Young and old sign up for the Discovery East Coast Radio Big Walk.

Entries for the 2013 Discovery East Coast Radio Big Walk opened earlier this week and previous walkers are already planning who they’ll ‘tag along’.  The event takes place on Sunday 26 May and people are encouraged to get their loved ones to ‘tag along’ and then tag it on Facebook and Twitter.

One of last year’s oldest participants, 83 year old Haley De Klerk says he and his wife Gloria will again be taking part with the hopes of inspiring others to ‘tag along’, no matter their age. Former runners Haley and Gloria haven’t slowed down; they tackled the 20km route last year, “We enjoyed meeting and talking to people of all race groups and ages, the atmosphere was one of togetherness. We will definitely be there again this year and hope we’re an example to younger people that one is never too old to take up the challenge.” 

The Discovery East Coast Radio Big Walk will again offer walkers the choice of four distances - 5km, 10km, 15km or 20km - with all routes starting on the promenade near uShaka Marine World. Another avid walker who was among last year’s 23 804 participants is Dasarath Harilal from Stanger. He was at the very first event in 2004 and every subsequent Discovery East Coast Radio Big Walk. This energetic family man says he not only walks in the main event, but also gets his whole family to ‘tag along’ to the Mini Big Walk, “Everyone joins me, my wife, my two children, children-in-law and two grandchildren. My grandchildren, who are now five and two years old, love it so much and have already asked me to enter them.”

Joanne Maxwell, a mom from Westville, also has fond memories of all the Discovery East Coast Radio Big Walks that her family have joined in, “The very first time we did the event, my daughter who is now 10 years old, was around four years old and travelled most of the distance on her dad’s shoulders.” She says her husband and her will get their two children to ‘tag along’ again this year.

You can enter at Totalsports stores across KwaZulu-Natal or online at www.ecr.co.za. Listen out to East Coast Radio and watch press for more details.

(Source - East Coast Radio) 

Some poetry for you by Timothy Sparks

North of Umhlanga  29 ᴼ 32ᶦ S 31 ᴼ 13 ᶦE

      στους Έλληνες  ,dedicated to Zoe.

The coast road in our breath

Was roses from all the world.

We travelled to forgotten places

From climbing clouds raises castles

In their homeland, combines in dances

Spoken half through tears once through shadows.

We converse with years, in-between

Us, distance lures to lagoons

Of forever; calling back present

From past, one word of Ancient Greek

Draws laughter from us, tied together

In a heaven of our making,

The words that some lied

In a our ears dream struck;

We wonder where the hills

Mark our philosophy, our fears

In this cold Century in absentia.

Laughter remains with us sudden

As the aperture freezes a heart

One second but the waves

Frame a good moment, an ancient moment

When smiling we have crossed the river.

                               

                            

                                 

                                 19 March 2013   O.C

                                 Timothy Sparks

Timothy Sparks is a freelance writer based in Durban.

email: tpwsparks@hotmail.com