When thousands of runners took to the streets of Alexandra in March for the Run Alex 10km, they were laying the foundation for opportunity.

Their strides, sweat, and donations have now transformed into the inaugural Run Alex Holiday Programme, giving 32 children aged 7 to 15 a chance to spend their school break immersed in chess, coding, and athletics.

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The six-day programme, held from July 1-8 at Kwabhekilanga Sports Ground, is intended to stretch young people’s minds and bodies while keeping them off the streets.

Nomthandazo Moloi of Run Alex explained the motivation behind the programme, noting that it is meant to encourage the children.

“There is more to life, more to reading, more to running, more to anything we do to take children off the streets. And it was the generosity of our runners that made this possible.”

In the first three days, the programme focused on giving participants chess sessions.

These were led by Bongani Mazibuko, a chess coach and founder of Chess Is My Lifestyle. Having established chess clubs in several communities, including Soweto and Tembisa, he couldn’t let the opportunity to do the same in Alexandra slip, especially for a game as accessible as chess.

“When you look at other sports, you need a big investment in terms of stadiums or soccer boots, but chess is very cheap, and you can start at the age of five.”

Working together with Run Alex, he taught learners how to play chess. He said the results are already encouraging: though only eight children had prior exposure to chess, most quickly scored four to five out of six in assessments.

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Alongside chess, learners are set to learn ScratchJr, a visual coding language designed to teach young people the basics of programming. The lessons will be facilitated by the club’s chairperson, Mokakatla Masekela. These two educational activities will be supplemented by weekend athletics.

Anelisa Mzimazi, director of the Run Alex Development Programme, expressed gratitude to the running community for making the holiday programme possible.

“We are thrilled to be able to broaden the horizons and stretch the minds of kids in our community with this holiday programme.”

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