The Springs community came out in numbers on a warm morning for the weekly parkrun, held at President Park on November 22.

This week’s run marked a special milestone, celebrating nine years of parkruns in Springs, with many runners dressed in tutus.

Speaking to the Springs Advertiser, event director Marius Jonker said it has been amazing to continue having participants every Saturday who remain interested in parkruns. He noted that numbers have been affected by Covid-19 and cold, wet weather.

“Beginning of each year, the number of runners tends to be high because of their New Year’s resolutions, and then over wintertime, the number drops. Like now, it will slowly pick up because of the warm season,” said Jonker.

Despite challenges, Jonker expressed happiness that they continue to attract runners. He shared that many participants use the parkrun as a foundation for marathons across the country.

“The consistency of the parkrun is all because of the runners from Springs and neighbouring areas who love running and use it as part of their exercise routines and mental health,” he said.

He added that over the years, friendships have been formed through the parkrun. Jonker hopes to expand parkruns to other areas of Springs in the coming years.

“We aim to attract as many people as we can because we don’t want the number to decrease at President Park. We want the areas to have the same numbers of runners, and all can be done through word of mouth and advertising,” he said.

Runners were given cupcakes as part of the birthday celebration. Fifty-four-year-old Nick Bronkhorst from Petersfield Extension told the publication that he has used parkruns to keep fit and for entertainment.

He said it has become a weekly family ritual, recruiting his six-year-old granddaughter, who has completed 10 parkruns.

“It is safe to come and run here because there are officials on the courses and first aid too,” said Bronkhorst.

Bronkhorst, who has completed 67 runs, started participating during Covid to maintain his mental health and physical fitness.

He encouraged others to join, saying it boosts social interaction and allows participants to use parkrun tags to take part in various parkruns across the country.

The parkrun is held every Saturday from 08:00 at President Park, opposite the Springs Mine Military Museum. Anyone wishing to participate must register on the parkrun website at www.parkrun.co.za/springs

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