Sport News South Africa

Avis embraces Comrades 2012 contestants

The Avis Unogwaja team prepare for an event that brings to life the unique history of the Comrades by following in the footsteps of race legend, Phil Masterton-Smith nicknamed "Unogwaja".
Avis embraces Comrades 2012 contestants

The gruelling journey will start on 24 May in Cape Town, where the Avis Unogwaja team will begin with their road cycle of 1 677km from Cape Town to Pietermaritzburg and then complete the 89km Comrades Ultra Marathon on day 11.

The Avis Unogwaja Challenge was started in remembrance of Phil Masterton-Smith who was tragically killed in action by a mortar bomb in World War II. In 1933 Masterton-Smith couldn't afford the train fare from Cape Town to run the Comrades Marathon, so he cycled from Cape Town to Pietermaritzburg in ten days and on the 11th day he ran the Comrades Marathon and finished in the 10th position.

With much inspiration, courage and enthusiasm, four young men decided to continue the epic journey 78 years later with every pedal and step towards the finish line being in support of charity. Avis has come on board as the headline sponsor and is supplying the organisers of the event with a vehicle for the year as well as three support vehicles during the challenge.

Let's do Biz