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Fastest Boy in SA

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Young sprinter Kyle Appel has already brought home a number of medals and records at youth level, and now big things are predicted for him someday in the senior ranks. – BY SEAN FALCONER

Do a Google search for Kyle Appel and you’ll come across a YouTube video of him in action, with the title: Kyle Appel – Fastest u/15 Boy Alive 2013. In the footage, you see him winning 100m and 200m events at a local meet in Cape Town and finishing a good 20 or 30 metres clear of the rest of the field! Now the title of that video may contain some ‘poetic licence’ – it was posted by a self-confessed fan – but there is no denying that this 17-year-old from Bellville in the Cape is seriously fast!

In fact, Kyle can now claim to be the fastest SA and African 200m youth sprinter of all time, having clocked 20.57 seconds to break Gift Leotlela’s SA record by 0.06 seconds as he claimed the silver medal at the IAAF World Youth Champs in Cali, Columbia in July. (Youth competition is reserved for athletes aged 17 or under.) Earlier in the competition he was unfortunately disqualified from the 100m semi-final round after false-starting, but he made up for that with his second-place finish in the 200m, and in the process climbed to eighth on the all-time word youth list for the event.

This latest medal is a step up after his bronze in the 200m at the All Africa Youth Games in Botswana in May, where he clocked a then PB of 21.07, which in turn followed a gold medal at the Region 5 African Games in Zimbabwe last December, but Kyle says the Cali medal is definitely the highlight. “It was my first World Champs, so it was that much more special. Now I hope to do even better at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa in September, and then the World Junior Champs in Russia next year.” (Junior competition is reserved for athletes aged under 20.)

One for the Future
Unsurprisingly, big things are expected from the grade 11 pupil at Brackenfell High School, who is coached by Marcel Otto and boasts a 100m PB of 10.52 seconds. He is being touted not only as a potential medallist at the World Juniors, but long-term as a senior at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. For now, however, he is just trying to fit in his sport and his academics. “It is tough, because my school work is falling behind from touring a lot, so I’m trying to catch up with my classmates. My friends help me a lot, and the teachers do understand and also try to help.”

Kyle says he also enjoys great support from his family: “My parents have put a lot of time, effort and money into my athletics, and made a lot of sacrifices. They’re my biggest supporters, along with my small brother Cody. He’s only seven, but he trains with me every day, and I think he could be the next rising star.” His other big supporter is girlfriend Alice Adeolu, also an athlete. “She trains with me, helps to motivate me, and is always there to push me.”

Inspired by Success
Naturally, Kyle is excited about the recent spate of records and podium positions by his fellow South African sprinters. “I think SA athletics is going so well. I’ve been watching the local guys and I’m so proud of them, especially Wayde van Niekerk and his sub-20 for 200m. When he was younger he did 100s, so he has the speed to run under 20, and like him, I may move up to the 400m in the future. I raced a few 400s earlier this year, and also ran the anchor leg for our 4x400m relay team at the World Youth Champs, where we came second in the final. We were lying sixth when I took the baton and I pulled us up to second, but I found the distance a bit tiring and I’m not planning to do it again any time soon.”

He says he has not yet made up his mind what he wants to do after school, and will only decide after next year’s SA Champs. “I could turn pro after school, as I have already qualified for the European circuit, and from next year I am planning to run international meetings. My goal is to run a sub-10 for 100m, then move up and focus on 200m and 400m when I reach the senior ranks. And someday I hope to win an Olympic medal, hopefully in 2020, but right now I’m still too young to focus on Rio 2016.”

Comrades Entries Flying In!

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Barely four days into the 2016 Comrades Marathon entry process, over 4000 entries have already been received, and you can visit www.comrades.com to view the rising entry barometer. The three-month entry process opened on 1 September 2015 and will close on 30 November 2015, or as soon as the entry cap of 20,000 has been reached. Prospective entrants are therefore encouraged to get their entries in early to avoid disappointment.

Furthermore, the entry process for the 2016 race has already broken a record. CMA General Manager, Chris Fisher says, “In a first for the Comrades charities, the first three days of the 2016 Comrades entry process has netted over R100,000 in donations for our six official charities. We are humbled by our runners’ benevolence. The camaraderie and extraordinary achievement associated with this great race cannot be overstated. We invite every South African to get involved in one way or another, come 29 May 2016.”

South African runners will be eligible for the ‘early bird’ entry fee of R380 if their entry is received before 30 September 2015. The regular South African entry fee of R420 will kick in on 1 October 2015 until the entry process is closed. Runners from the rest of Africa will pay R700 for an entry, while international runners from overseas will pay R2400. Entry is free to all runners who have completed the Comrades Marathon 25 times or more.

Runners can enter as follows:
• Online via the Comrades Marathon website: www.comrades.com;
• By posting their completed entry form with proof of payment to the CMA Office in Pietermaritzburg: P.O. Box 100621, Scottsville, 3209;
• By handing in their completed entry form together with the original bank deposit slip at the CMA office in Pietermaritzburg.

Entry forms will be available at local running clubs, provincial sporting federations and the CMA; as well as selected qualifying races which the Comrades Team will be attending from September to November.

The 91st Comrades Marathon will be a down-run on Sunday 29 May 2016. The race starts at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall at 5:30am and ends 12 hours later at the Sahara-Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban, covering a distance of around 90km.

CMA Race Director, Rowyn James says, “Qualifying for the 2016 Comrades Marathon will be applicable from 30 August 2015 till 2 May 2016. Runners are advised that the 2015 Comrades Marathon will not be an automatic qualifier for next year’s race.”

The Big Guy

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You’ll find him trundling along at the back of just about every trail run in the Cape, often with camera in hand and a big smile on his face, because Jacques Conradie absolutely loves his trail running, but not so very long ago he was considerably heavier and nowhere near fit enough to run a few metres, let alone trail ultras, and his remarkable journey to health and fitness is a story worth reading. – BY SEAN FALCONER

To say that Jacques Conradie (41) sticks out from the crowd is an understatement – he’s well over six feet tall and has a larger than life personality to go with his tallness. He also has a large figure, as he will be the first to admit. “I’ve never been a small person – even in school I was always the tallest, biggest guy around. I can’t remember a time that I’ve exactly been in good shape – the baby fat around the stomach has always seemed to hang around – and for that reason I tended to avoid photographs, always looking out of place next to the smaller, thinner people.”

