Just off the back of Freedom Day, Brimstone Investment Corporation Limited offers a unique race with a rich heritage and historical significance. The event traces the slave route and aims to honour those who built the incredible city of Cape Town that we know and love today.
The Slave Route Challenge kicks off at The City Hall on Sunday, 26 May 2024 and ends at the Grand Parade. Participants can choose between a half marathon of 5km for the novice runner and a 10km run for the more advanced runner. The aim is to bring people together from all walks of life and to encapsulate the spirit of Ubuntu.
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The Slave Route
Beginning at The City Hall, the race will take you through District 6, Gardens, The Company Gardens, Wale Street, Bo-Kaap, Sea Point and the Cape Town Stadium, Green Point (Fort Wynyard), the CBD and back down Darling Street into the Castle of Good Hope and the finish on the Grand Parade.
The event organisers carefully curated the route as it ensures that participants pass heritage sites like the Whipping Post, which is where slaves were once whipped; the Hurling Swing Pump where slaves needed to pump water for their masters; the Company Bell that rang to call and gather slaves; Gallows Hill where the slaves were executed; the Castle where many slaves were once imprisoned and tortured; and the Slave Tree Plaque where many slaves were sold.
The heritage sites of District Six and Bo-Kaap are significant to the route as not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but it captures the cultural diversity and significant history of the City of Cape Town. Runners and walkers will be able to experience these sites and enjoy a traditional Cape Malay Koesister, sponsored by Spice Mecca, while en route to the finish line.
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The beneficiaries of the 2024 Slave Route Challenge
Each year Brimstone Investment Corporation Limited and the Slave Route Challenge event choose causes to support at the end of the event. This year, the beneficiaries are The Red Cross Children’s Hospital and Paedspal (for those in need of palliative care services for children with non-curable illnesses).
Entries close on 12 May. Get your tickets on Webtickets today.
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Feature image: @theslaveroutechallenge / (Instagram)
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