Time to join Kowie Striders’ trail run
THE opening event of the Amanzi Festival – the Royal St Andrews Hotel 8km Trail Run at 7.30am on Friday – is a unique and prestigious new cross-country run organised by Sticks Stiglingh and other members of Kowie Striders.
The well-chosen route starts out at the Royal Port Alfred Golf Course, and progresses partly on the beach and road, before ending at the golf course.
There are attractive prizes across many categories, including walkers.
The first walker can win R300 and the first man and woman home in the open section R1 000 each. There are fun prizes for juniors, and unique money prizes to be earned in the following age groups 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and over 70.
“I hope that we will get 300 people – if we get 150 then nearly everyone will get an Amanzi Festival T-shirt at least!” said Stiglingh, who knows how hard runners work in a race.
You have to register for the race (adults R80, scholars R40 and pensioners R65), finish the race and wear a flash in front and back in order to win. Register online at
There will also be a table available where you can register for the mile swim at the same time.
Stiglingh has been with Kowie Striders for three years and has a permanent licence for completing 10 full-length (42km) marathons. This entitles him to run the Two Oceans in Cape Town, and he is flying there immediately after the trail run is over to do the half-marathon on Saturday while his wife, Marianne, and children do the full marathon.
If you do not have a permanent licence, you can also purchase a temporary licence that will allow you to participate. You can buy a temporary licence to do the trail run for R30. You can also buy a permanent licence which is cheaper in the long run, according to Stiglingh who has sold 45 licences this year alone.
Most of the people running in the trail run will be from Port Alfred rather than league runners who only run in well-established races, said Stiglingh. But in the future, he is confident the race will attract club runners from all around the country.
There is a possibility a bike race will be added to the trail run and the mile swim and develop into a triathlon, he said. Currently, the trail run is a development race for 8km cross-country runners like Kowie Striders’ Wandile Funde, Ayabonga Saul and Mtutu Pikoli who could make the Eastern Province team and go on to run in the South African Cross Country Championships in Port Elizabeth this year.
Food and bar facilities are available at the Royal St Andrews Hotel, the sponsors of the event.