I’m not sure what’s crazier, running Comrades in a cow suit or banging on the city council’s door for 20 years.

Richard Laskey has done both.

This weekend he tackles his 17^th Comrades, wearing his special suit for a ninth time in aid of CHOC, the childhood cancer foundation. On the scale of madness, that measures pretty high.

Laskey is a roll-up-your-sleeves kind of guy, so it’s not surprising that he is the force another outstanding initiative. Long a fan (and participant) of cross-country and mountain biking – he doubles up as ad sales boss of Modern Athlete magazine – Laskey and his mates are behind the development of the just-opened Huddle Park trail runs.

It’s a project that first had its origins in 1996, but typical council bureaucracy stymied it. Undeterred, Laskey went back again and again, finally getting the green light last year.

I made my debut on Sunday, running both the 5km and the 2,5km courses and thoroughly enjoyed the early morning. I wasn’t sure what to expect but was pleasantly surprised that Laskey and his team had managed to cut trails amid verdant brush and bush, an area I had little idea even existed at the course.

Huddle Park has had its issues over the years, but the club finally seems on the up, having become a popular family venue with appealing add-ons that make you want to visit.

The mountain biking trails have been open for a while, but the running trails are brand new. They probably won’t suit the hard core runner looking for a deep burn, but for a weekend warrior like myself, I found them fantastic. There has already been a schools cross-country event over the course with Huddle Park an obvious environment for kids, particularly as it is safe and accessible.

Laskey, who runs for Bedfordview Country Club, got going on the trails last October and did massive work clearing the paths with his mates. There are a couple of obstacles to negotiate – nothing overly strenuous, mind – but the route is largely clear and the sign-posting is solid.

There are about half-a-dozen spots where the path criss-crosses the MTB track, but these are well marked, not that it mattered: the trail was nice and quiet during my run.

There were a couple of muddy spots along the way and it will doubtless be more fun in the summer months when the rains come.

There’s a nominal R50 fee to be paid, which you do at the clubhouse, safe in the knowledge that the cash will be ploughed back into route maintenance.

I hope the trails become a popular staple among Joburg’s runners. Running off-road makes a refreshing change from dodging cars and pot holes and offers a fresh challenge.

Hope to see you there soon.