He will also admit that he pretty much let himself go for many years, until November 2013, when he suffered yet another attack of gout in both legs, the worst he’d ever had. While bedridden, he says he did nothing but surf the Internet, and that was the start of a new journey to health and fitness. “Somehow I came across the Sleekgeek group on Facebook, and after spending days reading about all the transformations, I came across Ed Young’s story, which just resonated with me. I could identify with where he started and what he achieved, so there and then I decided that from the first of December 2013, I would start the Sleekgeek Reboot programme and get the shape and active life I’d never had. It seemed a daunting task, but my mind finally seemed to have found the point where it had had enough of my body and bad habits.”

Totally Inactive
Jacques says for years leading up to that moment, he had spent 90% of his day in front of a computer – he works in IT for the Forschini Group, and was a big fan of gaming – or lying on the couch watching TV. The rest of the time he was sleeping. “Very little physical activity or social interaction took place, I preferred solitude and my make-believe gaming worlds above socialising. And my diet at that stage consisted purely out of take-away meals – all family meal sizes for me alone – plus four litres of fizzy cooldrink a day!”

Overnight he cut out all the junk food and started ordering healthy meals from PaleoMonkey, and on the physical side, he took the proverbial plunge – by heading straight up Lion’s Head for a Sleekgeek group hike. “I threw myself into the deep-end with gusto, dragging my 191.4 kilograms up there, and while I only made it to the first ladder and back, I felt liberated.” The hike was just the start, and the following weekend Jacques did his first parkrun – although he refers to those first attempts at running as park crawls – and he hired a personal trainer to work with him at home, because he was still too embarrassed to be seen in a gym. But by the end of December he had already lost 13.2kg.

In January 2014 he did his first trail runs at the Spur Summer Trail Series and Dirtopia, and says he still remembers how excited he was to earn his first race medals. “I then decided that 2014 would be a year of participation – not competing, but participating, in every damn event I could find. I went for a medical check-up and they found nothing wrong with me, so I had no excuse not to throw myself into everything, and you know, I enjoyed every moment of it. During this whole process the Sleekgeek community were outstanding, as were the runners I began to meet at races! They were the cheerleaders that were missing in my previous attempts to lose weight. Failing was no longer an option, not with so many eyes upon my journey, and by the end of that second month, another 11.9kg had disappeared. I also finally conquered Lions Head on my second attempt.”

Quite the Socialite
Besides losing weight, Jacques began to undergo another big change. Having been totally reclusive for years, he now started to enjoy socialising with fellow athletes. At first it was mostly with fellow Sleekgeeks, but then with more and more other runners as well. “Every aspect of my life just became better, bit by bit. I had more energy, better sleep, more activities, and was meeting more diverse people. I think I may have gone a bit overboard on the Sleekgeek page with constant updates of my journey, but it seems that after years of hiding in the shadows, I had found a place to come out, and yes, I can talk a lot… but if that inspires just one person to do the same, it’s all worth it.”

Today, you will find Jacques lining up for just about every trail run he can find on the calendar, almost always with a camera in his hand, and his Facebook page is full of pics of himself in races, and hanging out with his many Sleekgeek and running friends. At the time of our interview in early August, he had already run 43 races for the year, and it would have been even more if not for an ankle injury in February that put him out of action for a few weeks (and caused him to miss 15 events), and which has recently caused a new niggles.

“I think I unconsciously compensate on the right leg to save the left ankle. Also, before the injury I used to be totally free on downhills – gravity was in my favour, so I didn’t really have a choice, I just had to run! Uphills, not so much… but now I am leaning back more on the downhills, not just going for it, which puts more strain on the leg. And because I just kept running instead of having it looked at immediately, I have been running with this niggle for the last month and a half. But you know us runners… unless we’re on our deathbed, we will ignore injuries. In my case, I think it is because of the gung-ho way I went into running. I’m just going out there to enjoy it.”

High Mileage Junkie
Despite the niggle, he is still clocking up the race mileage, and he says his original target of 100 races for the year is still a possibility, but will be harder now. “Racing is just so much fun. For me there is nothing better than getting out on a Saturday and a Sunday, in a different area or on a different mountain each time. It is just awesome. Keep in mind that I use the term racing very loosely here. I wouldn’t call what I do racing, except on the downhills, but it motivates you to get up, knowing you have a race to go do with awesome people.”

And when it comes to the races he chooses, they are almost always on trail, as he doesn’t enjoy the road runs nearly as much. “To be honest, I find the road boring, and it’s harder on the body, I did a couple of road runs last year and did another three earlier this year, but road running just doesn’t do it for me. Besides, it’s difficult not have fun on the trails, because the trail running community is very supportive, no matter where you run – even when the elites pass you on the way back to the finish and you haven’t reached halfway yet, they still greet you, and tell you well done.”

“I feel absolutely privileged to be part of this amazing community of Sleekgeeks and athletes. If it wasn’t for them, I would probably still be a hermit, playing computer games and living a life of solitude. This community has opened my eyes to the possibilities, and been the gateway to so many other amazing experiences that I would never have had. For example, I would never have dreamt I would do the Impi Challenge obstacle race – even if it was just the 6km ‘Dash,’ I still did it!

Weight Update
So, 21 months after he began his journey back to health, Jacques says he is now 50kg lighter and has lost many centimetres – and he can now buy triple XL T-shirts at Woolies that actually fit! “The weight-loss is going slow lately, but I am patient, because it took me 40 years to get where I was, so I can’t expect it to change overnight!” Besides weight-loss, his other goal is to kick his smoking habit, and he hopes to quit very soon. “Other people carbo-load before a race, I CO2-load,” he jokes. “I am actually cutting back at the moment and have tried to stop a couple of times, but it is tougher to stop smoking than it was to turn my whole life around, eat healthy and start running, to be honest. But I want to finish smoking before I run the Ultra-Trail Cape Town in October, because it does affect the running.”

Jacques is planning to run the 65km distance at the Ultra, which offers 100km and 20km options as well. He ran the short one last year and decided to step it up this year, but says his original target time was perhaps a little bit optimistic. “I planned to do it in 10 hours, until I looked at last year’s results and saw that would be put me in the top 20! So the aim now is just to finish it. That’s pretty much what I have been doing the last year and a half, anyway, just finishing races, and my aim was always just to avoid finishing last. I think that only happened at one race last year, and that’s because the people behind me took a shortcut! I don’t have the speed, but I have the endurance, and I can go and go and go.

