JP Morgan challenge returns

More than 20 000 athletes took part in the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge in 2011. This year, teams from almost 300 companies will be competing.
THE streets of Illovo and surrounding areas will be temporarily closed on 8 March for the annual JP Morgan Corporate Challenge.

The JP Morgan Corprate Race is all about having funThe JP Morgan Corporate Challenge is all about having funTeams of employees from close to 300 companies will take part in the race, which is in its ninth year. Entrants can either choose to walk or run the 5,6km challenge. In 2011, just over 20 000 runners took part.

Walkers and runners will start the race simultaneously but from different points. The routes will merge along the way. Participants are urged to wear their company T-shirts, so that they can be easily identified. Areas to be affected by route closures include around The Wanderers Club in Illovo, Melrose and its neighbours. Road users travelling between 6pm and 8pm are urged to make use of three access streets into Melrose and Birdhaven during temporary road restrictions. These are:

North Street from Oxford Road – avoid Rudd Road;
Greenacres Drive from Edgewood Avenue and Melrose Street; and
Cecil Avenue from Glenhove Road.
The runners’ race will start on Venus Street, close to the corner of Greenacres Drive at 6.30pm. The route will travel down Venus Street away from Wanderers, turn left into Tyrwhitt Avenue, and then right into Melrose Street.

Walking race
For walkers, the race will begin on Wingfield Avenue, on the corner of Greenacres Drive. They will go south, turning left into Greenacres Drive, go around James and Ethel Gray Park, continue into Greenacres Drive and then turn right into Melrose Street.

The two starting groups merge 200m before the 1km mark. On the home stretch, runners walkers will enter The Wanderers Club through the gate in Venus Street, turn right on to the pathway and run down parallel with the first cricket field. They will then turn left at the tree and on to the cricket field.

The first runner home is expected about 6.47pm and the last about 8pm.

Parking areas on the day will be at:

Media, event management, event officials and VIPs parking: The Wanderers Club, on space next to Corlett Drive;
General parking: James and Ethel Gray Park and RH Henderson Park, on the corners of Venus Street;
Tyrwhitt Avenue and Melrose Street;
The Wanderers rugby fields;
The Wanderers golf course; and
Some neighbouring school fields.
All temporary road restrictions have been approved by the metro police, and roads will be back to normal directly after the race. If residents need help during the race, they must contact the ER24 national call centre on 084 124 and ER24 will manage their emergency.

For any queries relating to the temporary road restrictions, send an email to roadinfo@matchworld.co.za, or call the hotline on 083 522 8490 from 7 March at 8am to 9 March at 5pm. For more information about the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge, please visit the JP Morgan website.