15/10/2026
Rooipoint Farm Parkrun Report: Event 170
A Very Busy Parkrun (Or: Spring Has Commitment Issues)
Date: 10 October 2026
Weather: Beautiful. Spring thinks it's summer. We're not complaining. We're just sweating. Profusely.
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Greetings fellow Rooipoint Parkrunners!
Another late report. Life is keeping me busy. Work keeping me on the road all week. And a long draining run Sunday left me too exhausted to write the report.
So here we are. Better late than never. Much like my finish times.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE RD
Gwyneth welcomed all present, including our numerous visitors from all over. The turnout today was awesome. We had a total of 111 finishers. Good to be over the 100 mark again. Winter kept a lot of you away. Clearly the warmer weather is drawing the crowds again.
Speaking of warmer weather. A quick raise of hands was asked for those wishing for the times to be changed for the start. A majority vote for a 7 am start time made it clear — an earlier start would be welcome, especially for the warm summer months ahead. Keep an eye out for a change in times. This needs to go through to Parkrun for approval. So we await the confirmation on this.
Request from Gwyneth: October is Cancer Awareness Month, and she has requested that we dress in pink for the month of October. So dust off your pinkest, brightest gear and let's raise awareness while looking fabulous. Yes gentlemen, real men wear pink. And run in it. While sweating. Fabulously.
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VISITORS & FIRST TIMERS: WELCOME TO THE FARM
A massive welcome to our first-time visiting Rooipoint runners:
• Pieter – Welcome inland. I see most of your runs are coastal. Don't worry, our "hills" are just... character-building.
• Jabu – Welcome back. Ex Grey Goose Park runner. You've upgraded. We have cows.
• Jan – From Nelspruit. I guess our parkrun is a little cooler. A little. Don't get too excited.
• Nabeelah – Ex Grey Goose, welcome back. The geese don't miss you. We do.
• Hannelie – Visiting from Durban. Where the humidity is worse. So you should feel right at home.
• Marius and Caren – Visiting from Pretoria. Welcome to the farm. Mind the corn cobs.
• Mandlenkosi – Return visit from Kempton Park. You keep coming back. We must be doing something right.
"We're all here for the same reason. Some of us just hide it better behind smiles and expensive running shoes."
We also welcome first-time Parkrunners:
Musa, Waseem, Humaria, Jo-Lize, Snakhokonke, Yvonne, Natasha, Charles, Aleena and Fathima.
"Welcome to your new addiction. The first one's free. After that, it costs you every Saturday morning and your dignity on the hills."
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MILESTONES
25 – Thea – Well done, the first milestone reached. Here's to the next one. And the one after that. And the one after that. It never ends. Welcome to the club.
10 – Monique – A Junior milestone and that with a fantastic run. You're making the rest of us look bad. Keep it up.
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THE CASE OF THE MISSING BARCODES
Number of Unknown Runners Today: 10
We've taken the liberty of naming you:
1. "Where's My Barcode?" – A classic.
2. "I Left It In The Car" – We've all been there.
3. "It's In My Other Shorts" – Sure it is.
4. "My Printer Is Broken" – Since 2019.
5. "I Didn't Know I Needed One" – Now you do.
6. "Chicken Legs" – Still going strong. Still no barcode.
7. "The Mysterious Stranger" – We see you. We just can't record you.
8. "Anonymous Dasher" – Very mysterious. Very barcode-less.
9. "Just Here For The Vibes" – Valid. But still register.
10. "I'll Do It Next Week" – You won't. But we believe in you.
REMINDER: REGISTER! It's free, it's easy, and it stops us from making up increasingly ridiculous nicknames for you (looking at you, "Chicken Legs"). Get your barcode here: https://www.parkrun.co.za/register/
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COURSE CONDITIONS REPORT
The course was just perfect. Well, except for the odd corn cob that offered a slight roll to the step. But otherwise all was good. Grass was short, the cows were elsewhere, and the pile of chicken p**p was just a temporary distraction. A fragrant one. But temporary.
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PB BELL RINGING SOCIETY (aka The Sound of Victory)
DING D**G! The bell was rung!
• Nicole – 34:16 – Out for a second run and improving on the overall PB. Just seconds, but seconds faster. That counts. We counted.
• Petrus – 35:59 – Also back for a second run, knocking almost 10 min off the previous run. Well done. That's not a PB, that's a transformation.
• Jabulile – 37:03 – After quite a few tries and the last PB missed by microseconds, this time it is a whole 30 seconds faster. Well done. Patience pays off.
• Frederick – 40:13 – Over a minute off the last PB. Progress. Beautiful, beautiful progress.
• Sicelo – 40:19 – Returns to a new PB. Nice.
• Sbusiso – 40:59 – Also returns to get a new PB. The returners are showing off today.