Unsurprisingly, Jacques is often asked about his ongoing journey to health and fitness, and whether he has any advice for other people looking to start the same journey. “I always find that question very difficult to answer, because of the way I jumped into things, by just doing it. I tell people to do the same thing and just go for it. Yes, it will be difficult at times, and it is not a straight road, but I say just go out there and do it. And find a community to support you, as I found with the Sleekgeeks and runners. Everybody supports you, they have the same mentality, and it’s easy to do the right thing, eat the right food and do the exercise when you are surrounded by people doing the same thing. But most of all, believe in yourself, take that first step, and don’t worry whether you’ll finish a race, or whether you’ll be last. Just do it… for yourself, for your loved ones, and for a better quality of life.”

FitCal Night Trail Run Rocks Joburg

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Winter on the Highveld seems to have magically disappeared, and the summer-like weather brought more than 250 runners out to take advantage of a balmy summer evening at Country Club Johannesburg (CCJ) in Woodmead on 31 August for the fitCal 10km Night Trail Run.

 

A typical African sunset greeted runners as they arrived at CCJ, giving way a spectacular view of the Sandton skyline by night as the start of the race drew near. While the starting point provides for great views before racing gets under way, it also presents runners with a challenging uphill finish, but the rest of the route is fortunately gently undulating, providing still more stunning views of Sandton at various points on the scenic CCJ property.

 

Added to that, this run really does provide something for everyone, taking in jeep track, open grass, paved paths and many people’s favourite, the pine forest sections.

 

The first runner over the line was Edwin Sesipi, making light work of the route – although he probably didn’t see much of the scenery – as he came home in a blistering time of 35:45 to pocket the first prize of R2000. Sipho Ncube and Danisa Moyo rounded off the men’s podium positions. The women’s title went to Estie Steyn in 48:06, also earned her a cool R2000, with Takelani Ndandani and Samantha Summerscales also amongst the prize money.

 

The atmosphere at these fitCal Night Trail Runs is fantastic and there are few better venues for a run in Johannesburg than CCJ, so the Modern Athlete team invites you to join us there and see for yourself. The next race in the series takes place on Monday 21 September – information and entries at www.fitcal.co.za/ccj.

Out for Now, but Back Soon!

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It doesn’t matter whether you’re a pro athlete or a social runner, it is equally frustrating to be injured. Especially when it means missing out on a big event you had your heart set on. – BY RENÉ KALMER

A frustrating injury is the reason why I had to withdraw from the World Championships taking place in Beijing, China this August. In 2008 a dream came true when I qualified for the Olympic Games in the 1500m and I would have loved to go back to Beijing to relive the special Olympic memories, and to create some new ones. I have represented South Africa 28 times and it is still a great honour and privilege every time I get to wear the green and gold on the international stage.

I'm sure all of us, from professional runner to weekend warrior, experience the same disappointment, frustration and emotions when injuries haunt us. For most of us, running is like a best friend with whom we share the good, the bad and the ugly that life throws at us. Then suddenly we can't rely on this friend called ‘running’ for a while to get our endorphin fix. Then our poor family, friends and loved ones also have to deal with our withdrawal symptoms, like depression, irritability or lethargy, which injury triggers in us.

Hard Lessons
Having learnt the hard way when it comes to a niggle or an injury, denial is not an option! It’s best to sort out a stiff calf muscle before it turns into shin splints, and with more denial, into a stress fracture. Been there, done that! It is best not to ignore the problem, but to act immediately by seeking advice from a physiotherapist or doctor, or at least taking a day or two off to recover. I'm also guilty of not listening to my body and running through pain, and in the long run it is almost inevitable that this could sideline you for months.

Dealing with the physical pain of an injury is normally not as difficult as coping with the frustration of putting running goals on hold, but as Albert Einstein said, “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” When we have to take time off to recover from injury it is the perfect time to work on our weaknesses that we often neglect when running is going smoothly. Working on strengthening your core can benefit you in becoming a stronger and better runner post-injury. It is also a great time to refocus your energy and to spend more time with family and friends and doing activities, like camping, that you normally missed out on because of running commitments.

Seeing the Up Side
The positive side is that an injury does not have to mean that you have to turn into a couch potato. Best is to consult with your doctor about some low impact cross-training activities like spinning, swimming, aqua-jogging or cycling that can help you maintain some fitness and sanity. Even though we don't feel like facing our running friends, it is best not to abandon running altogether. It is a great time to give back to the sport we all adore by offering to volunteer, marshalling or just cheering fellow runners in a race.

Lying dead still for an hour while the radiologist took an MRI scan of my injury recently was also a good time for me to reflect on my running career and to count all my blessings, like my health and loved ones. My greatest advice is to stay positive, as an optimistic attitude can speed up recovery!

2016 Comrades Entries Open 1 September

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Entries for the 2016 Comrades Marathon, the 91st edition of the world’s biggest and oldest ultra-marathon, will open tomorrow, Tuesday 1 September 2015.

The entry period will close on 30 November 2015 or as soon as the entry cap of 20,000 is reached, so prospective entrants are encouraged to get their entries in early to avoid disappointment. The race will take place on Sunday 29 May 2016 and will be a Down Run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban.

CMA Race Director, Rowyn James says, “We encourage our runners to enter early and to experience the beauty and humbling nature of the world’s greatest ultra-marathon.”

Entry fees for the 2016 Comrades Marathon are as follows:
• Early Bird Entries: R380.00 (SA athletes only)
• Local Entries: R420.00
• Rest of Africa: R700.00
• International: R2400.00

South African runners will be eligible for the ‘early bird’ entry fee of R380 if their entry is received before 30 September 2015. The regular South African entry fee of R420 will kick in from 1 October 2015 until the entry process is closed. Entry is free to all runners who have completed the Comrades Marathon 25 times or more.

Runners can enter as follows:
• Online via the Comrades Marathon website: www.comrades.com;
• By posting their completed entry form with proof of payment to the CMA Office in Pietermaritzburg: P.O. Box 100621, Scottsville, 3209;
• Or by handing in their completed entry form together with payment at the CMA office in Pietermaritzburg.

Entry forms will be available at local running clubs, provincial sporting federations and the CMA; as well as selected qualifying races which the Comrades Team will be attending from September to November.

Qualifying for the 2016 Comrades Marathon will be applicable from 30 August 2015 till 2 May 2016. Runners are advised that the 2015 Comrades Marathon will not be an automatic qualifier for next year’s race. The Substitution window period will be from 1 to 21 April 2016.

