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Running the Garbie 32km in Feb 2015

Comrades Marathon – Zero Tolerance Against Ambush Marketers

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As South Africa gears up for the 90th Comrades Marathon on Sunday, 31 May 2015, the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) has issued a very strong warning to so-called ‘ambush marketers’. The CMA has noticed the disturbing trend of ambush marketing tactics being used at the Comrades Marathon over the past few years. This marketing strategy has once again come to the fore as businesses gear up for the ‘Up-Run’.

This opportunistic marketing ploy is used by businesses and individuals to market and promote their branded products and services in the run-up to an event, during the event and even thereafter. These businesses and individuals have no legal link to the event, in this case the Comrades Marathon; but illegally exploit the event as a marketing platform for their products and services.

The Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (ASA) provides a very comprehensive definition of ambush marketing: ‘It is the attempt by an organization, product or brand to create the impression of being an official sponsor of an event or activity by affiliating itself with that event or activity without having paid the sponsorship rights fee or being party to a sponsorship contract.’

Integral to the ambush marketing tactics is the unauthorized use of Comrades Marathon registered trademarks such as the brand itself as well as terms “Comrades Marathon”, “Amabeadibeadi”, “The Ultimate Human Race” and the “Figure of Hermes”, the official registered logo of the Comrades Marathon. These trademarks have been registered with the Registrar of Trademarks in Pretoria and have also been registered in terms of the Heraldry Act No. 18/1962.

CMA General Manager, Chris Fisher says, ‘The CMA is totally against ambush marketing. Our sponsors and partners make huge investments in our race and brand not only in terms of money, but in terms of manpower and products and we will “not allow” non-sponsoring companies to use the race or brand as a platform to market their products or services. If you are not a registered sponsor of the event it is illegal to try to create the impression that you are or that you are somehow associated with the Comrades Marathon. A full list of official sponsors and partners is available on the Comrades website. We will be obliged to use the full force of the law to act against transgressors.’

All businesses and individuals seeking to use these registered trademarks for advertising and marketing purposes need to obtain written permission for this from the CMA.

On Comrades Race Day, the route will be monitored by the SAPS and a team of specially trained ‘route monitors/ brand sheriffs’ to identify unauthorized marketing activities. Such officials will confiscate illegal products and the guilty parties will be removed from the route. The CMA as well as its sponsors and partners reserve their right to institute legal proceedings where it is deemed to be necessary.

This is me at 132.5kg in Dec 2012

The Best Value Per Kilometre

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WORDS: SARAH HEARN

“This is a big one” nodded Richard Ayres with wild eyes, 40km and 10 hours into the Merrell Hobbit 100.

The trail lends itself to superlatives and exaggerations but his understated affirmation captures the essence of this legendary race. It is a passage up and across the Amathole mountains, through waterfalls and indigenous forests, over magic mushrooms and under massive yellow woods. More than that, it a trek deep into one’s own self, searching for the spirit and strength to move relentlessly onward and upward, to resist the temptation to sit down and curse with the goblins this treacherous way.

27 brave souls set off and just 17 completed the full course of this ultra-tough two day traverse. From Maden Dam at dawn – to long after dusk for some of them – they ran, stumbled and trudged to arrive at Cata Hut and lay claim to a bed after a hot shower and very welcome dinner. The next morning promised the descent into the village of Hogsback and the finish line at Arminel Hotel, but with the Hog standing firmly in their path they still had a further 2100m to climb up and over.

On their way back they were joined by competitors tackling the shorter, but no less technical, 38km and 16km routes, possibly the most difficult for their distance races in the country and in the words of one seasoned athlete “The best value per kilometre” in terms of terrain, views and overall experience.

The Merrell Hobbit weekend, presented by Nikwax, in this magical pocket of the Eastern Cape attracts runners who aspire to Live the Adventure. The event organisers, Tatum Prins and Graham Bird of Mountain Runner Events are both accomplished adventure racers and ardent advocates of an outdoor, active lifestyle. They designed the 5km fun run specifically to introduce and encourage new feet onto the trails. Local resident Landile Malamlela quickly sourced an alternative to his flip flops when Graham offered him a free entry after he showed interest during the set up and came flying into first place with a time of 23:27 followed by several speedy and sure footed juniors from all over, signalling an exciting future for the sport in our country.

Beyond PBs, each route in this event inspires a person to give their best and by that, be their best.

Congratulations to everyone who made it past the start, and the winners of the 100km; Steven Erasmus and Christine Coppinger. Jade Muller and Lizani Grant won the 38km and Rory Scheffer and Alexia Loizou headed the 16km. All results and superb photographs from Bruce Viaene are on “MountainRunnerEvents” Facebook page and www.mountainrunner.co.za

Kipsang a guest at LUX* Mauritius Marathon

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The World-Champion, Ex-World-Record-Holder and winner of great marathons like Frankfurt, Berlin, London and New York, Wilson Kipsang and his wife Doreen will be guests of the Mauritius Marathon this year.

This unique marathon will take place on the 19th of July 2015

A World-Star at the Mauritius Marathon

Kipsang will support the organizers with some charity events on the beautiful island in the Indian Ocean. There will be – like every year – a visit with interested runners to one of the SOS children
villages which are one of our Charity-Partners on the Island.

The Mauritius Marathon has achieved a high level of sympathy and popularity with the runners because of its partnerships with some major Marathons like Frankfurt, Stockholm, Athens, Amsterdam, Salzburg and the Reggae Marathon Jamaica.

Another reason was the outstanding presence at many Marathons Expos all over Europe in the past years, so that there have been already runners from 25 countries for the event.

All runners and fellow travellers loved the Mauritius Marathon because of its family
atmosphere and its approach to meet the people and to see the beauties of the Island.

The runners have the chance to run one of the most beautiful courses in the world, which
leads most of the time straight along the Indian Ocean passing picturesque bays offering
breathtaking views of the mountain Le Morne. They will also find small villages, little islands
and men´s high sugar cane fields along the way before they finish at the beach of St. Felix.

For more info, go to www.mauritiusmarathon.com

The Edge Of Glory

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For Pretoria-based sprinting sensation Akani Simbine, dipping under that magical 10-second barrier in the 100m does not look far off. Modern Athlete chats to the young star about his dream to become the fastest out the blocks.

MA: You’ve had an incredible couple of months with a 10.04s finish at the Gauteng North Championships in March as well as a 20.27s PB in the 200m, which qualifies you for the World Champs in Beijing later this year. Was that your immediate goal in 2015?
Akani: My focus was better times and getting back from the torn hamstring I suffered after the Glasgow Games. There was a lot of rehabilitation at the beginning of my season and it helped me get back to my best. There is no scar tissue and working in the gym with more focus than previous years has really helped.

MA: You must be bombarded with this question lately, but I’ll ask it again: Can you break that 10-second barrier?
Akani: I’m training hard for it, but I never want to put a lot of pressure on myself. For now, getting the best form out is what I want, so if it clicks on the day, it clicks.

MA: Word is you initially preferred your soccer boots to your running shoes?
Akani: It’s funny, because soccer was my number one. Growing up in Kempton Park, I did athletics at school but never took it seriously. I remember the sports department head at school telling me that I should run, because he had spotted my talent, so I told my parents about it. I went to work with a coach close to home and that’s when it all started. I was 16 and the second-fastest junior in the country at the end of my first season. That next year, I was second in 100m at the SA Champs and sixth in the 200m. I wanted to qualify for the World Youth Champs but got injured. I came back and it spiralled in the right direction. I was chosen to represent South Africa at the Zone 6 Games in Zambia in 2012 and ran a 10.19 PB there with a national junior record. There was a lot of confidence gained from that!

I started struggling the year after at the IAAF World Champs in Moscow. I couldn’t budge below 10.30 because I was doubting myself and I figured I was one of those wonder kids that would never improve. But I trained harder and became focused. Right now it’s all about getting and maintaining that sub-10 in the 100m. I don’t want to reach it only once. As far as the 200m goes, it’s not really my race, but I compete because I can. It’s about getting faster.

MA: Has the pomp of Varsity Sports Athletics also given you room to improve?
Akani: It’s definitely a sneak peek into how things are done in Europe. There’s the crowd factor and the exposure the sport is getting through media coverage. That brand is growing and it reminds me to enjoy myself. I get so much positive energy from family and friends who watch me race. They ask on Facebook where I’ll be or send me good luck messages. I’m in it to entertain. There’s nothing better than getting that adrenalin going!

MA: You mentioned putting in more focus on gym time. Do you make sure you allow sufficient recovery?
Akani: Every Thursday, I’ve got a session in the pool or a meeting with my physio to make sure everything is feeling right. That and my Sundays off are recovery days. I have learnt to listen to my body and allow for that regeneration period. I do a lot of high-quality sessions during the week, and that puts the body under stress – from speed intervals, acceleration days as well as fitting in strength work, stability exercises and core work. You need that breather!

MA: What is your long-term vision for your athletics career?
Akani: If you want big things to happen, you have to dream big. I want to be one of the fastest, if not the fastest. Dipping under 10 seconds would be the start of that.

The Trick is in the Taper

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With the Comrades Marathon just around the corner, it’s a good time to take a look at some of the common mistakes runners make when it comes to tapering in the final weeks before a big race.

