Pretoria was filled with runners on Heritage Day as the HOKA HALF brought its mix of road racing, entertainment and festival atmosphere to the capital on 24 September.
The event, hosted at CBC Old Boys Rugby Club, offered participants three distances: the 21.1km Hoka Half, the 10km Half a Half and 5km Fun Run.
For university students, the event presented itself as an opportunity to step away from the usual campus sporting codes and take part in one of Pretoria’s growing road-running events.
The Hoka Half was designed to appeal to both competitive and recreational runners. Participants could choose between the “Go for The Win” experience, aimed at those chasing a personal best, or the “Anything But a Runner” experience, where costumes were encouraged. The event’s festival-style approach was also aimed at creating an experience beyond the race itself, where live DJs, entertainment along the route, food vendors and a post-race music festival formed part of the event.
Furthermore, this combination could make road-running more appealing to those who may not consider themselves traditional athletes. Even so, many competitive sports such as running can be pursued individually, allowing students to train around lectures, assignments and other commitments.
The three distances also made the event accessible to runners with different levels of experience. For instance, the 5km Fun Run was open to participants from the age of 8, while the 10km was available to runners aged 13 and older. Finally, the 21.1km race was open to participants aged 15 and above.
On the other hand, entry fees varied from R199 for the 5km to R469 for the 21.1km, with participants receiving race benefits including professional timing, a medal and access to the post-race Run Fest.
However, for student runners, the decision to participate was not only about the race itself. It was more about the training, transportation, entry cost and balancing of running with academic responsibilities, which can all affect whether students are able to take part or not.
As runners lined up across Pretoria on Heritage Day, some were chasing personal goals they set for themselves, while others were simply looking to complete their chosen distance.
Image: Sourced
