WorcesterCairo to cape run the map of Africa – Worcester https://showme.co.za/worcester Worcester, Western Cape in South Africa for all your local and tourism information; from accommodation to events, entertainment, attractions and news in the Breede River Valley - ShowMe Worcester | T Feed Wed, 06 Mar 2024 08:12:29 +0000 hourly 1 https://showme.co.za/worcester/?p=22561 Cairo to cape run the map of Africa https://showme.co.za/worcester/news/cairo-to-cape-run-the-map-of-africa/ Thu, 14 Oct 2021 07:20:30 +0000 Dippenaar says it started two years ago when it was decided to clear the property of alien vegetation and open roads...]]>
Dippenaar says it started two years ago when it was decided to clear the property of alien vegetation and open roads for emergency vehicles.
Cairo to cape run the map of Africa

En route…

The Cairo to Cape Trail Run, scheduled for 23 October, traverses the Map of Africa and participants will have the option of completing either an 8km or a 21km route.

Making the race a must-do for local and visiting “trailies” is the fact that this hallowed location has never been open to the running public.

“But,” says race director Alewijn Dippenaar, “after an agreement was reached with the owners of Woodifields, where Map of Africa is located, several sections of private land bordering Wilderness Heights are now being prepared for the race.”

Woodifields co-owner Bruce Jackson, “a farmer and visionary”, met Dippenaar of Thousand Sensations-fame a decade ago and they struck up a friendship that, unbeknownst to them at the time, would turn dreams into riveting reality.

Dippenaar says it started two years ago, when it was decided to clear the property of alien vegetation and open roads for emergency vehicles.

“It dawned on us then that these tracks could serve as trail-running routes, and the inaugural race is part of a longer-term plan to turn Woodifields into an adventure mecca,” he enthuses.

Cairo to Cape participants will have the privilege of crossing the historic property in a public-access first, starting at “Cairo” on the Map’s northernmost point and passing various “countrie” en route. Runners will swing past “Cape Town” in the south before returning on the circular track.

The farm’s rich history adds to the lure of experiencing this ecologically significant terrain, where leopards have been known to roam amid spectacular indigenous flora. “Bruce lives in the original house where Thomas Bain stayed while building the new road to Knysna back in 1867,” says Dippenaar.

“The farm’s original name, Pampoenkraal, hails from the days when pumpkin peels fed the oxen that pulled wagons over this property.”

Dippenaar says trailies will be privy to the views that inspired beautiful artworks by French explorer and naturalist François le Vaillant in the late 1800s, as well as an array of scenic landmarks along the way.

Cairo to cape run the map of Africa

Map of Africa

Until recently, national regulations had only allowed up to 100 participants for such events. But the current lockdown level means nearly triple that number can be accommodated. All Covid-19 protocols will be observed.

Enter the farm opposite the Nelson Mandela University George Campus to revel in the tunes as well as great food, music and a fun atmosphere for the whole family.

If you’re keen to glimpse the terrain before committing to the race, swing past the Map of Africa viewpoint at the furthest extreme of Remskoen Street. Visit http://www.onlines.co.za/ to enter.

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-Knysna Plett Herald News

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