The teams for the forthcoming Continental #Run2Stop challenge have been announced! And when I say that the player with the squarest jaw in Springbok history is on my team, I am in fact referring to one Pierre Spies. This guy:

Which makes this a good time for me to introduce the rest of the (spoiler alert) eventual winners of the #Run2Stop Challenge: Team Force (apt, considering the above footage).

TEAM FORCE:

–       Pierre Spies (enforcer/driver)

–       Jimmy Tau (iPod wrangler/driver)

–       Yolandi du Toit (pro cyclist)

–       Nick Bester (successful human endurance experiment and runner)

–       Simon Hartley (yours truly)

There are also two runners and two cyclists who were chosen to join the teams after a grueling day at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria last week. The additions to Team Force are:

–       Neil Quayle (runner)

–       Greg Black (cyclist)

Welcome, friends.

Let’s go through some of those names on that list:

Jimmy Tau is a retired Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana soccer player who cut his teeth at the 2006 AFCON championship in Egypt.

Here’s Jimmy at work:

Nick Bester is regarded by Bruce Fordyce as one of his toughest Comrades Marathon competitors in the history of his decorated career. Enjoy this nice little tribute to Nick by Fordyce:

In addition to his 1991 Comrades win, he was an Ironman champion, Dusi gold medallist and mountain bike champion. It should come as no surprise to those who know Nick to learn that he was a parabat soldier.

You might recognise Nick by these guys.

I have it on good authority that he massages them with linseed oil every morning, before sunrise.

Yolandi du Toit is a professional cyclist and mud connaisseur who makes a habit of casually winning marathon-grade cycling races. Here she is having swept aside competition in the Nissan Trailseeker Diamond Rush on 6 July this year.

In conclusion, it’s me, a parabat soldier, a bitching football player, a champion cyclist, and two civilians who will die for their cause.

And this guy:

My team

Best of luck to the “other guys”, Team Edge, made up of the following plucky chaps.  

Cute, man.

If you want to join me at the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ in Brazil, then you need to make sure you enter the virtual race, HERE, and then keep an eye on proceedings from 4 to 8 November.

See you there, friends. See you there.