Despite a quarter fewer runners than during its heyday, chairman Michael Brinkhof looks back on a ‘fantastic’ Cascade run. “It would be nice if we could go back to eight thousand participants, but the corona time has done something,” he concludes.
More than six thousand runners were at the start yesterday in the Hoogeveense Raadhuisstraat. “Enough to call it a success,” says Brinkhof.
In earlier editions of the Cascaderun, there were about 2,000 more. But corona has dealt a blow to the Hoogeveen running race and other events, Brinkhof sees.
And people who have dropped out are less likely to return, even though running increased in popularity during the corona years. “It surprises me sometimes,” admits the Cascaderun chairman. “I’m a runner and walker too, so this time was the perfect opportunity to do your thing. But it turns out people have lost contact and somehow don’t see running as a priority.”
Balen does not do Brinkhof, in fact: “Compared to last year we have grown tremendously again”, he looks at two sides of the coin. “It will be all right in the coming years.”
The Hoogeveen touch to the fifteenth edition makes the chairman extra proud. ‘Local hero’ Jacelyn Gruppen, who lives in Hoogeveen, extended her title in the five miles. She was the first to cross the line in a time of 26 minutes and 47 seconds, to the cheers of the watching audience in the Hoofdstraat.
Watch the finish of Jacelyn Gruppen, winner of the women’s five miles, here. (Text continues below the video)