On Wednesday night the streets of Rynfield were a hive of activity as over 2 000 road runners laced up their takkies for the annual Rowlin National Night Race from Benoni Northerns Sports Club.
Being the hands-on sports journo that I am I too decided to get all hot and sweaty when I joined some of my buddies and took on the “relatively easy” 5km fun run.
It wasn’t quite the intensity of the 10km or the 15km runs but it was a fantastic experience nonetheless.
The festivity of the occasion is second to none and truly one of the most significant events on Benoni’s sporting calendar, particularly because it is one of the few events that brings a community together.
It was also a blessing that the weather played so nicely.
Running up Bok Street my heart was touched when two little twin girls were standing at their front gate cheering on the runners.
“Hou bene hou!” they shouted in the cutest Afrikaans I have ever heard.
How can that not motivate you to keep going?
A special mention must also be made to those Benonians who gathered in Mathers Street to provide encouragement and refreshments to the runners, although I disappointingly never received the brandy and Coke that one spectator was offering.
Eventually my mates and I made it to the finish (just under the 30 minute mark nogal) with some time to spare before Nedbank Running Club’s Tumelo Mahlangu came storming in to win the night’s main event, the 15km race.
Credit must go out to Benoni Northerns Athletics Club for staging yet another awesome night race.
It is always a great pleasure to cover and participate at this event.
LG
