10 000 to run Jozi streets

Nike launches the Run Free.Run Jozi 10km night race.

At an event in Braamfontein, Johannesburg on 31 January, Nike launched the Nike Run Free.Run Jozi 10km night race, which will be held on 21 March, Human Rights Day. Part of an international Nike We Run City 10k world series tour that has happened in cities like Buenos Aires in Argentina, Mexico City in Mexico, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Run Jozi will see 10 000 runners, young and old, navigate the inner city streets of Johannesburg, as Anwar Jappie, Nike SA Brand Director explains, “reclaiming the city a kilometre at a time”.

The route, which starts at Mandela Bridge, will take runners past some of Jozi’s iconic landmarks, like Luthuli House, City Hall and Constitutional Hill, ending outside Museum Africa in Mary Fitzerald Square. The intention is to both celebrate the city and its people and to provide runners the space to train and the opportunity to run through parts of the city that have, for very long, been considered inaccessible, especially at night.

The City of Joburg’s participation in Run Jozi is part of its drive to turn Johannesburg into A Liveable City and the launch was attended by many of the City’s administrators, including MMC for Community Development, Cllr Chris Vondo.

Also unveiled at the launch was the unique very bright race tee with pre-printed race numbers, which all runners will need to wear for the race. The two categories are Student and Open, with the registration fee for students with a valid student card being R50 and the Open fee set at R70. Online registration is open on www.runjozi.com and physical registration can be completed at Nike stores for the first 10 000.

The night culminated in a fireworks display over Mandela Bridge to officially launch the Run Jozi campaign.
 

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