Runners are everywhere, preparing furiously for events in Cape Town at Easter — The Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, Half Marathon and Trail Runs, and in June, the infamously gruelling 87km Durban to Pietermaritzburg Comrades Marathon.
Outdoors with Rosie Mitchell
Harare Athletics Club (HAC) has seen membership swell again this year, as running grows yet more in popularity as a leisure time pursuit and a means of getting and staying fit and healthy.
Running can be taken up at any age. The beauty of it as a sport is that primarily, people who do it are simply competing with themselves, aiming at improving fitness and speed as they go, with the personal satisfaction and reward this brings, and participating in both national and international events for the sheer enjoyment of it. The buzz and excitement of running in an international event with a huge field are hard to beat and create positive and powerful memories that last a lifetime.
With age categories catering for every era of life, right through to those in their 80s (and beyond!) in events, running enthusiasts with a very competitive streak can continue to win prizes and accolades through a lifetime, and it’s remarkable how fit and how fast many septuagenarian and octogenarian runners really are, proving the age defying nature of this sport.
This morning, runners are out there competing in the Spar Peter Gradwell Marathon, Half Marathon, 10km and 5km events, which finish at Old Georgians where they’ll enjoy a festive, social time with friends and family.
Next weekend, running enthusiasts head up to the Eastern Highlands for the annual Troutbeck 18km race, which is especially challenging given the additional altitude — unless of course you live there and your body is adapted to it! Having done some training for Two Oceans while staying at the delightful Pine Tree Inn last year, I can personally attest to the effect the extra 200 odd metres has on the effort involved in running!
From a training perspective, of course, this is advantageous, but you’re likely to get far more out of breath than usual in the process!
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Inn on Rupurara has offered special rates for groups of runners heading to the highlands for this race with a complimentary activity thrown in too. Inn on Rupurara is in a stunning setting with a spectacular view and its own game park.
Meanwhile, wetlands were further highlighted with Ramsar Convention Secretary General’s visit.
Zimbabwe has officially acceded to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the international treaty adopted in Ramsar in 1971, and will on May 3 become the 164th Party, spelling good news in the on-going fight to save our remaining wetlands from development, and thus, destruction.
Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention Secretariat, Sir Anada Tiega, visited Zimbabwe for World Wetlands Day 2013 Commemorations, held at the notable Malilangombe Wetland in Matobo District, Matabeleland South, which is and always has been very successfully conserved in pristine state by the local community. This wetland has now been put forward as the country’s eighth for Ramsar Convention status.
He also visited Victoria Falls National Park, Monavale Vlei, the wetland managed by the Conservation Society of Monavale (Cosmo), and Lake Chivero, all of these, sites declared as Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance. The others are Mana Pools, Driefontein Grasslands, Chinhoyi Caves, and Cleveland Dam.
Both Monavale and Malilangombe are wetlands that receive care and protection from the communities living in the vicinity who have decided to take responsibility for ensuring they are conserved in their pristine natural state.
In Monavale’s case, the vlei had first to be restored to its original condition after becoming degraded by dumping and illegal cultivation over decades. When fully protected from human interference, a wetland can return to natural condition, once again to perform many valuable yet free services — storing, filtering and cleaning our water, and preventing floods, siltation and erosion.
Vleis in Harare, located on such high ground as we are, are at the very start of the water system and are the only source of water for 7 million people. Without them, we are doomed.
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