This past week our crew would have been bustling around the village preparing for your visit. Checking lists, setting up registration, filling your pre-race registration bags, flagging the route through the Kloppershoek kloof and over Hooggenoeg Ridge, preparing items for the Feed Stations/Check Points, setting up the Start/Finish area, re-checking lists. The myriad of things that must happen before you enjoy time on our hills.

At 6am this morning, a Race Director tradition, the sound of the church bell would have echoed rather eerily through the silent chilly streets.

Today was the scheduled race day for our, and your, 32nd Rhodes Run.

The COVID-19 pandemic meant that in early March we postponed race day until October. This morning we and many of our runners and crew are thinking of those hills, the friendships, the banter, those nervous looks anticipating the day ahead, the village and the long day that is a Rhodes Run race day. Some may be thankful that their induction into our Polar Bear Club has been postponed!

We miss our extended and adopted Rhodes Run family, after all the run is merely an excuse for a gathering of fantastic friends.

Stay safe and we look forward to seeing you in our village in October.

The revised closing date for substitutions is Friday 14 August 2020.

Over the past 75 plus days of 'Lockdown' we have shared over 100 photographs of the run, the village and the district on our Twitter platform. All have been by their very nature a 'remember when', a stroll down memory lane.

Here are a few which may jiggle a few memory cells for some. 

A look back as we look forward to meeting up with friends old and new in Rhodes village for the 'Breathtaking Trail Run.'

Remember when ...

Invitations and entries were sent and received through the mail

Polar Bear towels were available (on order) before you took the plunge

One evening in 'De Wydeman' after a fairly vocal discussion of the difference between a standard and a 'Light' beer the pub's antique scale was used as the final adjudicator. Ja nee!

A Rhodes Run tie was a popular souvenir

The Tintinger family made pancakes (in howling gale force winds and wind chill well below zero) for our runners at Lesotho View

And another evening in 'De Wydeman' when "Mustang Sally" brought out the best from some of our runners, or so some say!

[Image redacted for sensitive viewers]