The future of the Root44 parkrun remains uncertain, but there may be good news for parkrunners nonetheless.
The necessary authorisation for the Root44 parkrun lapsed during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and organisers of the local parkrun have since struggled to get the event back up and running.
“The provincial Road Planning Department has changed its mind about the permission it gave us last year,” the organisers said in a statement last month.
“It now seems the [Stellenbosch] Municipality is open to allowing the event, but the province is not. It uses all sorts of dubious (we think) figures to justify their decision.”
Initially the parkrun, which is a global event taking place every Saturday, took place over parts of Root44 Market and the Audacia vineyards.
At the time of the lapse the Stellenbosch Municipality explained a new public participation process had to be undertaken. In May 2022, municipal spokesperson Stuart Grobbelaar explained that organisers need to submit a consent-use application to permit an activity such as a parkrun.
Late last month, he confirmed the application is expected to be finalised by the end of March. “[An] application was made for a Consent Use for a Tourist Facility qualified to the land use activity to conduct a park run,” Grobbelaar said.
“The final inputs from the provincial roads engineer were received last week, and the case officer is currently busy with the evaluation of the application and drafting of the report.”
It seems it was the provincial government’s various concerns that have proven a roadblock for the runners.
Despite no definitive answer from the municipality, there may be good news for parkrunners, as the organisers have been in talks with the Blaauwklippen Wine Farm, which has shown interest in hosting its own parkrun.
“Parkrun SA says Stellenbosch should support three parkruns, possibly Coetzenberg for the students, Blaauwklippen for families and the world-renowned, iconic Root44 on Audacia farm. So we are going full-steam ahead on the latter two.”
According to a spokesperson from the wine estate they are in the process of acquiring the necessary permits and look forward to hosting the weekly event as they “encourage a healthy lifestyle at Blaauwklippen with our various activities and the parkrun fits into our objective”.
The route is expected to take runners through an open veld, between the vineyards and through a small forest section.
Whether the Root44 or Blaauwklippen route opens first, the parkrun organisers are calling on volunteers to join up.
Visit the Root44 parkun Facebook page for more information.
