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Pretoria – 12th February 2014 -  The successful partnerships of educational institutions, corporates and non-profit organisations can go a long way to not only uplift and develop the youth, but result in extensive benefits for  communities and the nation at large.

This was the focus of the 2014 Bestmed TuksRace launch ahead of the event which takes place on Saturday, 15th February, with an expected field of over 13,000 participants in running, walking and wheelchair races.

Bestmed’s relationship with the University of Pretoria spans five decades, and todate includes the sponsorship of the TuksAthletics stable  - the imminent Tuks road race, TuksAthletics, the First Aid and Sports Trauma unit at TuksSport, the Medical Science Unit at the High Performance Centre (HPC), and AmaTuks Soccer Club.

Dries la Grange, CEO of Bestmed commented, “In 2011, a new opportunity presented itself in the form of a sponsorship for the Bestmed TuksRace, one of the foremost events on the South African road running calendar.  Through this partnership, the event has soared to greater heights in terms of growth, innovation and athletic participation and this year is no exception.”

The main beneficiary of the event is the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), and in celebration of Bestmed’s 50th birthday, 50 celebrities will give up their morning to support the event and raise money for this worthwhile cause.
“With 50 years of service under our belt,” said La Grange, “Bestmed is proud to contribute towards the  upliftment of  communities in which we conduct our business, reinforcing  our vision of promoting healthy societies and family wellness.  Encouraging a healthy lifestyle has become paramount in our country where lifestyle diseases are placing a huge burden on healthcare resources.”

La Grange added that last year’s race was the third  of Bestmed’s three year commitment to support this prestigious sporting event and that they have renewed the contract for another three years.  

Besides the 21.1 km, 10kmand 5km races and the 10km wheelchair race,the Bestmed TuksRace introduced a 1km leg for families, as part of the programme of the day to encourage greater family and community participation. 
 
In addition to the purse of attractive money for winners and a range of prizes, this year’s race ups the bar with anincentive. Athletes who setnew records in the 21.1km and the  10km Open Women’s and Open Men’s running categories stand a chance of winning their share of R20,000 in prize money.

TuksRoadRunning Club Chairperson, Professor Vollie Spies, commented at the launch, “The relationship between Bestmed and Tuks Marathon Club has developed over a period of 5 years into a meaningful and significant one, which speaks of co-operation, a shared passion for sport and enormous respect of each other’s expectations, desires and preferred outcomes.

“The expectation is that we can host more runners this year than any previous year, as the students of the University of Pretoria will be well representative, but also families and members of the broader community. The vision of Bestmed and the Vice Chancellor of UP, Professor Cheryl De La Rey, is that this race is not only for the elite and other good athletes, but also for the casual runner and families as a whole.”

According to Spies, there are many secondary sponsors involved that will also contribute to the success of this race, namely Land Rover, Mercedes, Mediscor, Iemas, Running Inn, Run A Way Sport, UPPSWA, HPC, 4D Health, Pretoria News and several sport houses (donating sport clothes and shoes). 

Marc Mundell, Sports Administrator of University Sports SA and commentator at the Bestmed TuksRace, commented,  “Athletes value the opportunity to compete in respectable, high profile events, as they gain a measurement tool for assessing their annual performance and improvements. It also reflects the use of time trials by certain athletes to gauge their performance improvements within a season and to also compare performances to previous seasons.”

Mundell added, “An event of this nature attracts top athletes, and by virtue, top performances. From a development point of view, up and coming athletes are drawn to events where their ‘mentors’ are competing, with the possible opportunity for interaction.

“Development is not only synonymous with top performance, but also with getting people active and participating. The knock-on effect of a high profile event in the community is about transforming the attitudes of the sedentary, and inspiring them to become active and pursuant of a healthier lifestyle.”
Some of the high profile running and walking athletes participating in the Saturday race include Gladwin Mzazi, Rutendo Nyhora, MyretteFilmalter, Altus Badenhorst, LuwisMasunda, Lebogang Shange, Corli Swart and Wayne Snyman.

Ends.