Ryan Sandes - This will soon be the new home of the domain ...

The club prides itself on having already won a Comrades gold medal, despite the fact that its focus is on recreational and
not professional runners. Ann Chester won gold for the club at Comrades in 1998 and in 2005, Heleen Joubert finished
as the 13th lady overall.
ROAD WAlKING
The club has one of the biggest walking sections with nearly 80 walkers following specialised training programmes.
Assistance or training is given to them by other experienced walkers and outside coaches. The club has some
exceptional walkers such as Gerard van den Raad, Annatjie Greyvenstein and Elsa Meyer. All three have excelled and
achieved national colours. These three Grand Masters will participate in the Sydney 2009 World Masters Games
held in October. Elsa is also the South African 20km champion and Annatjie the 10km champ. Their fellow club
mate, Belinda Skinner, won the SA 30km Championships recently held in Oudtshoorn.
RACES AND TIME TRIAlS
The club hosts two big road races during the year. The Irene 10/21.1km is run in November and has become
one of the largest events of its kind. The 5 000 entries at the 2006 event propelled the race to within the top
ten largest races in the country. The race has been sponsored by Liqui Fruit for the past 13 years. A new route
was introduced last year, making it an even better race within a tranquil environment.
The second race, the Irene Lantern Race, is a 10km event in February and is not only the largest night race,
but also one of the largest 10km races in the country. The average number of entries for large night races
in the country is about 1 000 while the Lantern Race attracts more than 4 000 competitors. The beauty
of the race is that lanterns light the entire route. A third race, a 15km event, is in the pipeline and IRRC
promises that this race will be run in a true farm atmosphere. In 2006, Irene presented its first cross
country event and the event is now a fixture on the cross country event calendar.
Time trials are held on a Tuesday evening on the grounds of the ARC. Starting time is 17:30 from
September to April and 17:15 from May to August. Training is allowed on the premises from 13:00
during weekdays with no restrictions over weekends. Time trials are well attended with more than
100 members participating on some evenings.
// It’s our team spirit and visibility at
races that stand out. People can see we
are having fun. //
SOCIAl SCENE
The club believes there should be a healthy balance between participation in sport and the
enjoyment thereof - both for members and their families - as this is a good way to stimulate
growth and sustainability in sport. The club’s social scene includes:
Away weekends to attend races countrywide.
Away weekends twice a year with emphasis placed on family involvement rather than
running.
Club tents and refreshments are provided at most races. The club has a catering
trolley with coffee, tea and eats. Gerard van den Raad, without fail, gets the trolley
to all the races, while Koos Loots, a social member, makes sure everyone is well
hydrated and fed after a race and that runner’s tog bags are exactly where they
were left.
Monthly socials are held at the club with presentations by sponsors, medical and
nutritional experts and gear suppliers.
Pre- and post-Comrades functions.
Spring Race/Hat Run.
A special social evening is held every first Tuesday of the month. These evenings
are very popular and between 200 and 300 people attend. It is also an
opportunity for medical suppliers, coaches and suppliers of shoes and clothing
to show off the latest in technology. These functions serve as the perfect
opportunity for members to build team spirit. Sometimes the men even get
the chance to show off their baking skills by baking pancakes for fellow
club mates.
A key element in the success of IRRC is communication. Every Monday
morning, each member receives a newsletter with photos of the weekend
races and the latest club news. In this way, members get to share in each
other’s joy and sometimes even sorrow, says Wynand.
And as it goes in all clubs, IRRC has a group of runners who make the
club unique. “We call them the Doringboom gang; they love to sit
under a specific tree after a time trial and sometimes they enjoy the
drinks more than the run,” says Wynand.
A formal function known as the Chairman’s Ball is held once a year;
this year it was held at the Irene Country Club. “We dress up, drink
and dance. It’s a chance to show each other we own clothes other
than our running shoes, shorts and vests. Sometimes we don’t
even recognise each other.” Another more informal function is
held at the end of the year and includes a prize giving ceremony
where athletes are not only rewarded for outstanding
performances, but also for anything remarkable or unique
they have done in running circles. Comrades runners get to
celebrate their journey at a post-Comrades party held at the
clubhouse just after the race.
37
ANNERIEN VAN SCHAlKWyK
STUART BOWIE, JOHAN DE KlERK,
MARINA VAN DEVENTER AND
PIETER OlIVIER.