Parkrunners take on the new Bapsfontein parkrun route.
This has caused a number of new parkruns to open on or near the East Rand.
One such event is the fresh Bapsfontein parkrun which was launched on the morning of September 2 on the farm Doringdraad in Tweefontein.
Comrades Marathon legend and founder of the parkrun concept in South Africa, Bruce Fordyce, attended and ran the new route, along with his wife Gill.
Multiple Comrades Marathon champion Bruce Fordyce completes the new Bapsfontein parkrun route on Saturday morning.
According to the event director Troskie Neethling, the inaugural run was a huge success.
He said 498 runners were timed with some 50 more that did not run (marshals, timers, token handlers, scanners and announcers).
“Quite a number of them were ‘parkrun tourists’ who will obviously not be there every Saturday but I’m sure everyone went away with a good story to share,” said Neethling.
“I believe Lambert the ‘hanslam’ (farm lamb) was a big favourite, for some even bigger than Bruce Fordyce himself.
“The feedback from runners is overwhelmingly positive.
“Runners said that the track was well-marked and they liked it as it is pretty flat and a single lap run, meaning that fast runners don’t overtake you from behind and no runners are coming from the front either, as sometimes is the case at other venues.
“If I’m not mistaken the third runner in was running with his dog while another runner ventured off the track for a fresh carrot or two from an adjacent carrot field.
“He turned out to be a sheep farmer from the southern parts of the Free State who, we think, has never seen a carrot in the ground before.
“Runners also liked the fact that there were picnic tables and huge lawns on which they could hang around after the run for something to eat and drink.”
Neethling added some parkrun tourists have enquired about the possibility of sleeping over on Friday nights.
“It is a possibility that we will certainly look into.
“Once we are settled in, we will also start making available fresh farm produce from the surrounding farms, should there be an interest.”
These turkeys are just some of the animals that welcome parkrunners at the new Bapsfontein event.
The Bapsfontein parkrun will take place every Saturday from 8am.
