation to rectify that this year and we are going out there to do our best and give it a proper shot,” added McGregor.

The world’s best marathon paddlers will gather to attempt to dethrone McGregor – who has claimed the global K1 crown a remarkable four times in the past five years – and with the majority of the challenge likely to come from Europe, McGregor understands the threat that the rest of the field poses to his crown.

“I can’t really single out any specific challenger but the Portuguese, Spanish and Hungarians always provide a really stern test.

“Andy Birkett will also be there and he has been going really well with his World Cup win recently, so the field is going to be incredibly strong and I will need to make sure I am in good shape and healthy so I can be in with a chance,” explained a confident McGregor. Source: With thanks to Gameplan Media 

Other paddling news:

Jeep Team Paddle Veteran and former South African Team Captain, Barry Lewin, recently led a group of experienced paddlers on an exploratory trip along the KwaZulu-Natal coastline from Cape Vidal to St Lucia.

Lewin is working closely with iSimangaliso Wetland Park to create an annual paddling event that will raise funds and awareness for the Wetland Conservation area from Cape Vidal to St Lucia.

Said Lewin, “We had such a great weekend away in St Lucia. I have been working with the Park to set up a race there in the future and am blown away by what we have right on our doorstep, Africa is amazing. We paddled from Cape Vidal to St Lucia on a nice NE with some great people.”

MTB

Jeep Team’s MTB athlete, Thinus Redelinghuys placed 8th in the ultra-marathon at Ashburton National MTB Series #6, which took place at Dulstroom at Dunkeld Country Estate on 3rd September.

The National MTB Series consists of seven events across 6 provinces over an eight month period.

The final event in the series takes place Rooiberg on 15th October 2016 at the Rooberg Golf Club.

#JeepTeamSA 

Editors’ Notes
Issued on behalf of Jeep Team SA by Hot Salsa Media This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For Jeep Team SA: Max Cluer:

Boilerplate:
Team Jeep was founded in 2001 with its first calendar year of racing in 2002. 13 years later the team continues to identify and produce world class athletes across its selected sporting disciplines. Its core ethos and focus has never changed and has always been based on helping the athletes achieve their goals and dreams by providing them with the right building blocks and teaching them the business of sport. 

Jeep Warrior Race South Africa Top 20 finish in your age group Top 20 finish in your gender in the Elite division

Impi Challenge South Africa Top 20 finish in your gender in the Elite division Top 10 finish in your gender in the Elite division

PRETORIA EAST, HAZELDEAN VALLEY, 23nd August 2016 – This past weekend, the 20th and 21st of August, saw Round 5 of the Jeep Warrior Series kick off on a cold fresh morning, fast becoming a hot and gruelling race for the approximately 4 000 athletes competing at Hazeldean Valley’s Cowhouse Market venue in Pretoria East. Jeep Team’s fit-and-fast Black Ops Elite athletes, Thomas van Tonder, Carina Marx, JJ Deysel and Joshua Masundi, knew it was going to be brutal when eyeing up the usual suspects on the start line. All of South Africa’s top OCR athletes were present, looking buff and tough. It was going to be war to the end.

The Black Ops Elite course presented 30 obstacles over a 20km trail, each challenging either your mental or physical limits in the longest Warrior Black Ops Elite race to date. The terrain was fairly flat giving hardened runners the edge between obstacles. After fighting it out for over 90 minutes, Jeep Team OCR star and Jeep Warrior series leader, Thomas van Tonder, succumbed to second place in a time of 01h40, a few minutes behind eventual race winner, 39-year-old Claude Eksteen (Ex-World Triathlete), who returned to the series and claimed top spot in 01h37. Louis Smit came 3rd in 01h43. Jeep Team’s JJ Deysel and Joshua Masudi took seventh and eleventh places respectively.

The Jeep Warrior brand radiates quality and equality as you are judged only on your mettle to compete and finish. All genders race together over the same course, giving a fresh take on women helping men, and vice versa, over and out of mud pits and the like. Jeep Team’s top female OCR athlete, Corina Marx, put in an impressive fight against the top women OCR athletes in the country. Marx eventually finished 3rd in 02h33, climbing two positions from Jeep Warrior Race 4 in Ballito, where she placed fifth thanks to a hamstring injury. The highly efficient Hanneke Dannhauser took top spot in 02h19 with super-strong Trish Bahlmann in second in a time of 02h27.