September Race Calendar

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South African runners are blessed with a terrific race calendar, with so many great races to do, so check out these events for the coming month, including road and trail runs as well as other running disciplines, and make your racing plans! Arranged by province for running events, with closely situated provinces grouped. – BY TOM COTTRELL AND SEAN FALCONER

GAUTENG: CENTRAL GAUTENG
 

Sunday 5 September
MTN Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, MTN Innvoation Centre, 216 14th Avenue, Fairlands, Race Organiser 011 844 0410 (w) NEW DATE – WAS 13 JUNE

Sunday 6 September
Gauteng Marathon, Half Marathon & 10km CANCELLED

Wednesday 9 September
Jackal's Night Trail Run Series #5 8km & 4km, Jackal Creek Golf Estate, Boundary Road, Northriding, Race Organiser 011 053 9153 (w)

Sunday 13 September
Fred Morrison Half Marathon & 10km, Germiston Stadium, Delville Road North, Delville, Germiston, 7am, Les Black 082 552 7866
CHOC Celebration of Life Fun Walk 8km & 4km, Zoo Lake, Lower Park Drive, Parkview, 8:30am, Ndizwanga Mulovhedzi 076 478 8663
Spring Break Trail Run 20km, 10km & 5km, Hero Adventure at Hobbey Park, Krugersdorp, Terence Vrugtman 073 051 5611

Sunday 20 September
Sasfin Gerald Fox Memorial Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Johannesburg Zoo, Upper Park Drive, Forest Town, 7am, Saul Levin 083 326 0848

Sunday 27 September
City2City Ultra Marathon 50km, Half Marathon & 10km, Gauteng Train Station, West Avenue, Pretoria, to James & Ethel Gray Park, Melrose, Johannesburg (21 & 10 start at finish venue), 6:30am, Race Organiser 011 844 0416 (W)
Zoo Conservation Trot 10km & 5km, Centenary Lawn, Johannesburg Zoo, 7:30am, Ionna Karamitsos 011 646 2000 (W)

GAUTENG: GAUTENG NORTH
 

Saturday 5 September
Spirit of Flight 10km & 5km, Swartkop Air Force Base, 6:30am, Jan Essau 071 343 4504

Saturday 12 September
Value Logistics Addicted to Life Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Tshwane University of Technology Campus, Staatsartillerie Road, Pretoria West, 6am, Race Organiser 071 405 5588

Wednesday 16 September
Lester Mills Memorial Nite 10km & 5km, LC De Villiers Sports Campus, Hatfield, Pretoria, 6;30pm, Vollie Spies 082 821 6952

Saturday 19 September
Clover Irene Village Mall Spring Run Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Irene Village Mall, Centurion, 6am, Wynand Breytenbach 082 937 0733

Thursday 24 September
Great Weskoppies Series #3 10km & 6km, Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital, Ketjen Street, Pretoria West, 5pm, Race Secretary 076 480 3435

Saturday 26 September
Andrew Greyling Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Brooklyn Design Square, cnr Veal & Middel, Brooklyn, Pretoria, 6am, Liesel van Zyl 083 373 9818

GAUTENG: VAAL TRIANGLE
 

Thursday 24 September
ArcelorMittal Athletics Club 60km Relay, Flora Gardens Indoor Cricket & Hockey Club, 13 Shakespeare Street, Vanderbijlpark, Malie van der Walt 082 853 9144

WESTERN CAPE: BOLAND

Saturday 5 September
Worcester Rainbow Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Johan Heyl Sports Grounds, Roux Road, Worcester, 6:30am (21) & 7am (10 & 5), Andrew van Wijk 083 357 6059
Riebeek-Kasteel Half Marathon & 10km, Riebeek-Kasteel Church Hall, Piet Retief Street, Riebeek-Kasteel, 7:30am, Anneke Mouton 082 495 3234
Green Mountain Forest Trail Run #2 21km, 10km & 5km, Hawequa Forest to C’Vine Estate, off R101, Paarl, 8:30am & 9am, Dominique Provoyeur 084 363 4104
Staalwater Trail Run 15km & 7km, The Caledon Casino, Hotel & Spa, Caledon, 9am & 9:15am, Dirtopia 021 884 4752 (W)
Tru-Cape Kogelberg Mountain Race 21.1km, 16km & 5km CANCELLED

Saturday 12 September
Piket-Bo-Berg Trail Run 16km & 8km, Moutons Valley Farm, Piket-Bo-Berg, Piketberg, 9am & 9:15am, Gus Pickard 076 450 7870

Wednesday 16 September
Moore Stevens Nite 10km & 5km, Coetzenburg Stadium, Stellenbosch, 6:30pm, Mohamed Ally 072 995 9655

Sunday 20 September
Cape Mohair Fynbos Trail Run 30km, 12km & 6km, De Uijlenes, Gaansbaai, 7:40am, Race Organiser 082 689 0355 NEW DATE – WAS 13 SEPTEMBER
Full StrideSpring Trail Run 12km & 7km, Muratie Wine Farm, off R44 between Stellenbosch & Klapmuts, 8am & 8:15am, Dirtopia 021 884 4752 (w)

Thursday 24 September
Run for Heritage Trail Run 9km & 5km, Imbuko Family Vintners, near Wellington, Time TBC, Cherona Vlok 082 523 9161
Saturday 26 September
Ceres Fruit Juices Michell’s Pass Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Victoria Park, Ceres, 7:30am, Nico Jansen 078 882 5299

WESTERN CAPE: SOUTH WESTERN DISTRICTS
 

Friday 4 September
George Herald Run with the Stars Nite 10km & 3km, Glenwood House, Glenwood Avenue, George, 6pm, Thia Landsberg 083 477 4780

Saturday 12 September
Hartenbos Spar Spring 15km & 5km, Hartenbos Spar Parking Area, cnr Kompanje & Kaap De Goode Hoop Avenue, Hartenbos, 8am, Pierre van Schalkwyk 082 771 5562

Thursday 24
Pam Golding Spring Health Run 10km & 4km, NG Kerk Moeder Gemeente, Courtenay Street, George, 8am, Thia Landsberg 083 477 4780

Friday 25 – Sunday 27 September
Oyster Catcher 3-Day Trail Run, (20km, 20km & 16km), Reins Nature Reserve to Mossel Bay, 9am, Trisport 083 662 2022

