RMB Continues Into Its Second Year As Title Sponsor Of RMB UTCT
RMB Continues Into Its Second Year As Title Sponsor Of RMB UTCT. RMB continues into its second year as title sponsor of the RMB Ultra-Trail Cape Town (RMB UTCT) trail run this year. The event takes place from 24 to 26 November 2023 and the bank is bringing additional trail maintenance and development running initiatives into year two.
RMB UTCT comprises five races along the mountain trails of the Cape Peninsula, from Table Bay in the north to Cape Point in the south. Participants can choose to take on the EX23 (23km), TM35 (35km), PT55 (55km), UT100 (100km), or the UTCT 100-miler (166km).
RMB UTCT race director Stuart McConnachie says entries are selling out fast. “We are a little ahead of where we were this time last year in terms of entries, with the 23-km event already sold out and the 35- and 55-km events very close to their entry limits,” he says. “The longer distances – the 100-km and 100-miler – are where we are hoping to grow the event this year, especially among international entrants.”
McConnachie says the UTCT partnership with RMB has done a lot to boost the profile of the event, and the sport of trail running as a whole. “We have a very strong road running culture in South Africa, but trail running is still relatively new,” he says. “RMB UTCT is a major international event on the trail running calendar, but in SA we want to be in the same sentence as Comrades.”
Partnership is a very strong component of the RMB UTCT approach. The race organisers work very closely with the City of Cape Town, SANParks, various volunteer groups such as the Friends of Table Mountain, and development organisations including KZN-based LIV2Run, which will be fielding four athletes in this year’s race.
“We are excited and grateful for the opportunity for our athletes to compete in a high-level international race,” says LIV2Run head, Lindi Meyer. “This experience allows them the opportunity to develop their talent by competing against the best in the trail running world and inspires them to continue to dream big dreams for themselves.”
As part of the bank’s commitment to unlocking talent, RMB has awarded financial support to LIV2Run through its partnership with the FirstRand Foundation, the group’s social investment vehicle. “We receive an annual grant from the Foundation that covers our costs for RMB UTCT,” says Meyer. “This includes kit, transport, accommodation, race entry fees and a training camp in Lesotho.”
