Afternoon Tea Anyone?

Today I got up at the crack of dawn and drove along the coast to the beautiful Greenpoint Park in Cape Town, where in fantastic weather conditions I took part in the 170th edition of the Park Run. For those unaware of the events, which are held all over the world on Saturday mornings, its a timed 5 kilometre run usually through city parks. Its not designed as a race, although clearly some people struggled with that concept, its more you against the clock. each run you do, you get timed and the aim is to improve. Or in my case improve or die albeit in a nice park, trying.

It turned out to be quiet an event, 930 plus people took part and I guess that was due to the great weather, great location and the great number of tourists in the area at the moment. At the start the guy with the megaphone asked if there were any runners from abroad, there was a neat couple from Sweden that put their hands up, some fit looking Australia made there presence known as only they can and a large bunch of people wearing ill fitting shorts, dirty wrinkled t shirts and slip on deck shoes, looking as though they had the mother of all hangovers, chanting Ingerland, Ingerland, Ingerland.

There was the usual gym bunnies, with all the latest gear and toned muscles rippling on the start line. There was experienced runners of all ages, with their skeletal bodies and running vests as old as the hills. There was gorgeous females wearing tiny pieces of body hugging lycra, there was females and males who should never be allowed near lycra, but sadly were.There was people with dogs sniffing everything in sight. There was parents pushing a variety of prams with a variety of offspring inside. There was little kids about 5 years old with Man Utd football shirts on, there was even younger kids on small pushbikes with those extra wheels fitted at the back. One was riding like a manic on the footpath, but I can forgive him on this occasion as the dedicated bike lane had a few hundred runners in it. Guys jogged passed me casually chatting about what they were going to bar bq later, some teenage girls equally casual, chatting about night clubs, cocktails and boys.

The thing is this, all these people had three things in common…

1… They were all running in the Park Run which is a great weekly event.

2… They were all, with the exception of me having a wonderful time.

3… They all finished way, way ahead of me.

Just before the start the guy with the megaphone invited everyone after the run, to meet up at the various coffee shops in the area and enjoy some social time together. I should have asked were they were planning to go for afternoon tea.