BREAKTHRU MIDRAND STRIDERS
Address: Swiss Club, Moerdyk Road, Vorna Valley, Midrand
When: Tuesday at 17:30 (winter), 17:45 (summer)
Distance: 4km and 8km
This time trial is probably one of the most deceiving routes you will encounter. The first part of the route leads you to think that this is an easy time trial with all of the downhill running. But what goes down must come up and make no mistake, in the second half you will pay the price if you sprinted too fast down the hills in the first section!
It starts and finishes at the Swiss Club in Moerdyk Street, Vorna Valley. From the club you turn left into Moerdyk Street and immediately your breathing becomes heavier as you start working on an uphill! Reaching the top you turn right into Albertyn Street, a short flattish section followed by a steep and long downhill all the way to the bottom of the Valley.
After a short flat section into Chris Barnard Street at approximately the 2km mark, the trouble starts!
Now you have to climb all the way back to the club. What makes the climbs even tougher is that they are quite long. One of the hills stretches for about 1km.
Just before you reach the club there is a short downhill
section allowing you to get your breath back before turning
once more and making your way back to the club – finishing
on an uphill!
The 8km is simply two loops of the 4km. This is the ideal time trial to make you a strong uphill runner. If you don’t love hills, you are guaranteed to make friends with them after running this time trial a couple of times.
The bunch of runners from Breakthru Midrand Striders are all friendly and ready to lend a hand, so if you are new and don’t know the route, don’t stress. Someone will ‘gently’ lead you
up the hills!
Difficulty Rating: 3 out of 5