Modderfontein Reserve Parkrun celebrated a special 89-year-old runner on April 13.
Des Robins was applauded by the Modderfontein runners as he ran his 250th parkrun, which he completed in style.
Before the runners took off, about 607 of them clapped and congratulated Des on tackling his 250th parkrun.
A crowd of runners completed the course with him, carrying a banner with lots of cheer.
“It felt great to do my 250th run,” said Des.
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He started participating in parkruns over five years ago and his average since 2013 is 53:30.
He will celebrate his 90th birthday on July 20.
His wife, Shirly, said everywhere they go, people recognise Des because of his achievements.
His medals adorn the walls of his home and his trophies are proudly placed in full view of anyone who walks in.
Des has run in various events around the world, including the Malta Marathon in London.
The runner has a T-shirt that details most of his endeavours and how many times he has run in the different races.
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He ran the Comrades Marathon 12 times, for instance, and completed about 108 000km in total.
“I also ran the City to City from Johannesburg to Pretoria 30 times,” he said.
He participated in 154 marathons and 1 272 half-marathons.
Des shared his wisdom with fellow runners: “Keep running, but don’t overdo it.”