Saturday 26 September
PetroSA Marathon, Half Marathon, 10km & 3.5km, De Bakke Santos Caravan Park, George Road, Mosselbay, 7am, Race Organiser 044 873 0023 (W)
Marloth Mountain Challenge 55km Ultra Skyrun, MMC Lite Relay (24km, 16km & 15km) & MMR 10km, Marloth Mountain Reserve, near Swellendam, 6am, Wildrunner 021 821 9898 (W)

Sunday 27 September
Redberry 8km & 4km Trail Run, Redberry Farm, Blanco, George, 2pm, Daniel Raubenheimer 083 376 7414

WESTERN CAPE: WESTERN PROVINCE

Saturday 5 September
Medihelp Tekkie Challenge 10km & 5km, Jan Kriel School, School Street, Kuilsriver, 7:30am & 7:50am, Estelle Kock 073 313 1668
Realtors International TSiBA Trail run #5 11.5km & 5.8km, Bloemendal Wine Estate, Tygerberg Valley Road, Durbanville, 8am, Japie Swanepoel 082 443 3033
WPA Race Walking Grand Prix #4 30km, 20km, 10km, 5km, 3km & 1km, Youngsfield Military Base, Wetton, 7am, 8am, 9am & 10am, Pieter Vorster 084 922 9002

Sunday 6 September
Satori Camel Run 16.1km, Noordhoek Sports Fields off Chapman’s Peak Drive, Noordhoek, 7:30am, Stephen Sharwood 082 822 0883

Wednesday 9 September
Merrell Spring Night Run #1 powered by Black Diamond 8km & 5km, Simon’s Restaurant, Groot Constantia, 6:30pm, Tatum Prins 083 449 0760

Saturday 12 September
Crazy Store Table Mountain Challenge Trail Run 40km & Relay (12km, 11km & 19km), Jan van Riebeeck Sports Field, De Hoop Avenue, Cape Town, 7am, Caeli Manuel 072 924 2371

Sunday 13 September
ARD Three Vlei 10km & 5km, Fairmont High School, Klip Road, Grassy Park, 7am & 7:20am, Race Secretary 072 122 4002
Up Blaauwberg Hill 15km & 8km Trail Run, Blaauwberg Conservation Area, 7:30am, Gail Moriarty 082-0429562

Wednesday 16 September
Merrell Spring Night Run #2 powered by Black Diamond 8km & 5km, Simon’s Restaurant, Groot Constantia, 6:30pm, Tatum Prins 083 449 0760

Saturday 19 September
Sanlam PEACE Trail 22km and 11km, Somerset Road, Green Point, 7:30am & 8am, Wildrunner Events 021 821 9898 (W)
Sanlam PEACE 4.2km Fun Run, Green Point Athletics Track, 10am, Race Office 086 184 6464

Sunday 20 September
Sanlam Cape Town City Marathon & PEACE 10km, Green Point Athletics Track, 7am & 6:50am, Race Office 086 184 6464

Wednesday 23 September
Merrell Spring Night Run #3 powered by Black Diamond 8km & 5km, Simon’s Restaurant, Groot Constantia, 6:30pm, Tatum Prins 083 449 0760

Saturday 26 September
Hewat Festival of Running 100km, 50km & 5x5km, Three Anchor Bay Lawns, 6am & 12pm, Kanu Sukha 072 210 1127
Old Fisherman's Trail Challenge 20km, Hout Bay Yacht Club to Fish Hoek Sailing Club, Time TBC, Richard Sutton 082 643 6186 NEW DATE – WAS 6 SEPTEMBER

Sunday 27 September
Cape Town Half Marathon Classic PLUS 10km Charity Walk, Beach Road, Sea Point, 7am, Kanu Sukha 072 210 1127

Monday 28 September
Tygerberg Nature Reserve Full Moon 6 km Fun Run #8, Tygerberg Nature Reserve, Wildrunner Events 021 821 9898 (w)

KWAZULU-NATAL

Saturday 5 September
Sunday Tribune Mont-Aux-Sources 50km Challenge, Royal Natal National Park, Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park, 5:30am, Xanthe Holmes 083 387 3939

Saturday 5 – Sunday 6 September
Lynford Umko 2-day Trail Descent, (Day 1: 30km, Day 2: 18km), Lynford School, Ixopo, 7am, Sue Squires 039 834 1927 (W)

Sunday 6 September
Dolphin Coast Striders Ultra 50km, Half Marathon, 10km & 5km CANCELLED

Saturday 12 September
Mpati Mountain 15km & 5km, Dundee Junior School, Excelsior Avenue, Dundee, 2pm, Elmarie van der Westhuizen 083 654 0121
YMCA Trail Run 8km & 4km, Burman Bush, Time TBC, Race Info: www.kzntrailrunning.co.za

Sunday 13 September
SAPS Striders Heritage Challenge Half Marathon & 10km, Kings Park Athletic Stadium, Durban, 6:30am, VG Naidoo 082 418 0743
Alick Rennie Mountain Trail Run 25km, 10km & 5km, Underberg, 7am, Race Info: www.kzntrailrunning.co.za

Wednesday 16 September
Giba Monthly Night Trail 10km & 5km, Giba Gorge, 6:30pm, Race Info: www.kzntrailrunning.co.za

Friday 18 – Thursday 24 September
100 Capital Classic – 6 Days, (Friday: 32km @ 6pm; Saturday: 12-hour @ 7am, 100km, 100 mile, 24-hour, 48-hour & 6-day @ 9am; 12-hour Longest Night @ 8pm), Pietermaritzburg Oval Cricket Ground, Park Drive, John Hall 082 491 7679

Saturday 19 September
Mountain Splendour Mania Trail Run 15km & 7.5km, Mountain Splendour Eco Resort, Central Drakensberg, Dave Ward 082 492 1995
Giant's Cup Uncut 65km & Corporate Relay, Sani Pass Hotel, Himeville, to Bushman’s Nek Resort, Underberg, Time TBC, Spurgeon Flemington 082 329 7737

Sunday 20 September
Rhino Run 12km & 5km, Sugar Rush, Ballito 7.30am, Race Info: www.kzntrailrunning.co.za

Saturday 26 September
Mandela 67-minute Challenge, Verulam Recreation Grounds, 5pm, Anand Naicker 083 783 6363

Sunday 27 September
Ethekwini Township 2 Township Marathon & Half Marathon, King Zwelithini Stadium, Umlazi (42), to Princess Magogo Stadium, KwaMashu (21 starts here), 5:30am, Sipho Mkhathini 082 460 9761

