There is a lot more to the Parkrun phenomenon than just keeping South Africans in shape
I’ve always enjoyed my Saturday morning sleep-ins, truth be told. Until a former work colleague, who I now consider to be a good friend, came and steamrolled over that comfortable habit.
“Would you like to join me for a parkun tomorrow?”, he casually enquired one Friday afternoon. Because clearly I looked like a sucker for punishment.
“Will there be beer at the finish line?” was my equally casual response.
Having given up smoking a few years prior and feeling keen to develop my fitness I took on the challenge and have never looked back.
I completed my first event, the Athol Oaklands parkrun, in 2018, finishing in about 33 minutes after considerable huffing and puffing, but in less than a year I had managed to shave almost 10 minutes off my Personal Best (PB) time.
But there is a lot more to the parkrun phenomenon than just keeping in shape and challenging your fitness goals.
In the process of mixing it up and being the occasional parkrun ‘tourist’, I have also seen some interesting places that I never would have discovered before, and in the process have met some highly inspiring people.
I never cease to be amazed by the friendly and inclusive vibe felt at the Bosmont Parkrun, west of Johannesburg, which I have attended occasionally. Here the community members really go out of their way to make guests to their neighbourhood feel welcome.
Runners and walkers alike cheer each other on as they make their way through the route, which volunteers have put considerable effort into cleaning up and making traversable.
Following the event, it’s not uncommon for the participants to mingle with koeksisters, cake and coffee as they catch their breath under the shady trees next to the Bosmont Stadium where the event starts and finishes.
The Bosmont parkrun was founded by Ebrahim Adams, together with his wife Zarina, and he feels the event has benefited people from all walks of life.
“Parkrun for me has a very personal story journey. From being overweight and depressed to feeling amazing, energised, healthy and fit, I saw the benefits of being consistent and using your time wisely,” Adams said.
“There is a saying YOLO (you only live once) which I realised was wrong. You only die once but you live every day and this is what I started doing, at first on Saturday, and the rest was history.”
Adams has since completed 255 parkruns. He said the inspiration to start the Bosmont parkrun, and co-found others such as the Eldorado Park and Ennerdale Stadium parkruns, came from his own experience, and wanting others to derive the same benefits.
“The ills of our Community was the other driving force. Giving our Elders a safe space to meet friends and have some sort of social interaction and granting our youth a break from everything they are dealing with and to find an outlet to showcase their talent,” Ebrahim added.
He said the biggest challenge had been setting up an event with a lack of infrastructure and minimal space to work with in the area.
Which is why they have to make use of a sports ground for part of the route.
Illegal dumping on the route has also been a major challenge, but the parkrun organisers have managed to curb this scourge to a degree.
What they’ve ultimately ended up with is a friendly space that has only galvanised the sense of community that was already there. Along the route you’ll see a Mosque as well as Catholic and Anglican churches, right next door to each other and that’s exactly what the community of Bosmont is all about.
Another inspiring parkrun story can be found just six kilometres to the north east.
A team of highly dedicated volunteers keep the parkrun route at Alberts Farm Conservancy in Johannesburg spick and span.
Even a bush fire that destroyed part of the wooden bridge on the route recently was no deterrent as community members quickly rallied together and donated time and money to have it fixed.
Event Director, Martin Peet said:
“There is something about volunteering, greeting people, receiving sincere thanks and smiles, which leaves an indelible imprint on the heart and kicks-off the weekend with a positive vibe. I walk away from parkrun feeling good.”
The Alberts Farm parkrun has a dedicated team of volunteers who walk the course at 6:30am every Saturday ahead of the event to check the course for safety reasons and pick up any litter and rubbish.
“This team was never planned, it has simply morphed because the people have caught the vision of our parkrun community”.
One of the longest serving volunteers is homeless Eric Galawe, who assists with the event set-up and car park duty.
“Many of our participants have praised Gawale after he has stood guard at their vehicles when a window or a door has been inadvertently left open,” Peet said.
Galawe recently received recognition for serving 250 times as a volunteer.
The Alberts Farm parkrun recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, having been launched by local resident and sports enthusiast Mike Tippett in memory of his late wife.
“From the outset, the vision of Alberts Farm parkrun has been to create a community venture where participants can experience the beauty of the conservancy in a spirit of friendliness,” Peet added.
Apart from bringing communities together and inspiring the fitness journeys of many, the parkrun phenomenon has also created a type of local tourism.
There are currently 219 parkruns scattered around South Africa, boasting 979,055 finishers over the years. Some are flat, others resemble trail runs. Many are in parks and some are even on farms.
Given South Africa’s scary crime stats, many are afraid to visit our parks to walk or exercise, but the safety in numbers factor has allowed many South Africans to reclaim and enjoy our green spaces.
Regardless of which one you choose to attend, you’ll almost certainly find a friendly bunch of walkers, runners and volunteers keen to kickstart their weekend in a positive way. And if you don’t, there are 218 other parkruns to try.
Whether you’re looking for a casual stroll with friendly people, push your fitness to the max, or explore new places as a ‘tourist’, dragging yourself out of bed on a Saturday morning and attending a parkrun will almost certainly enrich your life.
IOL