University of the Western Cape Brings Back Fast & Flat Race
The 10km and 6.5km races are expected to attract thousands of athletes when they take place on Saturday for the first time since 2019 due to COVID-19.
Known as the fastest and flattest race in the Western Cape, it is tailored for athletes of all kinds – young and old, slow and fast – to run their personal best, according to event director, Glen Bentley.
He said half of the race will occur on campus while the other half will be in the community of Belhar.
“UWC considers the communities outside the campus as strategic partners; many students and alumni live there. So the purpose of the event is to showcase UWC as well as the communities outside the university,” said Bentley.
The revamped 28th edition of Fast & Flat will also take place barely a week before the Comrades Marathon, allowing runners to prepare for the ultramarathon.
The race will start promptly at 07:30 next to the UWC Sports Stadium in the direction of Campus Protection Services, with the first significant landmark being the newly constructed Education Faculty. It will proceed towards the School of Government, immediately turning left towards Robert Sobukwe Drive. On this long stretch, runners will pass the iconic Cape Flats Nature Reserve, where, if they are lucky, they might get a glimpse of the rarely spotted caracal.
Just after the 2km mark, runners will hit Robert Sobukwe Road toward Belhar. “This is the only part of the race where you will experience a slight incline to break your pace,” Bentley noted.
Runners will then turn left into Belhar, where the route immediately turns left into Suikerbos Road, Erica Drive, Symphony Way and then re-enter the campus via the East Link Road. The runners will pass residences, the School of Public Health, Life Sciences and Chemical Sciences, and finish back at UWC Sports Stadium.
Online entries will close on 1 June 2023 on the webtickets platform: www.webtickets.co.za.
Entry cards can be collected on Friday, 2 June 2023, from 14:00 – 18:00 at the UWC Sports Stadium. Alternatively, entries can also be collected at the stadium on the morning of the race, from 5am. Those who missed online entries are welcome to enter on the morning of the race.