Gimme The Night
My cousin’s daughter, who is doing us proud by studying to become a teacher, needed to draw up a 12-week training programme as part of her PE subject course, for her teaching degree.
I suggested she create a programme for a 10km run. Duh. I’m a runner. What else would I suggest? Boxing?
I checked the race calendar and found there was a race scheduled for 8 March 2023 that would coincide with the end of her training programme.
Her parents, siblings, aunt and uncle and cousin volunteered to be her ‘trainees’. Well, we bullied them into it, but let’s say they ‘offered’.
Chucky and I committed to run the 10km with them in support of the project. In the name of education, etc etc.
During the holidays, however, training fell by the wayside, and the guineapigs opted to run the 5km fun run instead.
Chucky and I stuck to the 10km.
The Crazy Store Lighthouse race is a night race, in other words, it starts in the late afternoon, and is organised by Walmer Athletics Club and is run on the Sea Point Promenade.
I have never run this race, although I was intimately familiar with it. AAC used to be the organising running club but we handed it over to Walmers in 2018 or thereabouts, I forget the exact year.
Then Covid disrupted the whole world, and we are only now getting back to pre-Covid levels of everything. Including traffic. But that is another story.
Although I had never run it, I had volunteered as a road marshal before. The race is fast and flat and the vibe is always festive. What is it about a race, and a party on the beach that is so attractive?
I was excited and looking forward to running it for the first time. But also, because it was so important for the ‘project’.
I had also never run a night race before. I am a morning exerciser, and work commitments prevented me from participating in night runs before.
But work commitments were no longer an issue.
The stars were aligned.
This was happening.
The Lighthouse
The Lighthouse 10km is a road race that starts and finishes on the Seapoint Promenade, opposite Winchester Mansions, and passes the ‘Mouille Point’ lighthouse, which is the eponymous lighthouse for which the race is named.
It’s officially the Greenpoint lighthouse, but we locals call it the Mouille Point lighthouse.
The lighthouse is a fascinating attraction that draws tourists and locals alike. It stands tall and proud, with its striking red and white stripes and circular tower, making it an iconic symbol in the area.
Built in 1824, it is one of the oldest operational lighthouses in South Africa. It was designed by a French engineer named Henry Mouille, who was commissioned to build the lighthouse by the British colonial authorities at the time.
The lighthouse played a crucial role in guiding ships into the busy port of Cape Town, which was a vital trading hub for the Dutch East India Company and later the British Empire.
The lighthouse stands 16 meters tall and emits a white flash every 10 seconds, with a range of 22 nautical miles. The light can be seen from miles away and serves as a beacon of hope and safety for sailors navigating the treacherous waters off the coast of Cape Town.
Despite its age, the Mouille Point Lighthouse has been well-maintained and remains an important part of the maritime heritage of South Africa.
It continues to serve a vital role in ensuring the safety of ships and their crews and is a testament to the enduring power and importance of lighthouses in our modern world.
The Route
The race route follows the scenic Sea Point promenade, which is flat and fast, making it a popular race for both elite and novice runners.
The race is typically held in March each year and attracts thousands of runners from all over South Africa.
The organizers, Walmer AC and Top Events are known for their well-planned and safe races, with plenty of water stations, medical support, and crowd control to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all participants and supporters.
The race has a number of different categories, including open, veteran, master, and grandmaster.
The Lighthouse 10 km has a proud history dating back to the early 1990s. The race was first held in 1991 and was originally organised as a fundraising event for the Sea Point Lions Club.
It was later hosted by Atlantic Athletic Club before it was taken over by Walmers Athletic Club.
Over the years, the race has attracted many elite runners and continues to be a tempting course to go for a PB (Personal Best).
Some of the top South African runners to have won the race include Hendrick Ramaala, Elana Meyer, and Zola Budd.
Currently Elana Meyer holds the women’s course record with a time of 32 m 20 seconds, set in 1995.
The men’s course record holder is Stephen Mokoka, set in 2018 with a time of 28 m 8 seconds.
The race is not only for elite athletes, but also for recreational runners who enjoy the challenge of a 10km run.
The fun and festive atmosphere is contagious and is appropriately sponsored by the “Crazy Store”.
The Gees
Congratulations to Walmer AC for the gees (vibe) they brought to the race.
From the starting pens with its pent-up excitement to the irreverent announcer, our very own Sean “Captain Haddock” Robson, the carnival-vibe was palpable the moment we got to the promenade.
The only niggle was the controlled chaos at registration. Although Top Events was out in full force, there were a few delays with getting race numbers since many participants did not get the SMSs etc and numbers could only be collected on race day.