FREE STATE

Saturday 5 September
Vic Theron’s & Webbers Spring Race 10km & 4.5km, Bloemfontein Achilles Sport Centre, Att Horak Avenue, Bloemfontein, 7am, Beverley Olivier 071 895 3183
Bultfontein Boertjiefees 23km, 10km & 5km, Bultfontein Show Grounds, 7:30am, Deon Lodder 082 921 3330

Saturday 12 September
Bloempark Sweat & Eat 10km & 5km, Bloempark Church, Charlie Sutton Street, Fichardtpark, Bloemfontein, 7am, Huibrie Pretorius 079 527 2266 NEW DATE – WAS 5 SEPTEMBER

Saturday 19 September
Allan Ferguson Round Naval Hill 10km & 4km presented by Twizza, Bloemfontein Bowling Club, Union Avenue, Hamilton Park, 7am, Beverley Olivier 071 895 3183

Wednesday 23 September
NG Kerk Pellissier 10km, NG Kerk Pellissier, Vlakfonteinlaan, Pellissier, 6pm, Jurina Immelman 082 381 8120

Saturday 26 September
Powertraveller 4 Peaks Mountain Challenge, Moolmanshoek Private Game Reserve, 6am, Michael de Haast 072 078 5278

Sunday 27 September
Runtastic Pyramid Challenge, Moolmanshoek Private Game Reserve, Time TBC, Michael de Haast 072 078 5278

EASTERN CAPE: BORDER

Saturday 5 September
Star Bakery Tony Viljoen Masters Marathon PLUS Walker Half Marathon, Macleantown Road, Cobongo turn-off, to Beacon Bay Country Club, 6am, Tony Viljoen 084 291 9029

Sunday 6 – Tuesday 8 September
Wildcoast Wildrun #1, (112km – 43, 35 & 34km), Kei Mouth, Eastern Cape to the Hole-in-the-Wall, 6am, Tamaryn Middleton 021 821 9898 (W)

Saturday 12 September
Sterkspruit Telle Bridge 30km, 10km & 5km, Telle Bridge Border Post to Bensonvale College, Sterkspruit, 7am, Anele Sinxadi 079 311 0362

Sunday 13 September
Caltex Beacon Bay Motors Sole Destroyer Half Marathon, Highgate Hotel, Voortrekker Road, to Oxford Striders, Beach Road, Nahoon, East London, 6:30am, Stan Barbour 083 608 4353

Sunday 13 – Tuesday 15 September
Wildcoast Wildrun #2, (112km – 43, 35 & 34km), Kei Mouth, Eastern Cape to the Hole-in-the-Wall, 6am, Tamaryn Middleton 021 821 9898 (W)

Sunday 20 September
Daily Dispatch Fun Run 8km & 4km, Orient Beach, East London, 9am, Sharonne Dewing 083 318 3853

Thursday 24 September
Hemingway's Casino Nite 8km, Hemingway’s Casino, East London, 5pm, Bronek Urban 082 577 0932

Saturday 26 September
Lammergeyer Mountain Challenge 24km, Lady Grey Country Club, Lady Grey, 7am, Pieter du Preez 083 294 9477

Saturday 26 September
Aloe Travel/CHOC 10km & 5km, Opposite Old Selbornian Club, East London, 2:30pm, Sharon Eldridge 083 284 3781

EASTERN CAPE: EASTERN PROVINCE

Saturday 5 September
Rockets Muirite Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Muir College, St Thomas Muir Drive, Uitenhage, 6:30am 7am & 8am, Margie du Toit 082 547 5413

Sunday 6 September
Sunshine Coast Trail Run 21km & 8km, Springmount Farm, 10km from Nanaga on Alexandria Road, 9am, Jane Barnado 082 642 3958

Saturday 19 September
Clover Milk Run 10km & 5km, Kings Beach, Port Elizabeth, 7am, Shane Brown 079 490 0669 NEW DATE – WAS 26 SEPTEMBER

Sunday 20 September
Rhino Run Port Elizabeth 20km, 12km & 6km, Crossways Farm Village, Van Stadens River Valley, 9am, Sheena O’ Keeffe 072 293 4974 NEW DATE – WAS 27 SEPTEMBER

Saturday 26 September
Kowie Striders 27km, 10km & 5km, Big Pineapple, Bathurst (21), to Port Alfred Country Club, Mentone Road (10km & 5km start at finish venue), 6:30am, Lynette Harbrecht 082 811 4908

FAR NORTH: LIMPOPO

Saturday 5 September
Tzaneen Spring Opener Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Jetty 3, Tzaneen Dam, 7am, Paul Zaayman 083 460 4204

Saturday 12 September
Hout is Goud Day Breaker 80km Circuit Breaker & Relay, AKTV Resort, Klein Kariba, Warmbaths/Bela-Bela, 6am, Erika Kotze 082 320 0859

Saturday 19 September
XDirt Ugly Six Mabalingwe Trail Run 18km, 10km & 5km, Mabalingwe Nature Reserve, Rooiberg, Bela-Bela, Kyle McConnach 079 524 7914

Saturday 26 September
Two Countries at Musina Marathon, Half Marathon & 10km, 42: Starts 10km inside Zimbabwe, 21 & 10: Eric Louw High School, Musina, 6am, 7am & 7:30am, Hennie Coetzee 082 929 8154 NEW DATE – WAS 19 SEPTEMBER

FAR NORTH: MPUMALANGA

Saturday 5 September
Alzu Rhino Run Half Marathon, 10km & 4.9km, Alzu Petroport, N4 Middelburg-Wonderfontein, 7:30am, Johan Mostert 082 314 5843
Nedbank Om-die-Dammetjie Half Marathon & 10km CANCELLED

Wednesday 9 September
Eskom Nite 10km & 4.9km, Eskom Park, Emalahleni (Witbank), 7pm, Paul Bester 082 966 7767

Saturday 12 September
Collisen Electrical Midack 20km, 10km & 3.6km, Pienaardam Leisure Resort, 8km from Middelburg, 7am, James Faber 082 443 4193
SA Cross Country Championships, Middelburg – Rest of details TBC

Wednesday 16 September
Nashua Kanonkop 10km & 5km, Kees Taljaard Stadium, Kanonkop, Middelburg, 7pm, Naudene van Tonder 082 495 4173

Saturday 19 September
Sabie Shufflers 32km, Half Marathon, 10km & 5km CANCELLED

Saturday 26 September
Boulders 25km & 10km, Mara turn-off from N4, 25km from Nelspruit/Mbombela towards Komatipoort, to Kaapmuiden Primary School, 6am, Deon Valks 082 788 0675

