Needing some motivation to increase my endurance and distance, I picked the VOB Grape Run as my goal for completing the half-marathon distance.
I am no runner, and the only half-marathon I have ever run was more than 18 years ago.
Worried that I was not up to the distance, I completed two trail runs up Table Mountain the weekend prior to the race, and became fairly confident I would have no difficulty in completing the race.
I was a little disappointed that I could not find details of the race route anywhere. It was quite daunting not knowing where the route I would be following – and more importantly: where in the race the hills would be! A telephone call to the number listed just went to a message letting me know that the race entries were closed. Not very helpful, guys!
The course:
Without having competed in any other races to speak of, I venture to say that you would be hard-pressed to find a course more beautiful than this one.
The race started on Constantia Road outside the VOB Club House. It moved up Constantia Road toward Constantia Nek, turning in and heading into the historic Groot Constantia Wine Estate. At the end of the avenue, it took the road heading right, up into the vineyards on a gravel track. The track wound up through the vineyards, and then across toward Silvermine until it reached Tokai.
Here the trail took a turn down a long hill to the Tokai Arboretum, where I was able to open up my stride a bit and make good time.
From here the trail passed through all the other Constantia Valley Wine Estates: Klein Constantia, Steenberg, and then Groot Constantia again.
Leaving Groot Constantia via the same route, the course followed the tar again, moving onto Constantia Road, and then taking a left into Paggasvlei Road. The trail then sneaked onto a bridle path which then popped out on the gravel road next to Peddlar’s on the Bend, and took Spaanschemat River Road back to the VOB club sport’s grounds.
