Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 117, April 2019 | Page 53

The Milkwood
Run Story
The brave little race that knew it could…
The Western Cape boasts many exceptional road
running events, and the ABAX Investments
Milkwood Run is high on this list thanks to
its scenic route, but there is another reason
this race deserves extra mention. As part of its
commitment to the #runclean campaign, Modern
Athlete pays tribute to an event that is leading the
way in greening initiatives. – BY KIM STEPHENS
T
he ABAX Investments Milkwood Half Marathon, 10km & 5km event is staged
in March at the Soetwater Resort behind Kommetjie, on the Cape Peninsula.
The scenic 21.1km route winds its way along the coast from Kommetjie
to Scarborough, with magnificent views of the coastline to distract runners from
a couple of challenging climbs. The capacity field of 2000 participants can also
choose between 10km and 5km fun run options, each offering a unique mix of salty
sea air and coastal forest beauty along with the support of the local community.
Pioneering Decision
There is another reason that makes this event stand out. In 2017, race director
Richard Sutton along with organising club, Harfield Harriers and title sponsor ABAX
Investments, decided to pioneer the idea of a truly green event, and went about
making a few celebrated changes.
They communicated penalties for littering past designated drop zones, replaced the
medal with an indigenous sapling tree, and removed the widely-accepted plastic
water sachet from all of the water stations. They provide paper cups at the aid
stations, but encourage all runners to make use of hand-held bottles, collapsible
cups, water bottle belts or hydration packs, which can be refilled quickly and
efficiently at one of the self-serve water refill stations set up along the route.
Running Water has developed a tank and tap refill system to make this possible,
and this system has been upscaled in recent months in order to facilitate four self-
serve water stations on the 2019 Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon route. Looking
ahead, Running Water is hoping to further upscale the system for a broader roll-
out across more events.
Self-carry hydration has further benefits, such as drinking to thirst throughout a
race, rather than over-hydrating at water stations which, by ASA rules, must be
placed every 3 to 5km along a route. Elite runners or those racing for a podium
positions are often handed their own hydration in marked bottles, so it is the bulk
of any running field that is predominantly reliant on plastic water sachets.
Cleaning Up
The picturesque setting of the Milkwood event is not far from the Cape Point
Nature Reserve. It has been well-documented that even the best clean-up teams
cannot remove every sachet from along a course. Wind blows the sachets down
embankments, into bushes and adjacent properties, and into storm water drains,
long before teams can get them all. The small plastic corners that are routinely
bitten off the sachets become a permanent and unpleasant reality after the last of
the clean-up crew have filled their bags. The sachets themselves are single-use
plastic, so at best they become landfill.
The ABAX Investments Milkwood Run is a stunning showpiece of the
possibility of alternative hydration solutions for road running events.
As more runners realise that carrying their own water enables
a convenient and ethical alternative, the call for more refill
stations at road running events increases. And it all began
with one brave, beautiful little race called the Milkwood Run,
that knew it could.
For more info on Running Water’s mobile
refill system, contact Richard Sutton at
[e-mail].
Think before you throw – #runclean!
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