• Darius – 41:32 – Another return runner, and a new PB just over 5 min faster. Show-off. We love it.
• Jeffrey – 46:04 – A few attempts over the last few months and now you got it, a new PB. Awesome. Never give up.
• Alicia – 47:28 – Another PB for you, that took almost a minute off last week's time. Hat trick next run?
• Rishika – 49:56 – A Rooipoint PB, so close now to that Grey Goose PB, you can do it.
• Qudsiya – 52:38 – Just a few seconds, but it is a PB, worth the bell-ringing glory.
• Nena – 52:57 – The return run with a better time. Nice. Well done.
• Amanda – 54:28 – Been a while, welcome back, and why not do it with a PB.
• Thulisa – 59:14 – That was a close PB, just 2 seconds, but those two seconds are faster than last time. Well done. Every second counts.
"PB stands for Personal Best, but also Possibly Broken, Please Breathe, and Perhaps Bed. All accurate."
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TOP 10 FINISHERS
1. Pierre – 22:47 – Back in front. Taking it a little easier this round. But still putting ears on everyone.
2. Mandlenkosi – 22:58 – Visiting us from Kempton Park again. Welcome back. Great run.
3. Jo – 24:48 – First Lady. And I think the only time I managed to keep ahead of you on the hill on the way out.
4. Craig – 25:35 – Casually ran past me down by the rails. Next time... 😊
5. Wayne – 26:37 – Started strong. Up the hill first. But the downhill is not a favorite. The knees don't work well there. Still, considering the heat... managed to get an OK time.
6. Monique – 27:11 – Second Lady in! What a fantastic run, following in mum's footsteps. I really hoped that you could keep with me to the end. It was close to a PB for you. Next time.
7. Mardy – 28:19 – Third Lady in! Great run to make the top 10.
8. Ralph – 28:20 – Slightly slower this week, but the heat got us today.
9. Rishi – 28:35 – Improving on last week. The warm weather favours some, not the others.
10. Unknown – And this is why we need you to register. Let's call you "The Phantom Finisher." Imagine your name could be here, and you would have been in the top 10. Register. Please.
"Top 10 finishers: proof that some people actually enjoy this. We're watching you. With respect. And a little bit of envy."
Full results: https://www.parkrun.co.za/rooipointfarm/results
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AGE-GRADED CHAMPIONS (Where Age Actually Works FOR You)
1. Joan – 67:87% – Back in the lead. Our true champion.
2. Pierre – 67.45% – Get older, Pierre. That is the only way.
3. Jo – 62.03% – Matching times and age grading. You are synchronizing this perfectly.
"Age grading: the only time getting older actually improves your score. Finally, a reason to celebrate birthdays."
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VOLUNTEERS SHOUTOUT (The REAL Heroes)
To all our volunteers today – you are the reason we can run, walk, jog, and stumble our way through the farm. You clap, you cheer, you point us in the right direction when we're too tired to think. You are legends. You are heroes. You are the ones who remembered the barcode scanner while the rest of us forgot our own barcodes.
Thank you.
"Volunteers: the only people at parkrun who don't look like they're about to die. We appreciate you. We envy you. We thank you."
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THANK YOU TO THE WATSON FAMILY
To the Watson family – thank you for allowing us to run on your farm. The cows are lovely. The grass is soft. The corn cobs are... character-building. We appreciate you opening your home to us every week.
"Where else can you run, dodge cow pats, and call it a personal best? Only at Rooipoint Farm."
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THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
• Vitality – Thank you for your support. You keep us moving, even when we'd rather be sleeping.
• Dischem – Thank you for your support. And the sunscreen we should all be wearing.
• Perfect Water – Thank you for your support. And the hydration reminder we all need.
"Sponsors: the people who make parkrun possible and don't even get to see us suffer in person. True heroes."
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QUICK LINKS (So You Can Get Here Prepared and Motivated)
• Register for your barcode: https://www.parkrun.co.za/register/ – Don't be an unknown!
• View full results: https://www.parkrun.co.za/rooipointfarm/results
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FINAL THOUGHTS
Another beautiful morning at Rooipoint. The sun was shining. The humidity was humbling. The runners were running. The volunteers were volunteering. The corn cobs were plotting.
We had 111 finishers, plenty of PBs, a few milestones, and a whole lot of sweat. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday morning.
To the visitors – come back soon. To the first-timers – welcome to the family. To the unknown runners – please register. We're running out of nicknames.
And remember: October is Cancer Awareness Month. Wear pink. Raise awareness. Look fabulous.
See you next week.
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Wayne
"Parkrun: where strangers become friends, and friends become people who drag you out of bed at 7 am on a Saturday."
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P.S. – The bell doesn't ring itself. Someone has to run fast enough to ring it. Could be you next week.
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