25 years and still going strong
2012 marks the 25th anniversary of the Safari Half Marathon and over the decades so much has changed. We chat to Kevin Lodge of Top Events about their involvement and how this extraordinary event has evolved into one of the highlights on the athletics calendar.
"The event is especially unique — it is set in the most magnificent area and the route is very different to other road races. When we got involved about 9 years ago it was very different to its early beginnings and, as it grew, we were asked to relook the Safari Half Marathon in terms of elevating its stature, reposition and market it and add fresh ideas.
We always try to look at new innovative ideas to grow the event, such as, amongst other things, incentivising people to what we call "Early bird draws" — that type of thing," says Kevin.
"There are a number of important facets of the Safari — as far as I know it is the longest standing continuous sponsorship for an event of this size thanks to Safari Dried Fruit and Nuts. It is also very aspirational — a "must do" for runners. If you haven't done the Safari, you're always thinking about going to do it. If you're a road runner, an excerciser, or a walker you really want to do it, not just because of the distance but because of the ambience, organisation, route and a number of other factors."
Its popularity has grown. In the last 9 years on average 9000-11000 people have taken part each year and although the half marathon has always been the focal sport of the event, over the years other events have been introduced, mostly to break down the barrier to entry.
"Some of the entrants are athletically blessed and can go out there and just run it, but most have to really prepare so at the moment we have a half marathon, a run, a walk and a relay." says Kevin.
The relay was a request from competitors and is great for those who haven't trained enough or been injured hence its increasing popularity - dads run with their sons, brothers with sisters and so on. The innovation of the races, especially the relay, are working well and we now have a good few teams who are taking part. In addition we always ensure that the Pioneer Foods events have a broad spectrum of competitors and like to focus on the front end, a performance component focussing on top class performers such as Elana Meyer and Xolile Yawa - probably the most high profile competitors - and still the current record holders.
"Other aspects that make the Safari Half Marathon the place to be are big lucky draws where prizes have included a car. In the last few years we've also given away two pairs of New Balance shoes for life. So if you're 30 years old and you live to over 50 that's a hundred pairs of shoes! "
A portion of the lucky draw fee was a charity donation. And charity is a big focus at the Safari Half Marathon. Local charities are the beneficiaries and in the last 10 years about R150 000 has been donated to worthy causes - a combination of voluntary contributions from the runners and a top up from the sponsors. What's more, an array of entertainment over the years from live bands to solo artists (even one of the Idols.) ensures the event has a fun and festive ambience.
"It's not just fun and games - there is a serious business investment as well. A dedicated brand team put up hundreds of pieces of collateral while a large investment is made to secure substantial media coverage through another partner, Die Burger creating exceptional brand awareness for all the sponsors."
Innovative four page covers are specially made for the newspaper and 6000 of these bespoke copies are given to participants on the day along with outstanding goodie bags brimful with products from the sponsors. Post event a half page in the main body of Die Burger is packed with photos and is eagerly awaited by competitors.
T-shirts are also sold for an incredible discount (instead of paying R200 or R250 the price is R150). Many participants wear these post event which gives longevity to the branding. Over the last few years there's also been a big sale of footwear and clothing on registration, where big brands sell of their end of range garments for a much reduced price.
The MEC for sport and recreation took part in the 10km race in 2011 and had many positive things to say during his television interview which culminated in lots of exposure in the media.
"An event of this stature requires months of pre-planning including a multitude of tasks, from the logistics to ensuring all the registration is done. These days the ability to check and double-check is so much easier with the advent of technology and an incredible team of people. It also makes it easier to forecast numbers and logistics- there's nothing worse than getting all psyched up for a race and when you get to the race your entry is not there. Preventative measures and triple checks are the order of the day. We have to ensure that we have enough medals. Can you imagine not having enough medals on the day? This is our biggest cost centre and we spend about R125 000 on these."
Technology plays a huge role in the efficacy of the event allowing an extensive communication process including bulk sms'es. Participants receive an email immediately after entering with their race number, registration point etc. This allows the opportunity to correct anything that is not accurate. There is continual communication thanks to email and sms.
While the Safari or SAD as it was known back in the day, was largely a community based event, today its entrants come from far and wide.
"We're very dependent on the investment from our partners and our governing body, Boland Athletics. And although times change, strategic decisions and investments too, but we certainly would like to be around for the next 25!" says Kevin, and cites his mantra - 'you're only as good as your next event.'
