PAARLBERG HALF MARATHON BACK WITH A BANG
THE VEENWOUDEN Paarlberg Half Marathon, run since 1935, is back this weekend.
Due to the floods a few years ago, the route along Paarl Rock was washed away and many runners did not enjoy the altered route.
This year, however, it’s back to the original circular route. The race starts at Courtrai Primary School, through the Main Road and on to Jan Phillips Mountain Road past the Afrikaans Language Monument and back to the finish at Courtrai school.
The route is breathtakingly beautiful and explores the natural and cultural beauty Paarl is known for.
It takes place on Saturday and starts at 7.30am. There’s also a 6.5km fun run for those who prefer shorter distances or who want to participate with their families.
It is the most beautiful race in the Boland and the second oldest in South Africa.
The first winner in 1935 was Laurie du Preez with a time of 71:34. Willie Olivier won the event six times and was the first athlete to finish in under an hour at 58:55. This record was held for 24 years and broken by Jan Tau in 1990 in 56:50.
This event attracted top athletes from the Western Cape and South Africa and was changed from an 18.4km circular route to a 21.1km in line with international standards.
It declined in popularity over the past few years but is back with a bang, with a host of new sponsors and partners including Independent Media, Drakenstein municipality, Paarl/Wellington Tourism, Sekunjalo, SA Magic Tours, Peninsula Beverages and Smile 90.4FM. Registration is at 5.30 on race morning. For more details, see www. itheko.com |