Locals keep running, lockdown-style

Writer: Hedda Mittner.

Johann Kotze and several other members of the Whalers Athletics Club have certainly not allowed the lockdown regulations to curtail their activities. Instead of getting together for their weekly runs at the Hermanus Sports Club, this intrepid bunch has improvised ‘backyard trails’ around their homes and created personal challenges for themselves to keep them motivated and on the move.

Johann Kotze of the Whalers Athletics Club recently ran 100 km around his house in one day to help raise funds for Relief.Life.

On Saturday they, too, decided to run their own ‘No Oceans’ Half Marathon – Home Edition. Among the locals who took up the challenge was enthusiastic runner and restauranteur, Rudolf van der Berg, who completed the 21.1 km distance by running around (and around, and around…) his house. “I usually do 10 km on the treadmill every morning but for the No Oceans we all ran outside our homes, setting off at the same time at 07:00.”

The owner of Burgundy Restaurant, Rudolf van der Berg, was one of several local runners who successfully completed the ‘No Oceans’ Half Marathon on Saturday.

Johann’s mom, Elsabé Kotze, joined the rest of the family in running the 21.1 km ‘No Oceans’ Half Marathon this Easter weekend.

Click below to read more. (The full article can be found on page 14)