Addo Fun Run Puts Sport, Heritage And Tourism On The Same Field

Addo is set to become a meeting point for sport, heritage and tourism when the second Bayethe Inqweba Addo Explore Fun Run takes place at Travel Addo Farmstall on Heritage Day this Thursday. The event comes as South Africa marks both Heritage Month and Tourism Month, with organisers hoping to use the sporting event to draw visitors to the area and create opportunities for local businesses.

More than just a running event, the organisers say the initiative is aimed at encouraging people to experience Addo beyond the race itself, while creating opportunities for young athletes and strengthening community participation. It is backed by a formal partnership between Bayethe Multi Sport Academy and the Sarah Baartman District Municipality.

The district is contributing R40,000 towards the event, hoping to use for tourism promotion and activation and destination marketing. It hopes that it will help to attract visitors from outside the area and encourage spending at local accommodation establishments, restaurants, shops, attractions and other small businesses.

Bayethe Marketing Executive Sithembiso Soyaya said the decision to stage the event on Heritage Day was intentional. “Heritage is about the people, places, experiences and traditions that connect us. Sport gives us a practical way to bring people together around those connections,” said Soyaya, adding that the organisers wanted visitors to discover the broader Addo experience, rather than simply attend the race and leave.

The event will run from 8am to noon. It will offer more than just running. Entertainmenet will include traditional food stalls, braai specials and jumping castles for children. Visitors and participants can also stand a chance to win experience-based prizes, including game drives for two, a night for two in Addo, sand boarding and a boat cruise for two.

A boost for local tourism

For race director and Addo resident Xola Williams, the event presents an opportunity to strengthen the area's profile as a tourism destination. Williams said runners often travel with family and friends, meaning a sporting event can have an impact beyond the participants themselves.

“When runners travel here, they often come with family and friends. They eat at local establishments, use accommodation, visit attractions and support businesses. That is the tourism value we want to grow,” he said.

The event also forms part of Bayethe Multi Sport Academy's broader objective of expanding access to sport and education.

Established in 2017, the organisation provides opportunities in cycling, running and triathlon, particularly for young people from previously disadvantaged communities.

According to the academy, more than 200 athletes aged between 11 and 75 have been trained through its programmes. Its athletes are registered with Cycling South Africa, Triathlon South Africa and ASWD Athletics and have participated in competitions including the Cape Town Cycle Tour, Ironman South Africa and the Comrades Marathon.

Chairman William Bennett said the academy's long-term objective is to create sustainable pathways for young people who have historically had limited access to structured sporting opportunities. “We need to create an environment where a young person can start with an interest in sport and then find training, mentorship and competition that allows them to progress,” Bennett said.

For Soyaya, the bigger ambition is to ensure that the impact of the event extends beyond September 24. “Sport can create a starting point for something much bigger,” he said, pointing to the possibility of a young person discovering running or triathlon, a family discovering Addo, or a visitor finding a destination they want to return to.