Witsies hit the ground running
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The Night Run was a memorable evening that set the year off with a bang!
The energy was electric at the Wits Sport Night Run, an annual 5km running event that brings student athletes of all levels together to shed the pre-academic year stresses. The exciting event was held at the Wits Club on West Campus. The crowd was filled with first-year students, postgraduate students, staff and alumni, who all braced themselves for the excitement of the race.
First-year students and twin sisters Demi and Dami, shared their enthusiasm to participate in their first official university event. “It’s very inclusive and it’s extremely important. Even if you don’t walk you can still engage with people, especially if you’re a first-year student, you can socialise and get sparked up in the passion of wanting to do something athletic.” Dami shared about the importance of these events.
Sports play an integral part in fostering community and bringing people together; the Wits Run is no different. It was a perfect opportunity for young and old students to get together and socialise, opening the door to creating friendships and stepping outside of people’s comfort zones.
The event kicked off to cheers and shouts of excitement, as music blasted, and the athletes set off. Everyone had different approaches to the race, but they all set their hearts on making it to the end. The strong start was met shortly after with a torrent of rain, but the spirits remained high.
The runners enthusiastically fought their way through the preset running path until the first person crossed the finish line in under 30 minutes. Kyle Broom finished the run in the lead. He ran at this event for the first time on Thursday, and he is eager to do it again after his successful finish. “It feels good to win… it feels lekker. It’s my first time but I’ll do it every year now.”
Like Broom, many of the runners were experiencing the run for the first time. But this was not the case for the first-place female runner, Carli Bramley. Bramley placed first for the women in Thursday’s run, after placing second and third in previous years. “It felt really good finishing in the top 3. I’ve done the Wits night run twice before where I came 3rd and 2nd, so I was quite eager to try to place 1st in this year's run, especially because it will be my last run before, I graduate!” She shared about her experience.
The sponsorships by Aquelle and Campus Central were important parts of the event that helped to create a successful experience for everyone involved. Wits Sports would like to extend our thanks to our sponsors who made the run possible.
Ultimately everything went as planned, and despite the sudden change in the weather and the unfaltering thunderstorm, the Wits Night Run ended successfully and made certain of its ability to bring people together and create an exciting start to a busy year.
