Over 70 participants gathered at Birch Acres Primary School for a fun run and family day on November 30.
The run, organised by the school in partnership with Sports Plus Academy, saw a great turnout, including Standard Bank Athletics Club.
Tracyann Chabeli, the event organiser, said the aim of the event was to highlight how physical inactivity is a major contributor to increasing levels of obesity and other serious medical conditions among children and adults.
“The idea was to bring runners and walkers of all abilities together to get a great workout at their own pace. It encourages social interaction during and after the event,” said Chabeli.
Calvin Segoale, director of Sports Plus Academy, said the run was a suitable platform for not only teachers to bond with the learners, but also a means of bringing together people from the community in a common activity and in a family-friendly environment.
Siyanda Malone, the 4km fun run winner, said he hoped the children who were present and those who participated in the run could take valuable lessons from this event.
“Finally, I beat my sister in one thing. I’m glad I won today. It is great to see how an initiative to encourage children to take up outdoor activities has turned into a community event. Raising awareness about physical health and teamwork brings families together,” said Malone.
Kagiso Seaga, the 8km fun run winner, said the run was a good way to bring people from various backgrounds together in the common pursuit of health and as an effective community building exercise.
“The race was tough, especially the steep hill, but I managed to push myself and cross the finishing line. I am amazed to see how runners motivated and helped each other during the race,” said Seaga.
Every child who crossed the finishing line was garlanded and given a finisher’s medal and certificate.
