Join in on the parkrun, you never know who you could run into
Josua na die Reën and his band participated in the 186th parkrun in Graaff-Reinet on Saturday 16 December, coinciding with Reconciliation Day. Jacques de Villiers, known as Josua na die Reën, likes to participate in the parkrun in the towns he visit. Recently in Graaff-Reinet while on tour from Gauteng, they learned about the local parkrun from one the band players who prompted the quartet to join the 07:00 run alongside 43 other eager participants. "I love running, especially with my friends," De Villiers says. "We stay near a parkrun event and often seek out runs in other towns." He says that he really loves the Hogsback parkrun with its scenic mountains and forest.
"The Mountain Drive parkrun's scenic beauty amidst the tranquillity of the
Karoo, along with the warmth of the locals, makes Graaff-Reinet parkrun exceptionally beautiful," he adds. When asked by the Advertiser about being recognised during the run,
De Villiers chuckled, saying he was jogging along, clad in a cap and sunglasses, when someone inquired about the band. It was then that the runners realised the presence of these famed musicians in their midst. De Villiers and his team are scheduled to still perform two shows in Stilbaai before taking a well-deserved break over the upcoming holidays, concluding a busy year.
Local finishes her 100th parkrun as a volunteer
Anneke Wieneke, a 66-yearold local, achieved her 100th parkrun as a volunteer, completing it in 01:19: 22. She remembers her inaugural parkrun experience on 6 October 2018, in Parys, Free State, where her brother introduced her to the event.
Walking the five kilometers that first time, Wieneke emphasised, "I'm not a jogger; you don't need to jog to participate in the parkrun." Apart from being a participant who has completed a total of 106 parkruns, Wieneke is actively involved as a volunteer at the Mountain Drive parkrun.
Her role as the tail walker involves ensuring the safe return of all participants who started out on the run, which attests to her commitment to the well-being and inclusivity of the parkrun community.
Mountain Drive parkrun history
Mountain Drive parkrun started on 2 February 2019 and had 375 participants, including Bruce and Gill Fordyce, at the inaugural event. "We have had 186 successful parkruns since then with an average of 62 participants per week," says Dave Neill, the event director. He mentions that this parkrun is one of the most challenging in the country due to the initial half climb up Mountain Drive. "We are fortunate to have permission from
Camdeboo National Park for the use of the road and reserve, with park rangers in attendance each week to check the route and assist us at the halfway mark.
We have hosted numerous parkrun tourists from abroad at the event." He says that about 70% of the weekly participants are walkers."Parkrun worldwide is completely run by volunteers. The main tasks include a timer, scanner, run director, and token handout at the start. On the route, we have a park walker, tail walker and photographer.
These volunteers receive credit for both volunteering and walking and their posistions are rather popular.
Getting volunteers to give up their parkrun run/walk is sometimes challenging, and we aim to have as many volunteers as possible to share the load, hopefully only volunteering once a month or, even better, every two months. Volunteering is straightforward, requiring only five minutes of training, and is done on your own phone using the parkrun volunteer app." Neill encourages everyone to consider volunteering. "You get to meet lots of new people, even some locals, while doing it."
The first five registered runners to complete the 5km gravel road on Saturday, 16 December were:
Zack van Jaarsveld - 22:34
Lappies Labuschagne - 24:44
Alwyn van Jaarsveld - 28:53
Elaine Galloway - 32:53 Magda Claassen - 33:54
How to become a volunteer or register as a runner/walker:
You can get involved in volunteering by visiting parkrun.co.za/mountaindrive/ volunteer/
Parkrun is a completely free event, and all you need to do is register online at parkrun.co.za/mountaindrive.
You can then attend any parkrun in the world. Registration not only allows you to monitor your progress but also ensures your safety on the course.
If you can assist as a parkrun volunteer on Saturdays, please send a WhatsApp message to 061 503 0729 or an email to
mountaindrive@parkrun.com.
The tranquillity of the Karoo, along with the warmth of the locals, makes Graaff-Reinet parkrun exceptionally beautiful.”