This coming Saturday is the second occasion, or rather attempt at opening parkrun locally in South Africa, after lockdown once again brought a sudden stop to the start of parkrun just over a month ago. Although several parkruns will open on Saturday, 7 August, Parys parkrun has not been chosen as one of the events to be opened. It seems the same events that were open during the previous lockdown Level 3 and subsequently closed as we returned to Level 4, are opening again this weekend, subject to the availability of volunteers to man the various positions required to make it a success. The chosen parkruns are mostly smaller, not close to large metropolitan areas, to ensure that there is no danger of transgressing the current adjusted Level 3 regulations. A specific request was made for tourist runners not to flood known opening runs.
After this weekend’s events, the situation will be assessed. If all goes well, the intention is to gradually reopen more parkruns. Local parkrunners can check on the parkrun websites and social media platforms for more information and cancellation notices. Meanwhile, following the closure of Mimosa as a public area, the Parys parkrun event director and her crew have had to reroute the event in compliance with parkrun rules. Once the go-ahead from parkrun South Africa is received to re-open the Parys event, it will follow the new route.
Opening-day details will be communi- cated via the media as to where ‘park-runners’ should assemble on that day. Participants will be informed of the route details at the assembly point on the opening day and subsequent event days thereafter, as has been and is customary practice. Let’s hold thumbs that the pandemic will not put a spanner in the works again and the success of the initial re-opening parkrun events will result in the opening of parkrun Parys within a reasonable time.
