The aQuellé Midmar Mile in KwaZulu-Natal has been forced to make a last minute decision to go virtual.
This follows announcement by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife that they were turning down the event management plan for this year despite many weeks of attempts to convince senior management that there was no danger of the event becoming a super-spreader of COVID-19.
The Midmar Mile is a swimming race held annually at the Midmar Dam north of Pietermaritzburg. Each year, it draws thousands of competitors, from serious international athletes and Olympic medallists to purely recreational swimmers.
Race Director Wayne Riddin says it was brought to their attention recently that Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife were not allowing events to take place at their facilities, despite government regulations allowing events within restrictions.
“ I personally requested an urgent meeting on several occasions but senior management were not able to make themselves available. All documentation was submitted to Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, with written permissions in place from the necessary authorities. We have been locked in negotiations until yesterday (Tuesday, 2 March) to save the 2021 event.”
Riddin says, “We are devastated that we were unable to convince Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife of not only our intent, but also our capability to run Midmar Mile safely during the pandemic. There is no doubt that the event was going to look very different this year as we made huge alterations to accommodate restrictions in place. The protocols prepared and documented would have been of the highest standard and, as is always the case at Midmar Mile, swimmers’ safety comes first.”
He says, “To have to inform our sponsors, participants and service providers of news of this nature at this late stage is unacceptable and I offer my heartfelt apologies to everyone who had put their confidence in us to stage a world-class event despite the challenges involved.”
The Race Committee has received permission from Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife to host the elite men and women’s races on Sunday, and the 8 Mile and 16 Mile Charity Swim events on Thursday and Friday, next week at Midmar Dam.
Below is the full statement:
