Wanderers is ready to run

Wanderers Athletics Club is expecting between 200 and 300 people to attend its first time trial of the year on 10 January.

Club secretary Hilde Harvey said the weekly 5km and 8km event is free and open to the public.

“I would encourage anyone interested to come and run on Thursdays,” she said.

Harvey said running on one’s own can be dangerous but running in a group is safe and supportive.

“Even if you need to walk then that is fine, not everyone can run that far. We tell everyone the route before and there are so many people it is impossible to get lost. We also leave markers [along the route].”

The time trial starts at 5.45pm at The Wanderers Club.

Parking near the hockey field, where the run starts and finishes, can be difficult, Harvey said, and she suggested that people enter the club at the top entrance, park there, and then walk down to the field.

The times of the first five men and women finishers in each distance are published on the club’s Facebook page 

Starting from February, the first time trial of each month will be followed by a braai and spot prizes.

In August last year, Wanderers Athletics Club saw a record 6 700 runners at its 100-year-old Wanderers Road Race (now called Wanderers Aucor Property Road Race with Discovery Vitality).

“We rated this year as one of the best races we have staged,” former club chairperson, Graham Calder said at the time.

Harvey highlighted this race and the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge (which is in March) as the club’s two most significant runs each year.

Both include distances similar to the weekly time trials and act as excellent targets for the beginner and advanced runner alike.

Details: Wanderers Athletics Club wanderersathleticsclub@gmail.com 063 389 0681.

Also read: Wanderers Road Race sees record numbers in 100-year history