The open spaces in Bellville will be the focus of the day during the Urban Trail Run on Sunday December 9.
There will be two events on the day with 150 people taking on the 15km and 500 people doing the 5km walk spread out over the suburb and including Elizabeth Park, Jack Muller Park and Willowbridge Mall.
Marcus Fourie, project co-ordinator at event hosts Greater Tygerberg Partnership (GTP), believes the event will show off Bellville’s true potential.
“Nobody knows about the open areas here in Bellville. When they hear the words CBD, then they think this whole place is just buildings and streets and that it is just too busy,” he said.
“The main idea behind the run is to expose the open areas to businesses, the public and running clubs. If they are all involved, then the parks will be better maintained, and that will be the best for the area.
“What we want to do is to turn these open spaces into safe and friendly places for families and students to play, relax and even sleep.
“The 15km is for the runners, but we want families to take part in the 5km. They can come with their entire family and just take a leisurely walk around the area and just basically experience the open spaces. We will also be aiming to be environmentally friendly as possible and we will also be handing out water-wise plants as medals,” Mr Fourie said.
The top-three men and women in the 15km will each receive clothing vouchers while the winner will also get a weekend away and the runners-up will get gym memberships.
During the day, there will be multiple lucky draws with prizes ranging from bottles of wine to weekend trips away.
“There will be lots of things on offer to those who participate, but the main aim is to create awareness of the beautiful open spaces and to show just how accessible they are to the public. I mean how many people in the area actually know about the outdoor gym equipment in Jack Muller Park?”
