Friendship and fitness at the popular Ballito parkrun
Over 200 runners took on the course at Holla Trails over the weekend, but thousands have done so since it was first held in 2015.
On Saturday, 219 Ballito parkrun participants tackled the 5km course winding through farmland and sugar cane fields at Holla Trails. At the same time, a similar crowd was enjoying the parkrun at Tinley Manor.
The free event takes place every Saturday morning at more than 2,000 locations in 22 countries across five continents. Ballito hosted its first event on June 15, 2015, and has hosted 407 runs to date.
The event starts at 7am during the warmer months (from October to March) and 8am during the cooler months (from April to September).
Parkrun volunteer Karina Taylor said their aim is for the event to foster a sense of camaraderie.
“People come here to connect and build friendships,” she said.
In the men’s category this week, the top five finishers were:
- Franco van Biljon (21:02)
- Elliott Metcalf (22:07)
- Mmofa Matjele (22:55)
- Tshepo Chotledi (23:24)
- Micha Talanda (25:25)
The top five women were:
- Kaliso Cele (23:09)
- Cheryl Chislett (26:56)
- Barbara Hlangano (27:25)
- Joanne Gibb (27:34)
- Shana Beeton (29:27)
All parkrun events are volunteer-driven.
“We are always ready to welcome new members to the volunteer team. It is also a great way for students to earn community service hours in a fun environment,” said Taylor.
People who wish to participate can register for free at www.parkrun.co.za to receive a unique barcode that will allow them to join any parkrun event.
Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news.
Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here or if you’re on desktop, scan the QR code below.