Wednesday 30 September
Maximed Pharmacies Night 10km & 5km, Standerton Showgrounds, 7pm, Lukas van der Merwe 082 412 4161

NORTH WEST: CENTRAL NORTH WEST

Wednesday 2 September
FFG Night 10km & 5km, Trim Park, Potchefstroom, 6:30pm, Theo Coetzee 083 538 3162 NEW DATE – WAS 5 SEPTEMBER

Saturday 19 September
PG Glass Vlakvark Trail Run 21km, 10km & 5km, Faan Meintjies Nature Reserve, 10km from Klerksdorp on Dr Yusuf Dadoo Avenue, 7am, Robin Stocken 082 469 3330

Saturday 26 September
Thales South African Fox Trail Run 16km & 10km, Potchefstroom Military Base, Eleazer Road, 8am, Theo Coetzee 083 538 3162

NORTH WEST: NORTH WEST NORTH

Saturday 5 September
Keystone Milling Rustenburg Mountain Race 25km, 10km & 5km, Rustenburg Kloof Resort, Race Organiser 083 264 3071 NEW DATE – WAS 22 AUGUST

Saturday 26 September
Marico Bosveld Marathon, Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Marico Bosveld Dam, Groot Marico, 7am, Andries Brönn 083 662 0236

NORTHERN CAPE: GRIQUALAND WEST
 

Saturday 26 September
Kimberley Transnet Engineering Half Marathon & 10km, Pirates Club, Kimberley, 6am, Donald Phillipson 072 598 1445

NORTHERN CAPE: NORTH WEST CAPE

Saturday 5 September
Namaqualand Flower Trail Run 20km & 9km, Gifberg Holiday Farm, 29km from VanRhynsdorp, 7:30am, Grant Ross [email protected]

NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES: NAMIBIA

Saturday 5 September
Husab Mine Marathon, 10km & 5km, Husab Access Road, Swakopmund, 7am, Frank Slabber +264 (0)81 240 3383
Spring Festival 9km & 4.5km Fun Run PLUS 2km Walk, Avis Dam, Windhoek, 8am, Cycletec +264 (0)61 244 324
Namibian Cross Country National Champs, Windhoek

Tuesday 8 September
Windhoek Harriers Nite 8km PLUS 5km Walk, Jubber Hockey Field, Olympia, Windhoek, 5:45pm (5) & 6pm (10), Windhoek Harriers +264 (0)81 212 4421

Saturday 12 September
The Rock Half Marathon & 9km, Spitzkoppe, near Usakos, Time TBC, OTB Sport +264 (0)61 260 312

Tuesday 15 September
Windhoek Harriers Nite Race 10km PLSU 5km Walk, Jubber Hockey Field, Olympia, Windhoek, 7pm, Windhoek Harriers +264 (0)81 212 4421

Saturday 19 September
Navachab Half Marathon, Usab Field, Karibib, 7:30am, BK Karumendu +264 81 311 8489
Breast Cancer 10km & 5km, Windhoek, Time TBC, Lizelle +264 (0)61 237 740

Wednesday 23 September
Windhoek Trail Run CANCELLED

Saturday 27 September
Visrivier Marathon & Half Marathon, Keetmanshoop, 6am, Annette +264 81 319 4116

NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES: LESOTHO

Saturday 12 September
Highlands Trout Mountain Challenge Marathon, Half Marathon & 5km, Orion Katse Lodge, Katse Dam, Lesotho, Bruce Fordyce 011 726 2867 (w) NEW DATE – WAS 28 FEBRUARY

TRIATHLON & DUATHLON

Sunday 13 September
Buffalo City Tri, East London, Amathole – More details TBC

Sunday 27 September
Tinman Challenge Triathlon, 1km/32km/10km, 600m/ 20km/5km & 200m/5km/2.5km, Sun Coast Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 7am, Damian 031 764 1885

ORIENTEERING

Saturday 5 – Sunday 6September
Gauteng Foot & MTB #3 Rogaine, Lakenvlei, Belfast, Mpumalanga, ROC: Nick Cooper 074 188 9250

Tuesday 8 September
Cape Challenge Schools Park Event, Cape Town, Western Cape, PENOC: [email protected]

Saturday 12 September
Durban Event, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, DOC: Peter 084 654 5510

Sunday 13 September
Gauteng Bush Event #6, Kloofendal Nature Reserve, Johannesburg, Central Gauteng
Cape Point to Point Event, Central Square Century City, Cape Town, Western Cape, PENOC: [email protected]

Tuesday 15 September
Cape Challenge Schools Park Event, Cape Town, Western Cape, PENOC: [email protected]

Sunday 20 September
Cape Colour Coded #4, Lebanon South, Grabouw, Western Cape, PENOC: [email protected]
Gauteng MTB #3, Van Gaalens Cheese Farm, Magaliesburg, North West, AR: Lisa Da Speville 082 936 2509

Tuesday 22 September
Cape Challenge Schools Park Event, Cape Town, Western Cape, PENOC: [email protected]

Tuesday 29 September
Cape Challenge Schools Park Event, Cape Town, Western Cape, PENOC: [email protected]

ADVENTURE RACING

Friday 4 – Saturday 5 September
Lilyfontein Adventure Race, 30km to 110km, run, MTB & paddle, East London, Border, Margaret Mitchell 043 737 4258

OBSTACLE RACING

Saturday 19 September
GI Joe Lion Clash, 12km & 6km courses, Tikwe River Lodge, Virginia, Free State, More info: www.gijoe.co.za

Thursday 24 September
Impi Challenge Gauteng #2, Elite (20km), Challenge (12km), Corporate (12km), Dash (6km) & Mini (1km), Van Gaalen Farm, Hartbeespoort, North West, Race Office 076 772 3735

 

Comrades Gives R4.6 Million to Charities

Modern AthleteNewsLeave a Comment on Comrades Gives R4.6 Million to Charities

The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) officially handed over more than R4.66 million to its six official charities on Wednesday 26 August. These funds were raised from its 2015 Comrades Marathon Amabeadibeadi and Race4charity fundraising campaigns, which saw new heights being reached in 2015 as the campaign topped out at a total of R4,660,340 raised collectively by Comrades runners and the charities themselves.

A total of 338 runners signed up to support Race4Charity and between them they raised an incredible R2,357,593, which is an amazing 77% increase from 2014. Of these runners, 261 raised more than R5000 and qualified to start in the special ‘CC’ batch on race day. The Top Donor was Carel Nolte, who raised R153,800 for the PinkDrive.

