Running wild in the winelands

(Above, second from left): Extreme athlete Dr Jean-Paul Van Belle (information systems) may look as if he missed the turnoff to False Bay, but it was all in good fun. This time the fun involved a 15km jog through the winelands of Devon Valley for the De Vine Run (proceeds went to the small but flourishing Devon Valley Primary School). Instead of the usual fare of H2O, or electric-blue Energade or acid-yellow Powerade, the water tables sought to offer runners more inspiring liquid refreshment. The straw-coloured sparkling wines and ruby-red cabernets provided stiffer sustenance. Some tables lured runners off-track with delicacies like oysters. "Needless to say the last few kays were a bit of a blur," said Van Belle. Oh, and he did get second place, this time in the best-dressed man category. On a more abstemious note, Van Belle also won the inaugural Peninsula Polaris Challenge, a face-off between mountain bikes and road bikes. He won the three-hour dash (on a mountain bike) around the peninsula, scoring 546 points.