Trail runners give the team that keep Stellenbosch’s trails neat and tidy a boost last week thanks to a R20 000 donation.
The Stellenbosch Trail Fund (STF) is a non profit organisation working to create, improve and maintain all hiking, biking and running trails in and around Stellenbosch. According to Julian Veermeer, acting Crew Captain and co-founder of Stellies Shake Out (SSO), Stellenbosch boast with some of the best trail networks in the province. “We are very privileged to call this place home. Our trails would not be the same if not for the hard work of the STF team maintaining and building new trails. Therefore only fitting to have them as our official Sponsor partner,” he says.
SSO was established in 2019 with a handful of like-minded runners who got together once a week for a social trail run along the trails surrounding Coetzenberg. Fast forward a few years and now the weekly runs attract almost 200 runners each week. Through the weekly donations the SSO runners collected the funds which were handed over last Thursday.
Ernst Gouws, a director of the STF, says volunteers take care of more than 50 km trails in the area and employ seven trailbuilders. STF receives no funding for their work meaning donations like that of the Stellies Shake Out Social Running Crew is of the utmost importance. “Although the trail technically belong to the Stellenbosch Municipality we are the ones taking care of the upkeep and maintenance to make sure the paths are usable and safe,” Gouws explains. He says it is especially gratifying to receive the donation for the very runners who make use of the trails. “This is a full circle situation. The runners, more than any one else, understand the importance of what we do and benefit from it.”
Generally, the runners’ home base is Coetzenberg but they do tackle other trails like Banhoek Conservancy, Idas Valley, Eden Forest, Jonkershoek, and Botmaskop.
Veermeer says there are three speed running groups and encourage first timers joining or those new to trail running, to join the social groups. This also means walking the hills but running the flats.
“After enjoying an hour-long trail run and a drink together, then we generally have a group of around 20 runners who goes to Ginos for crew date night, a famous pizzeria in Stellenbosch, and grab a Pizza in Dorp Street afterwards. All are welcomed,” he invites.
- Find the @stelliesshakeout on social media to find out more about the weekly runs.
