Run away with words at Uitkyk during the US Woordfees

On March 2 the Uitkyk wine estate near Stellenbosch will host fun runs covering 6 km and 12 km respectively called  PVM Energiestafie Velddraf met Woorde: ek skop stof op in my taal as part of the annual US Woordfees.

Last year some 300 runners participated in the inaugural event. This year the estate is preparing to host about 500 runners on the two routes.

What makes the event different is that it commemorates Afrikaans by having participants run with words unique to the language. After the race participants can help fund the publishing of the next Woordeboek vir die Afrikaanse Taal (WAT) by sponsoring a word at R100 each as part of the WAT borg-’n-woord project.

The routes will take the runners through the vineyards where they might see raptors such as jackal buzzards and kestrels resting on theposts used by owls as hunting perches during the hours of darkness. Participants will also, for part of the route, run through more than 310 ha of indigenous vegetation, mainly renosterveld, which the estate has set aside for conservation. The number of Grysbokand Duiker in this area has shown encouraging growth over the past few years as has many other species of indigenous fauna.

The resurgence in plant and animal life on Uitkyk is largely the result of an extensive conservation and rehabilitation programme on the estate, which enjoys champion status with the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative (BWI), introduced a number of years ago.

After the race runners will be able to participate in the conservation programme. Instead of a medal, they will receive a spekboom to take home. The spekboom’s capacity to soak up excess carbon dioxide makes it one of the most efficient carbon-storing plants. There will also be lucky draws to which entrants can look forward to after the races.

On the day there will be a variety of stalls selling food. There will also be live music while wine tastings and sales will be offered at the estate’s tasting facility.

Guests may bring their own blankets and chairs. Cheese platters will be available from R130 at the tasting centre and can be ordered on arrival. Picnic baskets for two filled with delicious nibbles and a bottle of wine from the Flat Roof Manor range can be booked atwww.eventry.co.za at a price of R250. Kiddies picnic baskets cost R55 each.