Runners were also extremely generous with donations with their entry fees, raising R479,760, which is a 48% increase on the total raised in 2014.

All in all, charity donations and runner donations saw a combined increase of R1.18 million compared to the figure raised by runners in 2014.

CMA Chairperson, Macdonald Chitja says, “We thank every runner who so selflessly worked towards the benefit of our charities. Training for the ultra-marathon is hard enough, let alone to go out there and drum up support for our fundraising initiatives. We are very grateful to you.”

The six charities that benefit from the CMA’s charity drive are the Durban & Pietermaritzburg Community Chests, PinkDrive, Sports Trust, Starfish, Wildlands and World Vision. The Comrades Charity Drive was started in 1999 as a means to give back to South Africa’s needy and improve the social and environmental landscape, and more than R20-million has been raised over the past 10 years.

CMA Board Member, Alen Hattingh says, “As the Comrades Marathon, we pride ourselves on doing more for our charity drive as well as for the local community via our CSI Programme. The CMA has undertaken several projects in this regard, namely the annual Greater Edendale Race incorporating the AIMS Children’s Series Race, the KZNA Relay Challenge, the Underprivileged Runners Programme, building an outdoor gym in Pietermaritzburg as well as committing to our Staff’s CSI initiatives. It is deeply fulfilling to be involved in any such way to engage with and empower our communities.”

CMA Vice Chairperson, Cheryl Winn adds, “It is the CMA’s intention that we maximise our fundraising role through the Comrades-Amabeadibeadi charity initiative. We are proud of our status as the South African sporting event which contributes more than any other to charity. We warmly welcome the support and contributions of all Comrades runners, our sponsors and partners; and the nation at large.”

Pledge to #RunClean

Modern AthleteFeaturesLeave a Comment on Pledge to #RunClean

We’re calling on all runners to join our #RunClean campaign, because we feel very strongly about the litter problem in road running. It’s time to clean up our running act!

Here at Modern Athlete we have made it our mission to promote a cleaner sport and try to eradicate the litter problem in our races, by launching the Modern Athlete #RunClean campaign and continually reminding runners to think before they throw. Because we believe that every piece of plastic not dumped on the road is a step in the right direction, which will not only lead to less litter, but in the long run to less waste being produced by our sport.

What you can do to #RunClean
• Carry your own water in a hydration backpack or water bottle belt, so that you don’t need to use the sachets. (Some runners say it weighs them down, and thus slows them down, but trail runners seem able to run quite comfortably and quickly while carrying water, so surely road runners can also do so.)
• Don’t drop your sachets (or other refuse) in the road – always look for a bin, or carry your rubbish till you can throw it away, even if that is at the finish. It really won’t weigh you down that much, or cost you that much time to move a few metres towards a bin!
• Wear running kit with a pocket or pouch (or make one with your licence number) so you can carry rubbish to the next bin or the finish.
• If you do drop a sachet in the road, do so within easy distance of the water tables, in demarcated litter areas, not three kays up the road, so that the clean-up crew can quickly, easily and safely clean up.
• Never toss a sachet where it cannot be seen by the clean-up crew.
• On windy days, make doubly sure your litter is well disposed of in bins or rubbish bags.
• If you see fellow runners littering, try to diplomatically suggest a cleaner attitude going forwards, but avoid getting into an argument or confrontation.
• Make a point of being a cleaner runner by promoting a no littering rule, not only in your own behaviour, but also in your social media comments and interaction with fellow runners. Include #RunClean in your Tweets and Facebook posts.
• Volunteer to help clean up at a water table at an upcoming race. That should make you think twice about tossing your sachet next time…

Think before you throw – #RunClean


We would love to hear from you about your efforts to #RunClean, so send your letters, photographs or ideas to [email protected].

No Fear for Obstacle First-timers

Modern AthleteRacingLeave a Comment on No Fear for Obstacle First-timers

It can be daunting to prepare yourself physically and mentally for your first obstacle race, especially if you don’t know what to expect, but this simple advice will get you to the start line and across the finish line. – BY SEAN FALCONER

If you’ve got your first obstacle race pencilled into your diary in the next few months – and chances are good that you do, given that the Impi Gauteng #2 is on 24 September, while the Jeep Warrior #7 (10 October) and Impi Cape Town #2 (17-18 October) both take place in Stellenbosch, along with a few other events on the calendar – then you’ll appreciate a bit of good advice to prepare yourself for the big day. Obstacle racing has exploded in popularity all around the world in the last few years and more people are venturing into the mud and obstacles for the challenge, fun and buzz, so you’ll be part of a global move.

Obstacle races are great fun, but require fitness, endurance, strength, agility, coordination and flexibility. You will get far on enthusiasm, but the key to a great race and minimising post-race soreness is training and preparation, so give yourself time to get your body ready for it, especially if all you’ve been doing is straight running. If so, chances are good that you’ve been neglecting your upper body, and those first few climbing or lifting obstacles will soon let you know that a bit of time in the gym would have been a good idea before the race…

Find the Fun in Training
When you do your training, try to inject some fun into things. For example, instead of just going for a run, throw in regular stops to do push-ups or burpees, or add some strength drills such as pull-ups or lifting of heavy objects. This will simulate the actual race, as you will run from obstacle to obstacle, and will add some extra stimulation and challenge to your training. Playgrounds are therefore a great option for training venue, as you can run loops and return to your ‘obstacles.’ Even better, get your friends to join in and really make the sessions fun.

Obstacle races can feature a wide range of movements, including pulling, jumping, climbing, carrying, balancing and crawling. If possible, try to find out about the obstacles in your upcoming race so that you can prepare properly for them, by incorporating activities or drills in your training that mimic or compliment those movements – and most of the training programmes or advice for obstacle racing suggest that you incorporate at least two strength work sessions per week into your training programme.

Enjoy the race!
If you want to race for time or a good position, go for it, but if this is your first obstacle event, the best advice is to relax, take it slow, enjoy the vibe, keep your sense of humour, enjoy a joke and a chat with fellow racers, help strangers over obstacles, and get through your first one still smiling. Obstacle racing is almost guaranteed to make you feel like a kid again, so get out there with your mates, have fun getting dirty together, and just enjoy the experience. The racing can come later, once you have some experience and know what to expect from obstacle racing – and then you’ll see how easy it is to design creative training workouts to get you ready for your next obstacle expedition.