Great excitement among all for Peace run

“I’M A fast runner – I can run 100m in 6 seconds”, Tambo Moukwa proudly proclaimed.

It was the turn of the 31-year-old Zimbabwe-born farm worker to lead Farmer Angus’s morning “circle” at Spier and he used the occasion to inform his co-workers about his talent.

One thing led to another and in less than three weeks Moukwa and a number of his co-workers will take part in their first race – the Sanlam 10km Peace Run in Cape Town.

Run in conjunction with the Cape Town Marathon, the Sanlam Peace 10km Run/Walk, which takes place along the Sea Point promenade and around Green Point Park, promotes health, well-being and fairness in sport and has become a highly popular stepping stone to the longer event.

The event traditionally attracts thousands of runners of all shapes and sizes and abilities. While the competition is serious at the front of the field, with the race attracting some of the country’s finest athletes over the distance, for many it is simply a celebration of life and physical well-being.

Associated with a party atmosphere, the race has attracted many celebrities, with Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille, Area-Mayor (south) Eddie Andrews and leading mountaineer Deshan Deysel among those due to race.

“Of course we did not quite believe his (Moukwa’s) claim,” said Angus MacIntosh, the charismatic farm manager at Spier.

His compulsory morning circle for the workers promotes sharing, singing, exercise and a little philosophy, and is an event that clearly plays a significant role in motivating the farm workers.

“But we immediately marked out a 100m course and he ran about 11 seconds in farm overalls. He clearly has a talent, and he is almost always our leader during our regular early morning training sessions.

“Tambo is certainly a gifted athlete,” added MacIntosh. “I’m looking forward to what he can accomplish given a chance.

“We’ve arranged that many of Angus’s farm workers will run in the Sanlam Peace 10km Run next month as part of our programme to promote development runners, so we’ll see how they go”.