As its name suggests, the Cape Peninsula Marathon sees runners covering a large part of the scenic Cape Peninsula. The 42.2km marathon starts in Green Point (just next to the Cape Town Stadium) at 05h15, while the 21.1km half marathon starts at the Bergvliet Sports Club in Children’s Way, Bergvliet at 07h00. Both routes lead to the finishing point in Simon’s Town.

Online entries are open for the event until Friday 10 February 2012 and you can enter online at www.topevents.co.za. Entry forms are also available at the following Sportsmans Warehouse stores – Rondebosch, Tygervalley, Canal Walk and Somerset Mall. There are a limited number of long sleeve cotton t-shirts available if you’d like to add the shirt to your collection.

The official charity for the event is The Beth Uriel Home – House of Light. The organisation was established in 1987 to help marginalized youths between the ages of 15 and 22 years. By learning life skills through a comprehensive development programme, these young adults can have a chance at a better future. For more information on the charity, visit www.bethuriel.co.za.

The 21.1km half marathon takes runners on a scenic route through the Constantia region and surrounding areas. There’s also a 10km walk/run which is held in honour of the legendary Spartan Harriers club member Philip Rabinowitz who passed away at the age of 104 in February 2008. In addition, there’s also a 5km fun run.

The start/finish point for the race is the Cape Academy for Mathematics, Science and Technology which you’ll find on the corner of Firgrove and Spaanschemacht Roads in Constantia.

The 21.1km half marathon starts at 06h00, the 10km run at 06h30, the 10km walk at 07h00, the 10km juniors run/walk at 07h00 and the 5km fun run at 07h15.

You can enter online at www.entrytime.com up until 27 January 2012.

The 10km run starts at the V&A Waterfront and heads through Mouille Point and Green Point, into Sea Point along the promenade, before returning to the finish at the V&A Waterfront (just behind the Table Bay Hotel). The run takes place at 18h30, so you can enjoy a refreshing sundowner afterwards if you’re keen.

Online entries are open at http://www.topevents.co.za until 16 December 2011. Medals will be awarded to the first 2,500 finishers. The vibe of the run is festive, so wear something festive or your club colours. Take care and enjoy!

You can enter the 2011 Community Chest Twilight Run as an individual or in of team of four to six people. As always, participants are encouraged to dress up in crazy costumes for the race. Six prizes to the value of R10,000 will be sponsored by Lewis Stores and trophies from Good Hope FM will be up for grabs.

The Twilight Team Run raises much needed funds for the Community Chest, an organisation which supports over 400 social development agencies. Beneficiaries include children and families in need of help, the homeless, elderly, physically and mentally challenged and people living with HIV/AIDS.

You can enter the 2011 Twilight Team Run online at http://www.twilightrun.co.za/. Individual entries for the race cost R50 each, while team entries cost R180.

The race distance is 4,5km and the venue for the start and finish is the Grand Parade. Remember to get there early as judging for the best dressed team starts at 17h00, while the race starts at 19h00.

Hospitality sites (4m x 3m) are also available on a first come first serve basis for R1,500 each, with numbers strictly limited to 100 sites. If you’d like to have a braai at your site, then be sure to take note that only gas braais will be permitted.

Go and have fun while supporting a good cause. This is one of Cape Town’s favourite events in December. Enjoy!

The 4.5km fun walk starts at 09h00 at the Academy of Maths, Science and Technology, located on the corner of Spaanschemat River Road and Firgrove Way in Tokai. With a wide variety of food stalls, as well as pony rides, face painting, a dog agility display and a jumping castle, the event is a fun day out for the whole family.

The Wiggle Waggle Walkathon raises thousands of rands to help less-fortunate animals being cared for by the Cape of Good Hope (CoGH) SPCA. In addition, the MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet fundraising programme will once again give R10 to the CoGH SPCA for every dog participating in the walkathon. Last year, R17,510 was raised for the CoGH SPCA through the MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet program alone.

Note that if you have an older dog, a dog with joint problems or a short-nose breed, then the Royal Canin team recommends a check-up at the vet before deciding on taking part in the Wiggle Waggle Walkathon. Also, large breed dogs of 18 months or younger should keep to a shorter distance, to avoid pressure on growth plates and joint development. Puppies under four months old are not allowed to take part, so they’ll have to wait for next year.

