Inaugural York Timbers parkrun Brings Sabie Community Together

By: De-Shark

Sabie welcomed a new addition to its growing list of community activities on Saturday 22 August 2026 when the inaugural York Timbers parkrun was held along the scenic Sabie River, attracting 147 finishers and nine volunteers.

The event is the third parkrun in the Thaba Chweu Local Municipality, adding Sabie to the growing parkrun network and giving residents and visitors an opportunity to combine physical activity with the town’s natural beauty.

Event Director Barend Jansen van Vuuren said he was delighted with the turnout and the support received from the community.

“We were very well prepared and we needed to make sure that we had a calm first event,” said Jansen van Vuuren.

He was particularly pleased to see so many local residents taking part and volunteering their time.

“The support we got from our friends was amazing. They were all willing, they wanted to be involved and they wanted to help,” he said.

According to Jansen van Vuuren, the organisers received numerous offers from people wanting to volunteer, including people they had never met before.

“It warms the heart to be met with that amount of help from random people you don’t even know, willing to come and spend their Saturday mornings,” he said.

He expressed his gratitude to everyone who contributed to making the inaugural event a success, as well as the sponsors, Measure and Saw and York Timbers.

“I can’t say thank you enough to the people who made the parkrun a success. When we went knocking, they came to the party, no questions asked. That kind of commitment inspires you, to each and every one of the volunteers taking the time of their Saturday morning and being here, it really takes effort. My gratitude has no limit,” Jansen van Vuuren said.

The idea for the York Timbers parkrun was inspired by Madeleine Jansen van Vuuren, who comes from a parkrun family.

Barend explained that when he and Madeleine moved to Sabie, one of the things she missed was having a local parkrun. Her hometown already had one and because they are an active couple, they began looking for a suitable location where a parkrun could be established.

Their search led them to the scenic Sabie area, where participants can enjoy their Saturday morning walk or run surrounded by nature.

Jansen van Vuuren believes the event can also contribute to attracting visitors to Sabie.

“Sabie is a destination town and being able to come and do a parkrun next to the beautiful river in nature, being able to come and do your morning walk and experience that, is something that you need to come and see,” he said.

He encouraged those who did not attend the inaugural event to come and experience it for themselves.

“Anyone who wants to know why they need to be here, come and experience Sabie. You will not be disappointed,” he said.

The new event also offers an exciting opportunity for participants taking part in the popular alphabet challenge.

With the Sabie event carrying the letter Y, parkrun enthusiasts can now complete their “Y” in Sabie rather than travelling to the Western Cape. According to the organisers, the Western Cape was the only parkrun in South Africa offering the “Y”.

The event also received support from fellow parkrun organisers, including Grant Bosman, Event Ambassador for the Kruger Lowveld region.

Bosman said the day marked the culmination of more than a year of planning and searching for the right course.

“The day finally arrived after over a year of planning and finding the right course and they did an amazing job. They’ve got an amazing team,” said Bosman.

He praised the support received from York Timbers and described the route as beautiful, although not without its challenges.

“It’s got a few bumps which makes it slightly tough. It’s not totally flat, but it’s beautiful,” he said. Bosman also joined the participants on the course, finishing ninth with a time of 25:53. The inaugural event was also a celebration of personal achievements and milestones.

Among the participants was 82-year-old Hekkie Wasserman, who marked his 100th parkrun by taking part in the first York Timbers event in Sabie.

There were also personal records recorded during the morning. Gloria Mashao was among those celebrating after breaking her personal record with a time of 1:33:06. While pleased with her achievement, Mashao said she wished she had more time to stop and admire the surrounding natural beauty.

The first three finishers were:

1. Marco Jansen van Rensburg – 19:57
2. Leander Esser – 21:53
3. Luthando Hamanburg – 23:16

With strong community support, enthusiastic volunteers and a beautiful riverside route, the inaugural York Timbers parkrun has laid the foundation for what organisers hope will become a regular and much-loved Saturday morning activity in Sabie.