Alison wins webbed award
Local trail runner wins Buzz Bolton award for adding value to the sport as well as her organisational and development work.
TAKING a break from the tarmac to run on trails is a great way to invigorate your running routine. Just ask Durban North resident and ‘trail mom’, Alison Chadwick.
Alison recently won the annual Buzz Bolton Spiderman Award at the Riverside Trail annual awards for adding value to trail running and for her organisation and development work. “It also has a literal meaning as the person who runs upfront and clears the cobwebs along the trail so the runners behind you don’t have spider’s webs all over them,” she joked.
Alison, who is part of Riverside Trail, was introduced to the sport three years ago and said she enjoys organising charity events. “I’ve started a slow group to encourage people who’ve just started trail running and our numbers have grown exponentially. In 2010 we had a handful of runners and now we have close to 200 members. We are always looking for new trails to explore and normally run trails through Virginia Bush, Burman Bush Nature Reserve and along the banks of the uMngeni River,” she said.
Although she doesn’t consider herself a serious athlete, the Durban North resident has cycled the Cape Argus (seven times), Tour Durban, the 94.7 cycle race and was the second female overall in an Olympic distance duathlon series a few years back.
Another aspect of trail running that Alison enjoys is organising charity runs. Earlier this year Riverside Trail raised R33 000 for the SPCA and R40 000 for the Rhino Run. Other awards presented were the Running Nut to Vaughn Smit and Racing Snake to Natasha Papini.
Anyone interested in joining this growing sport in Durban North can email Alison at durban trails@gmail.com
