The Vryheid parkrun community celebrated a major milestone on Saturday as participants gathered for the 300th running of the weekly 5km event. Over the years, the local parkrun has brought together runners, walkers and volunteers of all ages, creating a consistent weekend tradition in the heart of Vryheid’s forest and field route.

This past weekend’s event saw familiar faces at the front of the field. Ntando Ndlovu finished as the first female runner, adding another strong performance to her record. In the men’s category, Nhlanhla Ncube claimed first place. Ncube also won the very first Vryheid parkrun and has gone on to earn more than 100 event wins since then.

Another highlight came from Nokulunga Ngcobo, who completed her 50th parkrun and finished in 50th position, a fitting way to mark the milestone.

A total of 15 participants achieved personal best times on Saturday. Those who set new records were Tyson, Donovan, Simphiwe, Fredrick, Friedel, Njabulo, Yomelela, Caitlynne, Linda, Alta, Nonduduzo, Jeanette, Zanokuhle, Elke and Chantell. Several newcomers also took part, marking the start of their own parkrun journeys.

The occasion provided a moment to look back at what the local event has achieved since its start. Vryheid has hosted 300 parkruns, with 18,088 recorded finishes by 2132 participants. There have been 2542 personal bests, and 154 people have volunteered over the years.

Ncube holds the record for the most overall wins with 101. Natalie Gaskell leads in female wins with 59. The most frequent local participant is Daan Kotze with 275 runs, and the most frequent volunteer is Amanda Vergottini with 303 volunteer roles completed. The course records stand at 15:49 for men, set by Sihle Khumalo; and 21:14 for women, set by René Kalmer. The current average finishing time is 45:44.

The organisers added, “Thank you everyone for taking part, whether by running, walking, cheering or volunteering. Please join us for event number 301 next weekend.”

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The news provided to you in this link comes to you from the editorial staff of the Vryheid Herald, a sold newspaper distributed in the Vryheid area.