Local sport

250ste Parkrun vir Allen

Allen Johnson neem in die ouderdomskategorie 70-74 deel, en sê die Polokwane Parkrun is vir hom die heel lekkerste om aan deel te neem.

POLOKWANE – Nege-maal Comradeswenner Bruce Fordyce het die stad in 2018 besoek om die eerste Parkrun amptelik te open – en dit was ook by hierdie geleentheid dat Allen Johnson met sy Parkrunreis begin het.

Sewe jaar later het Johnson, wat nou in die kategorie 70-74 jaar deelneem, reeds ‘n besondere mylpaal bereik met dié Saterdag-stokperdjie.

“Ek het onlangs aan my 250ste Parkrun deelgeneem, waarvan altesaam 249 in Polokwane was. Die ander een was in Louis Trichardt.”

Met dié dat Allen sy Parkruns slegs by dié twee fasiliteite voltooi het, het hy nie aan enige van die Parkrun-uitdagings deelgeneem nie. “As ek tussen Polokwane en Louis Trichardt moet kies, dink ek wel Polokwane is die lekkerste Parkrun. Louis Trichardt is natuurlik die mees noordelike Parkrun in Suid-Afrika.”

Skaars twee jaar nadat hy aan Parkrun begin deelneem het, behaal hy sy persoonlike beste tyd met 26:36. Die beste posisie wat hy al behaal het, was toe hy 12de geëindig het. Onder die mans was sy beste, ‘n agtste plek.

“Nadat ek die 100-merk, 200-merk en nou 250-merk bereik het, wil ek nou net aanhou deelneem om fiks te bly.”

Hy vertel dat hy ook al as vrywilliger gewerk het by die Parkrun, deur ander stappers of drawwers se strepieskodes te skandeer, tyd te hou en eindkentekens uit te deel.

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Raeesa Sempe

Raeesa Sempe is a Caxton Award-winning Digital Editor with nine years’ experience in the industry. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Media Studies from the University of the Witwatersrand and started her journey as a community journalist for the Polokwane Review in 2015. She then became the online journalist for the Review in 2016 where she excelled in solidifying the Review’s digital footprint through Facebook lives, content creation and marketing campaigns. Raeesa then moved on to become the News Editor of the Bonus Review in 2019 and scooped up the Editorial Employee of the Year award in the same year. She is the current Digital Editor of the Polokwane Review-Observer, a position she takes pride in. Raeesa is married with one child and enjoys spending time with friends, listening to music and baking – when she has the time. “I still believe that if your aim is to change the world, journalism is a more immediate short-term weapon." – Tom Stoppard

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