I was in my element. A race. Near the beach. At sunset. With 1000s of equally crazy people. My happy place.
Chucky and I left home an hour and half earlier to get to the start because… Cape Town traffic, and it was a good thing. It took an hour to drive the 11 km from Salt River to Sea Point in afternoon peak. Against traffic. Cape Town traffic is next level crazy.
It had rained the entire week, even the morning of the race, but the sun came out late afternoon and it was cool but sunny. Perfect running weather.
One of the reasons I prefer to run in the mornings, is to avoid the heat.
The Novices
I was so excited for my cousins to run their first road race.
Happy chappies in the line to collect their numbers.
No nervous smiles here.
Their coach was sitting in traffic somewhere on Highlevel Drive so not available for pics. I would later learn that they just made it in time to start the 5km.
The Penguins
This particular event was also significant for AAC’s beginner runners, affectionately called ‘The Penguins’, under the able tutelage of coach Erica Terblanche.
I cannot recommend Erica’s book “Run For the love of life” enough.
It’s a wonderful personal account of her amazing self-supported multi-day trail runs across the globe.
Reading Erica’s book is inspiring and reignited my own passion for running. It’s a worthwhile read, regardless of where you are on your running journey. It’s also written in a wonderfully engaging style.
Raw and honest and infinitely human, this part memoir, part travel novel thunders through one exotic race location after the other, as the runners battle the elements and each other across the vastness of the Sahara, Atacama and Namib Deserts, the great Grand Canyon, Turkish Cappadocia and the Kalahari Desert, to name only a few.
But more than just a book on racing, what makes this novel infinitely compelling and rewarding is that in the echoes of Erica’s story, one begins to sense the pulse of one’s own potential and long-forgotten dreams.
While you may laugh, cry, and forget to take a breath at times, it is inevitable that Run will spur you on to find your own bliss, that which is buried deep within your soul and body.
Race Start
Chucky and I eventually made our way to the start line, listening to Sean’s chirping as he counted down the minutes.
The gun went off promptly at 6.30pm, just as dusk started to creep in and settle over the Promenade.
The race was well-supported which was fantastic to see.
It was a beautiful evening. The start was congested, and it took about 2 kms for me to get into a comfortable pace. I had no time in mind but settled on an average running pace of 5.55km/h.
Along the way I was passed by clubmate, Colin Sedermann, who left me in the dust, but I ran a good part of the first half with another AAC club mate, Mark.
Chucky and I got separated in the crowd, but I knew he would catch up eventually.
Around the 7km mark I jumped onto Mr O’s 60 min bus. The gees was strong on the bus with many Itheko Running Club members bringing the party to the party bus.
I don’t usually do well on a pace bus, but I was feeling comfortable and good and decided to let the vibe carry me to the finish. Not long after Chucky joined us. Always late, but never one to miss a party.
We were passed by other AAC club mates and legendary speedsters, Caroline Balkwell, who has 150 marathons on her running belt, and Elisha Berridge.
The sun was setting just as Mr O brought us home in the final km, urging us to run ‘easy’. My favourite word on a race!
At the finish line one of our grandmaster’s, Brian, was being helped over the line. I would later learn that he had taken a fall, but still managed not only to finish, but also podium in second place in his age category (70 + years).
The Finish
At the finish line, I was met by my cousin, who finished his 5km run at the same time. So, I did not have the time to thank Mr O for his excellent bus driving.
Instead of medals, we were given branded running caps. It was a lovely alternative. The 5km runners received bright yellow socks!
At our AAC club gazebo we posed for a few pics while we waited for our 5km runners to finish. My cousins enjoyed the run itself but also the festive atmosphere.
They promised to join the Penguins soon. I am holding them to that.
It was dark by then and the wind had picked up. I would have liked to stay a bit longer, but I needed my warm top in the car. And we were starving. So we said our goodbyes to our club mates and went out for a celebratory dinner with the family.
Our aspiring teacher was pleased. Her project will surely be a success. Next year I’m making them do the 10km for sure.
Congratulations to Walmer AC for a well-hosted, well-managed event.
Pics courtesy of Comfort Bunting
Lovely read as always. I moved to Cape Town in 1989 and my records say I ran this race for the first time that same year, 8 March 1989. Will see if I still have my badge for that year. Yes, we got cloth badges, not medals those years. Together we have now ran this race 30 times. And yes, my pb race too. In 1996, when I was young, was the week after the Argus Cycle Tour, so I could live on the edge and risk everything in an all-out effort. Organised my private pacer on the run in the first 2 km’s. Would not have been possible without him.
Wow!! I think ur comment is lovelier than my blogpost. Thanks for taking the time Uncle Rassie. See u on the road soon 🙂