Runners see the unseen sights of Joburg at the Jozi Urban Run Adventure

Over bridges, under obstacles and through tunnels the people ran all morning.

It was, of course, the third Hollard Jozi Urban Run Adventure (Jura), which proved so much more than your typical Joburg run.

About 5 000 runners traversed 6km and 12km routes that took them places very few residents of Joburg actually see.

The routes went from Marks Park Sports Club, Emmarentia, through parks, rivers, the green belt and even across a bridge over Emmarentia Dam, which was built specifically for the event, before returning to the club.

All along the route were natural, inflatable and concrete obstacles, such as a reed tunnel, duck tunnel, a rope climb, and many more.

While all these obstacles made the event harder than your typical trail run, the obstacles were just easy enough, and the 6km run just short enough, for families and getting-fit runners alike to enjoy the run at their own pace.

“We go places people in Joburg don’t normally see in their own city,” said race directory, Russell Willis.

“We hope that families and average social runners make the 6km run their first goal, and after completing it aim to do the 12km run the next year.”

He said the event, along with its sister event, the Jozi Urban Mountain-Bike Adventure (Juma), held the day afterwards, raised awareness about the state of the city’s greenbelt and rivers.

In preparation for these events, race organisers and the City of Johannesburg worked together to clean several stormwater drains and rivers so that runners and cyclists could travel through them.

The overall experience was not lost on the Jura runners, as smiles abounded from start to finish.

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