Jeep Warrior’s Carina Marx, said “It was truly a runner's race. Our stamina and endurance were really pushed to the limits. This is an incredible series and I’m proud to compete alongside top athletes like Hanneke (Dannhauser) and Trish (Bahlmann). Dannhauser was an absolute machine today. No one was going to catch her.” Marx is currently lying 4th in the overall series standings behind Bahlmann, Dannhauser and D’Oliveira. Coming into the Jeep Team fold around 6 months ago with lots of potential but short on experience and relevant fitness levels, Marx has shown incredible improvements, and will go much further once she accepts the warrior within, and lets it out, taking no prisoners.

The Jeep Team will be competing in the next Jeep Warrior Race 6, which takes place from 24 - 25 September 2016 at Kwanyoni Lodge in Nelspruit.

RESULTS

BLACK OPS ELITE - MEN

1. Claude Eksteen - 01:37:18
2. Thomas van Tonder - 01:40:18
3. Louis Smit - 01:43:18
4. Trevor Lagerwey - 01:47:02
5. Bradley Claase - 01:50:13

BLACK OPS ELITE - WOMEN

1. HANNEKE DANNHAUSER - 02:19:25
2. TRISH BAHLMANN - 02:27:44
3. CARINA MARX - 02:33:15
4. MICHELLE MEYER - 02:46:33

COMMANDO ELITE - MEN

1. ANRICH ZIMMERMANN - 00:52:18
2. BRANDON HULLEY - 00:54:20
3. GARETH MARQUISS - 00:57:13
4. DARREN MARQUISS - 01:00:53
5. ADAM REID - 01:07:44

COMMANDO ELITE - WOMEN

1. SAMANTHA GILCHRIST - 01:20:36
2. NIKKI CAROMBA - 01:22:44
3. CINDY WILLS - 01:29:33
4. MARISKA UYS - 01:41:48
5. ANNEMARIE SCHOLTZ - 01:49:33

ROOKIE ELITE - MEN

1. TORIN TORRENTE - 00:43:20
2. ZANDER LOUW - 00:43:40
3. JOSHUA DE JAGER - 00:44:15

ROOKIE ELITES - WOMEN

• LAUREN DAWS - 00:50:42
• KIRSTY VAN DER MERWE - 01:03:43
• DANIELA WILKIE-WATSON - 01:08:40

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.

• 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

Issued by Hot Salsa Media on behalf of Jeep Team SA.
For more information, interviews or high resolution images, feel free to contact Viv Quann: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

15 August 2016, PRETORIA – This weekend, get to Pretoria East for Round 5 of South Africa’s biggest obstacle course race, the Jeep Warrior Series, which is taking place at the historic Hazeldean Valley Farm in Pretoria East from 20-21^st August 2016. This will be the first year that the historic Pretoria East Farm is hosting a Jeep Warrior OCR. Hazeldean Valley was once the home of South Africa’s biggest Ayrshire herd and today, the old farm buildings - dating back to the 1940s - provide the perfect farmyard atmosphere to host the spectator-friendly Jeep Warrior Race on the banks of the Pienaars River, East of Pretoria with bushveld scenery ideal for the gruelling challenge.

Says Jonathan Hart, Advendurance event organiser and Jeep Warrior Series Course Designer, “Warriors taking part in Race 5 in Pretoria East this weekend will be able to enjoy the start of the summer season. The team has been working flat out over the last few weeks to build an exhilarating course, which will be unveiled to athletes on race day. Hazeldean Valley is an inspiring venue for spectators and athletes, offering a farmyard atmosphere on the doorstep of the city. There’s lots of bushveld and the historic venue is on the banks of the Pienaars River, offering a diverse obstacle course for competitors. Bring on the weekend!” Participants can look forward to a day of climbing, crawling, hanging and jumping as they attempt to tackle some of the course favourites, designed to challenge the Black Ops athletes. Competition in the pro-level Black Ops Elite race is fierce heading into Race 5.

Black Ops Elite presents the toughest of courses, set over 15 - 20 km with 30 obstacles, and matching world OCR standards. Currently, Jeep Team’s Thomas van Tonder tops the men’s Black Ops Elite Leaderboard, with 14 873 points, after winning Race 1, placing 2^nd in Race 2, finishing 5^th in Race 3 and 1^st in race 4. With 13 844 points, Michael Joubert is 2^nd Male, followed by Greg Avierinos with 13 714 points. Says Van Tonder, “Looking forward to a packed elite field this weekend with a whole lot of glory and the keys to the Renegade back up for grabs. I am looking to put in a strong showing on Sunday in order to keep my lead on the Warrior series standings, and build up the conference for OCR World Championship 9 weeks from now. I am expecting a flat and very high intensity race and an exciting new venue.” In the Women’s Black Ops Elite standings, Trish Bahlmann heads the leaderboard with 13 651 points. Bahlmann won Race 1, finished 3^rd in Race 2, placed 4^th in Race 3 and 2^nd in Race4. With 12 220 points, Dominique D’Oliveira is 2^nd overall, followed by Hanneke Dannhauser in 3^rd with 12 000 points. Jeep Team’s Carina Marx is in 4^th with 9 958 points.

