ROAD RUNNING
The author in full flight on Stellenrust Road few climbs . The race is also great from a safety perspective , as you don ’ t need to worry about having to cross traffic ( even though you must still keep an eye out as you run next to traffic ).
The half marathon winds through the streets of Stellenbosch for the first 5km of the race , then heads out along the R44 towards Somerset West . For the next 6km you run along the double lane highway and tackle a few small climbs , but each of these climbs is followed by a nice downhill to recover on .
Just after the 11km mark , you turn left off the R44 , onto the Stellenrust Road , first passing through the shady pine trees of Louw Se Bos as you face a challenging climb , but your reward is about 3km of downhill to make up any time lost . This is also the most beautiful section of the race as you pass a number of wine estates and vineyards , including Stellenrust , Graceland , Klein Dasbosch and Stellenzicht . The Stellenbosch and Helderberg Mountains provide a stunning backdrop to this section .
After heading back towards town along the Blaauwklippen Road , where you pass still more Stellies wine farms and vineyards , you turn right , back onto the R44 , and do the final 4km to the finish at Eikestad Primary School . This part is mostly downhill , so it ’ s time to chase that finishing time .
Satisfied Finisher
I had a good run this year , managing to beat last year ’ s time by 46 seconds as I crossed the line in 1:17:07 , and finishing with a third place in the vet ’ s category . Not the time I was looking for , but at least it was a bit faster than last year , so I ’ m happy with the overall results , and it was a great way to end the racing year . This is definitely a race I would recommend adding to your calendar for next year , and I hope that the organisers are able to increase the number of entries available for next year ’ s event .
The author on the men ’ s veteran podium in the 21km
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