Run Cape Town got 2014 off to a great start with a mid-week running tour of the township of Gugulethu, just 20 minutes outside of the Cape Town city centre, with the lovely father-and-daughter team of Lina and Håkan, from Sweden.  The weather was a bit cold & rainy to start, however by the end of our running tour the sun was out & we were enjoying the bright skies typical of Cape Town at this time of year, whilst exploring the Gugs hood.  And, as is obligatory when visiting Gugulethu, we finished off our running tour with a delicious meal of “shisa nyama” (barbecued/”braaied” meat) at the famous “Mzoli’s” butchery / restaurant, just off Klipfontein Road.  (www.mzolisplace.co.za)

In the end we covered a distance of 9.71km, with an average moving pace of 6:42 min/km, however the Gugs Run is about so much more than clocking up distance and speed; it’s about soaking up the atmosphere of this vibrant community, interacting with the people you come across in the streets, learning more about the sometimes tragic history of the area, yet seeing how far Gugs has come, and how the people have united and grown, with an enormous sense of pride and love for their home.  As always, our Gugs running guide, Vince, shared “his” Gugs with great passion, and we had wonderful, inspiring chats and laughs along the way. 

Thanks Lina and Håkan for joining Run Cape Town for a “Gugs Run” running tour and for your enthusiasm and interest during the run, it was wonderful meeting and running with you both!