Zwartberg Runners Hit the Ground Running

- Lesley van Heerden -

Community Fun Run
The Zwartberg Runners were invited by the Municipality to organise a sporting event during the Prince Albert Community Festival and it was a wonderful and enriching experience holding a Fun Run for the countless little legs at the Festival!

Arriving at the Odendaal Sports Grounds, we found ourselves a spot under a tree and set up camp.The Municipality sponsored the drinks and our Club supplied the prizes.

Shortly before the run was to begin, we began the round up of participants, blowing a whistle, walking through the crowds of youngsters; it was a Pied Piper of Hamelin experience!

The children began to gather and soon we had over a hundred participants of all ages.We spanned our 'Finish' banner, issued a volley of instructions and they were off!A short, but truly FUN fun run!

Our thanks to the local police for helping maintain safety and order during the run and to all the volunteers who helped at the start and were marshals along the route.

Prince Albert Half Marathon
And now.... we invite you all, villagers and visitors, to join us in our annual Prince Albert 21.1km race to be held on 1 May during the Olive Festival. Or choose another run or walk - there are also the 5km or 10km routes - and enjoy being out in the autumn Karoo dawn, topping up on one of life's best anti-depressants.... exercise!Mild enough to be thoroughly enjoyable but enough to get those 'happy hormones' circulating!

We need to raise funds for the half marathon and are again raffling a lamb (a great success every year), while our junior runners will operate a car wash throughout March and April.
Keep an eye on the Olive Festival Program and don't miss the highlight – the Swartberg Half Marathon!

Our members’ achievements
Thank you to Maruschka Erasmus and Charlotte Bothma who ran the Karoo National Park 21.1 on 13 of February and represented us so ably. Well done too to Tracy Swanepoel, who ran the Cango Marathon on 27 February and has qualified to run the Comrades Marathon this year.

2010 Club Committee
This year’s committee is Terry Barnato, Chair, Lesley van Heerden, Vice-Chair, Sandy Bower, Treasurer and Janet Modra, Secretary. special ‘thank you’ to Juliana van der Westhuizen for her hard work as secretary-cum-fundraiser in 2008/9!

Anyone interested in joining the Zwartberg Runners should please contact Terry Barnato on 023 541 1462. We welcome runners and walkers, both serious and not so serious.