On Sunday, 17th September, two major events are scheduled to take place in Cape Town, which will see our streets positively swarming with people. Around 20,000 of them, in fact.
Firstly, the starter’s gun for the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon will go off at 7am, at which 10,000 runners and walkers will set off from the corner of Beach Road and Granger Bay in Green Point (near the V&A Waterfront). Ten minutes later, a further 10,000 people will begin their Peace Walk from just down the road in Green Point; leaving from the corner of Granger Bay Boulevard and Fritz Sonnenberg Road.
While the Marathon runners will be heading towards the CBD and Southern Suburbs before returning to the A Track, the Peace Walkers will be ambling along the beachfront to Sea Point and back via the Urban Park, Vlei Road and Fritz Sonnenberg Road.
Now, if you’re neither a road-runner nor a peace walker, you may be wondering how these events will affect your life. Well, in quite a drastic way, actually. Road closures!! While some roads in the CBD and Southern Suburbs will be affected on Sunday only, certain roads in Greenpoint will be closed on both Saturday and Sunday. Click here for a comprehensive guide to road closures: Road Closures 2017
Although both the events are scheduled to begin at 7am or shortly thereafter, many of the road closures will take effect from 6.15am onwards. So, don’t think you’ll get away with setting your alarm and nipping out before the 7am deadline!
The best way to survive a weekend of road closures is to pretend that you are under house-arrest and just embrace it. Good planning is essential to avoid possible frustration and cabin fever. Plan your weekend right down to the last detail, making lists of anything you may need and stocking up on essentials well in advance. While you are buying your provisions, don’t forget about your pets and ensure that you have enough food to keep them going too. Then, safe in the knowledge that you are not going to run out of anything or have any need to brave the road closures, put your feet up to enjoy a binge-watch of series or pick up that book you’ve been meaning to start for ages. If you’re feeling energetic, you could use the opportunity to finally perform that spring-cleaning you’ve been threatening to do, or pay some attention to a neglected garden.
If it is unavoidable that you leave your house, choose your bicycle, motorbike or moped over your car. The less cars on the roads at a time like this, the better. It would make even more sense to leave your car at home and order an Uber or Taxify, saying goodbye to worrying about finding parking in the process. Just remember to allow extra time for your journey, as your driver may have to take an alternate, longer route than the one you are used to. Ask him to change the radio station to one playing classical music, which has been scientifically proven to lower stress levels.
If you absolutely have to drive your car in or around the affected areas, ensure that you are not tempted to park illegally. You will be rewarded with a fine from The Traffic Police, or, worse, your car may be towed away.
All things considered, the best option this weekend is to sit tight in your home and watch the coverage of the marathon on TV.
Words by Kelly-May Macdonald