Entries cost R30 per person, R20 per dog and there’s no charge for children in prams. You can pre-register online at http://www.spca-ct.co.za/event.asp. Alternatively, you can pick up an entry form from the SPCA in Grassy Park or at the SPCA Vet Shop at 6 Gabriel Road, Plumstead.

Remember, you don’t have to have a dog to join in the fun – everyone is welcome at the Wiggle Waggle Walkathon. Go ahead support this good cause. Enjoy!

Both races start and finish at the Western Province Cricket Club Sports Centre, which is located just off Keurboom Road in Rondebosch. The Landmarks Half Marathon was voted as one of the top four Runner’s World races in 2008 and the route includes the following landmarks: Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital, Rondebosch Common, Mostert’s Mill, University of Cape Town, Rhodes Memorial, Newlands Forest, Josephine Mill, Newlands Brewery, Newlands Rugby Stadium and Sahara Park Newlands.

In addition to taking part in the fun of the 6km run/walk, participants can also support the ‘Running with Teddies’ campaign. Bring a soft toy, a colouring-in book, crayons or blow-bubbles with you on the day. These items will be donated to the Red Cross Children’s Hospital, the event’s official charity. Even if you’re not taking part, you can still pop down to the Western Province Cricket Club Sports Centre and drop off something.

The Landmarks Half Marathon starts at 06h00 and the 6km fun run starts at 06h45. Online entries are currently being taken at http://lm.topevents.co.za/ until 23 October 2011, while last minute entries will be taken at the Western Province Cricket Club on the day of the race, from 05h00 onwards. For more information on the half marathon or the fun run, give Top Events a shout on 021 511 7130.

Enjoy the run. It’s a good one!

The iThemba Walkathon starts and finishes at the Green Point Park and the route runs through Mouille Point and Sea Point, along the promenade. Participants can choose from two distances – 5km and 10km. There’ll be loads of prizes for the best dressed on the day, as well as live entertainment from La Vuvuzela, a kiddies play area, a Toddler Trot and food stalls.

This year, dogs will be welcome on the 5km walk, so bring along your four legged furry friends. There’ll be refreshment stations along the route to keep them well hydrated.

Parking will be available on Somerset Road, Green Point, as well as the Green Point Traffic Department, Hamilton’s Rugby Club and Green Point Cricket Club.

The iThemba Walkathon helps to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer, as well as for the Bosom Buddies breast cancer support group (www.bosombuddies.org.za) and Look Good… Feel Better (www.lgfb.co.za).

Entries cost R65 for adults and R45 for children under the age of 12. If you enter by 19 October 2011, you’ll qualify for a T-shirt and goodie bag, which you can collect on registration at the Green Point Park from Wednesday 26 October 2011 to Saturday 29 October 2011. To enter online, visit www.ithembawalkathon.co.za. Alternatively, pick up an entry form at Curves or Skechers outlets.

Have fun, get some exercise and support a good cause. All good reasons to take part. Go for it!

The entry process for the 2012 Two Oceans Marathon will be split into three stages:

• 5 October 2011: Online entries open for the 56km ultra marathon and fun runs
• 9 November 2011: Entry forms will be available from selected sports shops and running clubs; Online entries also open for the 21.1km half marathon
• 18 January 2012: Entries open for the trail runs

You can visit www.twooceansmarathon.org.za to enter online. The closing date is 7 March 2012 or when the maximum number of entrants is reached (whichever comes first).

The Two Oceans Marathon traditionally takes place on Easter Weekend, with the fun runs on Good Friday and the main event on the Saturday. Runners can choose from a number of options, with something for everyone. The schedule for the 2012 Two Oceans Marathon looks like this:

Friday 6 April 2012:

• 56m Nappy Dash (3 years old and younger)
• 300m Toddlers Trot (4 to 6 years old)
• 2.5km and 5km fun run/walk
• International Friendship Run
• Trail Runs

Saturday 7 April 2012:

• 21.1km Two Oceans Half Marathon
• 56km Two Oceans Ultra Marathon

There are slight changes to the 21.1km half marathon route which should take care of some of the congestion experienced at the start of the race. Other than that, it’s business as usual for the scenic race.

