Ruimsig parkrun celebrates with balloons and party hats as they bring up a century of free 5km fun
Ruimsig parkrun has now seen 11 455 different finishers and 10 139 personal bests in their 100-run history.
Having trudged the hard yards, the time came to lift the head and appreciate a job well done.
Celebrated the ticking over from two digits to three, Ruimsig parkrunners and their vital volunteers marked their 100th event, August 13. Parkrun has become more than just a Saturday morning jog as the global community relishes in the shared accomplishments of reaching landmark runs, both for each event and for the runners marking their personal incremental progress..
Reaching the standout numbers would not be possible without the collective efforts of the volunteer administrators, marshals, time-keepers and general information stewards.
“We are very excited to celebrate the 100th run of the Ruimsig parkrun. With Covid and the fact that parkrun was closed for such a long time, it seemed like forever to get to this milestone,” said race organiser, Carin van der Schyf.
A total of 223 runners scanned their barcode at the end of the 100th run, with Nathan Walsh getting his name to the top of the time sheet in a time of 19 minutes and 39 seconds. He was closely followed by Marthinus Bouwer who finished just 35 seconds behind him, both boys being in the junior 11–14 age group. The first woman over the party-balloon adorned finish line was Calinka Kotze who notched up a personal best of 23 minutes and 35 seconds.
Many more magic numbers await but Carin noted how pre-global health panic, Ruimsig regularly pulled more than 1 000 runners weekly.
Encouraging the community to get down to Ruimsig Athletics Stadium on a Saturday morning, Carin said, “I can think of nothing better than being close to nature, while reaping the benefits of some exercise. I also want to urge current parkrunners to assist with volunteering at parkrun; it is not only fun, but also good for you.”