An alternative to the Black Ops course is Warrior Commando, covering 10 – 14km with 15 obstacles. This course is the ideal team-building experience for couples, friends and work colleagues. Warrior Rookie is the perfect introduction to OCR, offering 15 fun obstacles over 5-8 km. Not only will you be coming to the greatest, coolest race in Africa, but you will also be able to get up close and personal with the latest and greatest from the best vehicle brand on the planet, Jeep. Join the Jeep Team at the exhibition area to see, feel and experience Freedom. Reebok, the official series’ partner, are international pioneers of professional OCR gear, having designed the world’s first OCR specific shoes – the All-Terrain Series. The new official Jeep Warrior gear will be on sale at Hazeldean Valley, as well as online and in store.

There’s still time to enter Jeep Warrior Hazeldean. To do so, head online to 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.

Use the hashtag #BeBrave to join the Jeep Warrior social media conversation. Jeep Warrior Series Race 5 Hazeldean details: Venue: The Cowhouse Market, Ridge Rd & Oukraal Boulevard, Hazeldean, Pretoria, 7530 Date: 20-21 August 2016 Directions: https://goo.gl/maps/QHMNnvJf8T72 GPS Coordinates: 25°46’25.8″S 28°24’00.4″E Participants: 7000 Cash Facilities: No. Please bring cash along with you. Parking: 3000 cars Entries: Enter online at www.warrior.co.za Late Entries: Late entries will only be available for Sunday on the day. Spectator entry fee: R30 (kids under 10 years of age don’t pay an entrance fee)

Race Day Registration: Register at least 1.5 hrs before the start of your batch.

EDITOR’S NOTES A BRIEF HISTORY OF OCR
Today’s obstacle course racing has evolved from military-style bootcamp training courses that were used to prepare recruits for combat. One of the world’s oldest competitive OCR events is the notorious Tough Guy Challenge, which takes place every year in Staffordshire, England. Started in 1987, the race claims to be “the world's most demanding one-day survival ordeal”. Held in in the middle of the British winter, Tough Guy’s 15km course is designed to resemble a World War One battleground, with 25 obstacles featuring steep hill climbs and cliffs, freezing water pools and muddy ditches, fire pits, rope bridges, nets and barbed wire fences. In 2010, OCR truly became an accessible sport to everyone, not just the super fit. This was in part due to the launch of the Spartan and Tough Mudder obstacle races in the USA that catered to a range of fitness abilities. Both races soon gained mass support and sponsorship, with over a million Americans registering for and participating in OCR in 2011. In 2014, the first OCR World Championships took place in Ohio USA. It was won by the UK's Jonathan Albon, who went on to successfully defend his crown in 2015.

ABOUT THE JEEP WARRIOR SERIES
The Jeep Warrior Race is South Africa’s oldest and 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.

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

Issued by: Hot Salsa Media on behalf of Jeep Team.
For more information, contact Viv Quann at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

KZN, MPUMALANGA AND WESTERN CAPE RACES STILL TO COME

JOHANNESBURG, 13 APRIL 2016 – It’s time to unleash the inner warrior. If you can imagine speeding down giant water slides, swinging from ropes and bars, belly-crawling through mud, running through nature, climbing up and over walls and getting covered head to toe in mud, then hurry and book your spot at the Jeep Warrior Obstacle Course Race, 23-24 April 2016, at Hobby Park, Krugersdorp, Gauteng. 

Says Jonathan Hart, Jeep Warrior Series Course Designer, “Obstacle course racing is really rewarding for all sorts of people with varying fitness levels because each race combines a little of everything. Even for first timers, there’ll be obstacles they’re good at, which make them feel great, and there’ll be some that they’re not so good at because they’ve never done anything like that before, which spurs them on to come back for more, trying harder the next time.”

Says Shane Howarth, Head of Sponsorship at Jeep South Africa, “What truly makes obstacle course racing unique compared to all other sports is the comradery generated at every event. This is a festive sport celebrating life. Every event is full of opportunities to lend a hand or get a boost up yourself. Once you’re talked someone into jumping off a 6m high tower into water, the effect can be eye opening – you’ll see that most people are there for the fun and camaraderie. It’s at that point you realise you’ve found your fitness tribe.”