The event’s charity of choice is the Bobs for Good Foundation, a local non-profit organisation, founded by former Springbok captain, Bob Skinstad and his friend, Ron Rutland. The foundation helps underprivileged learners by giving them a new pair of South African made leather school shoes. Surveys by the Department of Education have shown that over 7 million children in South Africa do not have school shoes. That’s more than half of the school student population.

The foundation has also helped to create a school shoe with reflective strips, which aims to reduce the number of children injured walking to and from school.

Visit www.bobsforgoodfoundation.org if you’d like more information on the Bobs for Good Foundation. There’s also a ‘buy 1 give 1’ store on the website. See if you can help and make a difference. It’s a good cause.

The 2011 Gun Run starts in Fritz Sonnenberg Road (next to the Cape Town Stadium) and finishes at the Green Point Park. Participants can choose from three distances:

• 21.1km half-marathon – starts at 07h00, passes through Mouille Point, the V&A Waterfront, the Sea Point Promenade, Clifton and Camps Bay
• 10km run/walk – starts at 07h30, passes through the V&A Waterfront and Sea Point Promenade
• 5km run/walk – starts at 08h30, passes through the Green Point Park and Sea Point Promenade

Entries are currently open for the event. You can enter online at http://gr.topevents.co.za/ or download an entry form at http://www.topevents.co.za/index.php?sectionID=135. Note that entries close on Friday 23 September 2011.

The official charity for the 2011 Gun Run is the Bobs for Good Foundation, a local non-profit organisation founded by former Springbok captain Bob Skinstad and his friend Ron Rutland. The foundation helps underprivileged learners by giving them a new pair of South African made leather school shoes. Surveys by the Department of Education have shown that over 7 million children in South Africa do not have school shoes. That’s more than half of the school student population.

The foundation has also helped to create a school shoe with reflective strips, which aims to reduce the number of children who are injured walking to and from school.

Visit http://www.bobsforgoodfoundation.org/ if you’d like more information on the Bobs for Good Foundation. There’s also a ‘buy 1 give 1’ store on the website. See if you can help and make a difference. It’s a good cause.

Take care and have fun if you’re taking part in the race. And remember to get those entries in soon, so that you don’t miss out. Good luck!

The scenic 42.2km route starts in Adderley Street at 06h30 and heads out to Rondebosch before looping back to the Green Point Urban Park outside the Cape Town Stadium, via Salt River, the Foreshore and the Sea Point promenade – showcasing Table Mountain, the ocean and other attractions.

In addition to the 42.2km marathon, there’s also a 10km race and a 4.2km mini marathon. The 10km race starts at 06h30 and has a two hour cut-off time, making it ideal for walkers as well. The 4.2km mini marathon is aimed at teenage athletes and starts at 07h45.

The day before (24 September 2011 – Heritage Day) also holds some fun options for runners. There’ll be a 5km fun run at the Green Point Urban Park starting at 16h30, as well as a 5 x 4.2km relay race in the park starting at 14h30.

The Green Point Urban Park

You can enter online for the Cape Town Marathon at http://entries.entelectactive.co.za/CapeTownMarathon/Capturedetails/Registration.aspx. Alternatively pick up an entry form at the WPA office or from most sports stores in and around Cape Town. Please note that numbers are limited, so enter as soon as possible. The closing date for entries is 12 September 2011.

With such a scenic route, it’s no surprise that the Cape Town Marathon has become one of the highlights on the Western Cape running calendar. I’m looking forward to it. Good luck and enjoy!

UPDATE: The organisers of the Cape Town Marathon 2011, which takes place on Sunday 25 September, have extended the pre-entry deadline by a week to noon on Monday 19 September for the 42.2km and 10km races. The deadline extension gives more runners the opportunity to visit www.wpa.org.za and submit their entries online. Manual entries will be taken on Friday September 23 between 10h00 and 18h00 at the Tea House situated at the South Gate (opposite Virgin Active Gym) of the new Green Point Urban Park on Bill Peter’s Drive, Green Point.