COEGA 10KM ROAD RACE IN PE 2012

WE ARE WAITING IN THE MORNING SUNRISE FOR THE START OF THE COEGA 10KM



COEGA 10KM ROAD RACE 14TH APRIL 2012


ACHILLES TEAM IN THE MORNING SUNLIGHT: GOOD TO SEE BILLY EMSLIE BACK.


COEGA 10KM ROAD RACE IN PE

Andre Mulder
Svenje Duffield
Bob Stedman
Andrew Jonas
Graham Channon
Tremaine Wesson
Gerald Bouwer
Gerald Hoxley
Billy Emslie
Brian James
Achilles PE
Claire from Plettenbergbay

Andre; Svenje and I drive out to the Coega area. We leave just before 6am. It is a short drive there and we arrive early, register and then wait for the start. We see a number of Achilleans warming up.



SVENJE GETS READY FOR HER FIRST RACE


GRAHAM' RON; BOB AND TREMAINE WARMING UP


ANDRE PINS ON HIS NUMBERS

We line up at the start of the event. I had hoped that we would be running near to the Port Area but this is a purely industrial area and almost completely flat. There is a huge infrastructure here and this area is ready for some amazing industrial boom. The roads are wide and there is easy access to the main N2 road.


ANDRE AND SVENJE ENJOYING THE COEGA 10KM

We wait for a while and the announcer man makes a complete nuisance of himself as he prattles on and on with his microphone. Finally the gun goes off. The three of us stay together. We run at a nice easy pace for the first few km;s and then Tremaine passes us.


TREMAINE IS TRAINING FOR THE KNYSNA MARATHON


SVENJE DUFFIELD RUNS HER FIRST EVENT

It is sad to see how many squashed dead snakes and even a few dead tortoises are on the tar road. This just shows us the impact that Industry has on the environment. After a few kays, Andre picks up the pace and we battle to keep up with him. I am able to take a few pics of ourselves and the Achilles runners around us. Tremaine is trying to get back into shape as he is training for a 42km Knysna as well as for 2 oceans next year. A couple of chaps try to persuade me to go back. To take part in a marathon and an ultra marathon you have to be young or you have to be motivated. I am neither.


GERALD BOUWER RUNNING STRONGLY THIS MORNING.


BRIAN JAMES LOOKS WELL HERE

We press on and pass the 5km mark. The first half went quickly and now we start to count the Km's down. We pass a Biofuel factory twice on the run; See below for details of this. As we run in a westerly direction back to the start finish area we feel the warmth of the morning sun on our backs. It is only a few minutes after this that we start to feel the real heat of the morning. Sweat is pouring down my face and into my eyes.



ANDRE CHARGES ON AND I FIND IT DIFFICULT TO STAY WITH HIM


Svenje is a little behind us and we slow down to allow her to catch us. When someone announces that we can make a sub 60min run then Andre and I decide to run on. It is only two kays to go and we run at a reasonably fast pace. As we run the final 200 meters a lady next to us breathes a sigh of relief. She tells us that this is a ladies first situation.



CLAIR FROM PLETTENBERG BAY IS DELIGHTED TO COMPLETE THIS EVENT UNDER 60 MINUTES


ANDREW RUNS A 42MINUTE 10KM THIS MORNING.

Claire is from Plettenberg bay and tells us that she trains regularly. She waits for her friend. Svenje comes in a minute later and we walk to the car. Andrew has done a personal best for some time at 42 minutes. Bob did around 52 minutes and we must have come in just under 60 minutes.

We do not wait. I have to go to work and Svenje and Andre have no particular reason to stay.

The factory that we passed on the run is a Biomass Fuel Pellets factory. This factory produces Fuel Pellets for export to the European markets.
Biomass is an environmentally friendly alternative source of energy used to fire power stations and also used in private homes in Europe. A total of 285 plants around the world produce a combined four million tons of biomass pellets a year.


The Coega plant uses forest residue, sawmill waste and alien vegetation from the Eastern Cape and part of the Southern Cape as well as some of the scrap wood from the government's Working for Water programme.
This plant is one of 285 such plants globally and is an investment of R70 million which started in 2007. The factory produces a huge amount of airpolution. Fortunately for us we are the Windy City and this polution is probably cleaned on a regular basis.