Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 64, November 2014 | Page 42

M

ED

IA

Ma parkrun SA

parkrun SA

PA
RT
N

ER

Join the friendly, free 8am Saturday
morning 5km in your area!
us
Parkrun foc

Market Fitness

Root 44 parkrun, Stellenbosch
Twitter: @Root44parkrun
Facebook: Root44parkrun – Stellenbosch
Set in the heart of the Stellenbosch winelands, our
route loops its way through the beautiful vineyards
of Audacia. The first half is flat and then begins the
climb! Everyone loves to hate that hill, but the view
of the patchwork of vineyards and Table Mountain is
worth it! You’re then greeted with a gentle descent
back to the vineyards, and at the bottom, another
smiling marshal points in the direction of our cheeky
mini ‘Polly Shortts,’ a short, steep hill, and then you
are on your way home with one flat kilometre to go.
At the finish you’re met with enthusiastic timekeepers,
who just want to be high-fived.
Root 44 is a trail run mostly on gravel roads, and
although this is a challenging route, it’s definitely
not boring! It’s also used as a time trial and finishing
event for the athletes from Elana Meyer’s Endurocad
training camps, and regularly seeing SA’s rising stars
in action is such a boost for junior parkrunners.
The parkrun is set alongside the Root 44 Market,
and many of the traders start early on a Saturday to
accommodate parkrunners, with delicious breakfasts
and specially-priced coffee on offer, making it the
perfect place to relax with the family afterwards.
Come join us and see how much fun it is to run
through a vineyard!
- Torrin Theron, Event Director

42

Along The River

TATS
parkrun SA S

Facebook: Upingtonparkrun

Number of parkruns: 39
Number of events: 2064
Number of active runners: 76 738
Number of individual runs: 408 882
Total distance covered:
2 044 110km
Total run time: 30 years, 163 days,
23 hours, 53 minutes and 57 seconds
*Last updated 10 October

Upington parkrun

I can now admit that when I approached Bruce Fordyce
about starting a parkrun in Upington, I harbored doubts
about whether the event would establish itself. After all,
the local running club had tried and failed on numerous
occasions to establish a weekly time trial. But nearly 30
weeks since our first run, I think it’s safe to say that the
Upington parkrun has been embraced by the community
and is here to stay! Mostly due to a spectacular route
that winds its way through the vineyards and along the
banks of the river. And it’s free!
I like to think that parkrun allows diverse groups
to realise their unique lifestyle or fitness goals. The
8th SA Infantry Battalion, based in Upington, is well
represented each Saturday as the soldiers use it to
maintain their fitness. Recently, the local swimming
squad has been using the parkrun for a bit of crosstraining, and members of the running club seem to
enjoy finishing their Saturday morning long runs by
joining, too. Also, walkers enjoy the relaxed atmosphere
and revel in the fact that they often make up the
majority of the field.
And with the colder mornings behind us, we’re looking
forward to even bigger weekly fields. So, if you’re ever
passing through Upington, please join us – we’d love to
meet you. Just remember, it gets hot here, so we start
at 7am. – Russ Neugent

ISSUE 64 NOVEMBER 2014 / www.modernathlete.co.za

SIGN UP!

Go to www.parkrun.co.za to
find your nearest parkrun and to
register for free. Just a simple
contact form and voila, you’re
good to go! OR follow parkrun on
Facebook: parkrunSouthAfrica
or Twitter: @parkrunSA

parkrun PARTNER!

Modern Athlete is proud to be an
official partner of parkrun SA. Each
month in the magazine, you’ll get all
the parkrun news, info and updates,
plus all registered parkrun members
will receive a FREE Modern Athlete
digi-mag each month!

Images: courtesy Gill Fordyce and Torrin Theron

us
Parkrun foc