Stellenbosch in the heart of the Cape Winelands will be the setting for one of the Western Cape’s most popular night runs next week when the annual Moore Night Run takes place on Wednesday October 23.
The combination of well-organised event in a beautiful evening setting makes the Night Run a popular event, and there is an added attraction that all participants are contributing to a couple of good causes just by entering the event.
The route through the scenic tree-lined roads of Stellenbosch makes the event one the prettiest on the Western Cape road running calendar, but the benefits of the event last much longer than the minutes it takes the top competitors to blast over the 10km and 5km distances.
A portion of each entry fee is donated to support the athletics development programme of the local Stellenbosch Athletic Club, while the event is based around the Stellenbosch Primary School which also benefits by hosting the start and finish.
The combination of a midweek event hosted in the early evening at a local primary school also means the race has developed a family atmosphere and a healthy portion of the field is made up of young children enjoying the 5km while there are also a sprinkling of mums and dads pushing prams.
“The Moore Night Run has become one of the highlights of the year for many local Stellenbosch residents and some athletes who travel from a bit further away,” said event organiser Nicola Collins. “We have put a lot of effort into creating a family-centred evening that is well organised.
“The entrants are the focus of the event and we want the participants to enjoy their run in a setting that does justice to Stellenbosch. However, we also want to make sure there is a legacy from our event, and so it makes us proud to be able to support the Stellenbosch Athletics Club development programme.
“Our hope is that in a couple of years the winner of this event is somebody who was given the opportunity to realise their potential through the donations we received from race entrants. If we can achieve that, then this event has a long-term success.”
Online entries have closed but late entries will be taken at Neelsie in Stellenbosch on Friday, and the Moore Stellenbosch offices next week on Monday and Tuesday afternoon. There will be no late entries on race day.
The 10km starts at 6.30pm on October 23 and the 5km runners set off 10 minutes later.