“Rain or shine, the Kenton Rhino Run will go ahead,” organisers Jo Wilmot and Carey Webster said.
It did, and runners and walkers for rhinos showed up, despite very wet forecasts and actual weather. Some of those who braved a 36km/h wind and constant driving rain to do the 2023 Kenton Rhino Run were still on a high from the previous evening with the Good Things Guy, Brent Lindeque, who was a special guest for the weekend along with partner Andrew Ross. The weekend of fundraising for the Chipembere Foundation started on Saturday evening with a face to face Q&A with Lindeque at the Round Table clubhouse on Middle Beach. The multi-award-winning good-news website founder carried his positive enthusiasm to the event hosted at Jerry’s on the Dune on Heritage Day, Sunday September 24.
Well known wildlife veterinarian and rhino champion Dr William Fowlds, who had given an inspiring talk at the fundraising evening the night before, wasn’t surprised at how many people turned up despite the weather. There were 601 pre-registrations and another 20 on the day and more than 350 arrived and did the event.
“Rhinos and conservation need friends,” Fowlds said. “And today you’ve proved that you’re standing by our rhinos, no matter what it takes.”
The annual Kenton Rhino Run raises funds for rhino conservation, specifically for the Chipembere Rhino Foundation and the Kariega Foundation, who this year asked for all the funds to go to Chipembere. The event was the project of Outdoor Focus, Sunshine Coast Tourism and the Kenton Community, with more than 30 local businesses and organisations contributing in cash, in kind or in person power to make the event a success.
Along with many individual entries, this year’s event was supported by participant delegations from local game reserves, running clubs, NGOs and three Makhanda schools. Victoria Girls’ High School, Diocesan School for Girls and Kingswood College sent runners. So did Kariega, Amakhala and Lalibela Game Reserves. Alexandria gap-year youth training facilitators Quest Africa brought a team.
Kenton running club, the Volo Vikings, was well represented; however, their star runners Vuyisani Nobi and Dumisa Kinqana were focused on managing their young charges – a group of youngsters from Ekuphumleni. Volo Viking, Butshabethu Kayi, won the 18km race in 1:09.
Also focused on getting a big group of youngsters safely on track was the Kariega Foundation’s Nomawethu Ngangqu. The winner of the 5km race, Thandokuhle Dawethi, came from this group.
Runners from Kowie Striders, Albany Runners and Ikhamva Athletics Club were among those who made up the numbers.
There was sheer enthusiasm despite the cold and wet at each start – 18km, 12km and 5km. There was even more enthusiasm at Jerry’s, where cold drinks from Sunshine Coast Spar and the laid-back sounds of singer-guitarist Gary Ford awaited finishers.
Speaking ahead of the prizegiving, Lindeque said he was proud to have been part of the 10th Kenton Rhino Run and had enjoyed discovering Kenton.
Fowlds thanked everyone who had taken part.
“The Eastern Cape is an incredibly important province for rhinos,” he said. “I don’t know if you realise that. And we couldn’t do this work without people like you.”
If anyone couldn’t make the Kenton Rhino Run and would still like to donate to the cause, they can contact Carey Webster of Outdoor Focus via WhatsApp on 076 152 2927.
and Ross Chapman. Picture: SUE MACLENNAN
RESULTS OF THE KENTON RHINO RUN
18km male
1 Butshabethu Kayi
2 Mzwanele Maphekula
3 Ross Chapman
18km female
1 Sune Chadwick
2 Roxy Smith
3 Catherine Bowker
12km male
1 Trevor SHuttleworth
2 Thabo Klaas
3 Liam Jones
12km female
1 Luise Haeseler
2 Jess Gornall
3 Stacey Fitzhenry
5km male
1 Thandokuhle Daweti
2 Jay Mnqanqeni
3 Siyamthanda Kalashe
5km female
1 Josie Apps
2 Taryn de Villiers
3 Isabella Thornton-Dibb