Every Jeep Warrior Race takes place in a stunning outdoor arena and includes three distances that increase in difficulty and intensity. All courses feature a combination or trail running, climbing, jumping, swinging, crawling, carrying heavy stuff and wading through mud, but the exact obstacles change at every event, adding to the sense of surprise and unexpected adventure that keeps people coming back for more and more.

Says Hart, “For the next Jeep Warrior race in Krugersdorp at the end of April, we’ve reworked the Hobby Park venue to make it more spectator friendly and to basically give everyone a fun day out in the sun. Hobby Park is great because it’s not too flat and it’s not ridiculously hilly. It’s basically all sorts of seasons in one – with a few climbs, some rocks and some mud. Warriors definitely won’t be bored!”

For the super fit competing in the toughest event in the Jeep Warrior Series - Black Ops Elite (15km with 30 obstacles) - the notorious Breaking Point obstacle is making a fierce comeback at Hobby Park. A brand-new obstacle called Extreme Monkey will also be unveiled. Here, elites will face an extreme upper body strength and grip test as they navigate the obstacle’s pivoting ladders.

Says Jeep Warrior Black Ops Elite athlete, Thomas van Tonder (Jeep Team), “I love Jeep Warrior Races because at every event there are always surprises. My nemesis obstacle is Cliff Hanger because it’s beaten me once or twice before so I’m always weary. My favourite obstacles are the ones involving slides and water jumps - these bring back the fun and remind me why I love OCR. Breaking Point is a very satisfying obstacle, but it can be heart-breaking as well.”

Warrior Rookie is the ideal course for OCR beginners. The 6.2km course at Hobby Park will feature 15 simple and fun obstacles. This includes Mud Monster (a series of mud pools and clay banks that competitors wade through and then climb up and slide down), Slippery Dip (a giant water slide) and the fear-of-heights-conquering Tower Jump (6m jump into a pool). If you can’t complete an obstacle – just do some burpees.

Thomas van Tonder’s number one tip for Warrior first timers, “Do your first race as a team and wear clothes and shoes that you don’t feel sorry for – you’re going to get really dirty.”

Ready to up your game? Try Warrior Commando – a more challenging 10km course with 22 obstacles. Commando is labelled as the ultimate team-building experience for couples, friends and work colleagues. This course features more upper body challenges, the most difficult being rope hanging.

Warrior Black Ops is the toughest of the challenges, presenting a gruelling 15km course with 30 extreme obstacles. This is a test pf physical, mental and emotional endurance. Obstacles have been designed to break athletes, with only the super fit crossing the finish line. 

Entries to Jeep #Warrior3 – Hobby Park, Krugersdorp are limited and close on 19 April 2016, so to avoid disappointment, enter online now at 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.

Use the hashtag #BeBrave to join the Jeep Warrior social media conversation.

THE JEEP #WARRIOR3 HOBBY PARK – KRUGERSDORP

Date: 23 - 24 April 2016

*Registration closing date: 19 April 2016 or when entries sell out

Venue: Hobby Park, c/o Lud Hersch Drive & Robert Broom Drive, Johannesburg, 1756

Directions: https://www.google.co.za/maps/place/HOBBY+PARK/@-26.088672,27.819512,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x2d0093b055e3315d

GPS Coordinates:   26°05’19.4″S 27°49’14.9″E

Participants: 6000

ATMs: none – bring cash

Parking: 4000 cars

Late Entries: To be advised

Spectator entry fee: R30 (kids under 3 years of age don’t pay an entrance fee)

Race Day Registration: Register at least 1 hour before the start of your batch.

To enter, go to www.warrior.co.za.

EDITOR’S NOTES

A BRIEF HISTORY OF OCR

Today’s obstacle course racing has evolved from military-style bootcamp training courses that were used to prepare recruits for combat. One of the world’s oldest competitive OCR events is the notorious Tough Guy Challenge, which takes place every year in Staffordshire, England. Started in 1987, the race claims to be “the world's most demanding one-day survival ordeal”.

Held in in the middle of the British winter, Tough Guy’s 15km course is designed to resemble a World War One battleground, with 25 obstacles featuring steep hill climbs and cliffs, freezing water pools and muddy ditches, fire pits, rope bridges, nets and barbed wire fences. 

In 2010, OCR truly became an accessible sport to everyone, not just the super fit. This was in part due to the launch of the Spartan and Tough Mudder obstacle races in the USA that catered to a range of fitness abilities. Both races soon gained mass support and sponsorship, with over a million Americans registering for and participating in OCR in 2011.

In 2014, the first OCR World Championships took place in Ohio USA. It was won by the UK's Jonathan Albon, who went on to successfully defend his crown in 2015. 

ABOUT THE JEEP WARRIOR SERIES

The Jeep Warrior Race is South Africa’s oldest and 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.