So you’ve done the mileage, put in the hours on the legs, and gotten your muscles ready for that long target race, and now you’re following the training programme instructions to taper down your training so as to arrive at the start line feeling fresh. However, this is a time when many runners make costly mistakes, whether it is doing too little running, deviating from a normal routine, or getting too worked up. It’s easy to ruin months of hard work during what should be a relatively easy few weeks of training.

1. Resting Too Much
Over-tapering is the single most common mistake made, which can lead to feeling flat on race day and also increases the chance that you’ll get sick, as your metabolism and immune system can be thrown out of sync due to the sudden change in activity and decreased demands on the body. So, instead of suddenly feeling fresh as a daisy when you reduce mileage, some runners actually don’t feel that good after a few easier days.

THE SOLUTION: Most runners will find that reducing weekly mileage to 80% of maximum will provide a sufficient respite from the training load without leaving them feeling flat or sluggish, but the secret is to maintain some intensity throughout the week and not just do easy runs. Yes, your hardest workouts are now behind you, but it’s important not to lose all your momentum, so you still need some quality work, like an interval sessions, or better yet, a 10km tempo run where you do the first 5km at race pace, then the second 5km as fast as you can, to give your legs a good workout. This firstly allows you to practise race pace for the big day, but also boosts your confidence with a strong, fast finish.

2. The Wrong Workouts
The next common mistake many runners make is to change their entire programme from long slower mileage designed to prepare for a long race, to just doing shorter speedwork in order to feel faster, or because they are scared of doing any more long workouts and arriving at the start tired. The problem with this is that your muscles will not be used to all the shorter, faster running and will fatigue quickly, and you will not be practising your race pace for the big day. The taper period is an ideal opportunity to get in this vital practice, especially for the start of the big race, and you’ll get crucial pacing feedback from your body to prepare you for the race.

THE SOLUTION: Do two workouts per week, one of them a longer, race pace run, the second a shorter run broken up into race pace segments with up to three-minute easy rest segments in between. This will help you maintain your race pace preparation while the rest intervals will ensure that the workout is not too hard.

3. Weight-gain Worries
In the last week of the taper, the most difficult aspect is usually the mental perspective. No matter how hard you’ve trained, chances are you’re going to worry about not having done enough in order to finish the big race. (Bruce Fordyce always tells runners that it is better to arrive at the race slightly under-trained than over-trained and tired.) Then there is the fear of putting on weight during the final week of tapering, due to running less and eating more to carbo-load for race day, where the increased calorie intake is bound to pack on some extra weight that must then be carried through the race. Typically, the desire to avoid weight-gain wins the battle and glycogen stores don’t get built to the max.

THE SOLUTION: First, remember that a little weight-gain is OK, since you’re storing extra fluids. A full gas tank is much more important than a wee bit extra weight on race day. Therefore, the experts recommend that you augment your normal eating habits with regular ‘grazing’ on healthy, energy-filled snacks in between your main but small meals, so that you avoid that stuffed feeling.

Hank McGregor and Barry Lewin - Jeep Team

Fix the Pre-Race Blunders

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The week leading up to your big race can be overwhelming and the last thing you want to do is eat too much of the wrong foods, and too little of the right foods. So take note of these common pre-race nutritional mistakes and fix them before they slow you down. – BY ESMÉ MARÉ, REGISTERED DIETICIAN AT CHRISTINE PETERS & ASSOCIATES

1 IMPROPER CARBO-LOADING
Many athletes prefer to eat large portions of carbohydrates, especially pasta, the night before a race, to top up their glycogen stores. However, this could lead to digestive problems on race day. Rather start a week prior to race day, gradually increasing carbohydrate and fluid intake each day whilst tapering down. This will maximise glycogen storage.

2 TOO MUCH FIBRE
It’s important for athletes to consume a healthy, balanced diet with adequate amounts of fibre, which aids in the maintenance of normal blood sugar levels, reduces risk of heart disease and reduces the risk of constipation. Consuming more high-fibre foods than you are used to prior to race day could cause uncomfortable bloating and flatulence. If you are more sensitive to foods high in fibre, then cut back on foods such as beans and bran cereals two to three days prior to race day. Remember that fruit and vegetables should still be consumed. If you are racing more often, reduce your fibre intake only on race day to make sure that you are not cutting too much fibre out of your diet.

3 EATING AND DRINKING TOO LATE
It’s best to have your last dinner no less than 13 hours prior to your race and do not over-eat. This will prevent gastric discomfort and a sleepless night, especially if you have pre-race jitters. A liquid breakfast can be eaten two hours prior to the race and a solid breakfast can be eaten three hours prior to the race. This will ensure that you begin your race with sufficient fuel. Practise what to eat at dinner and breakfast before long workouts – this way you’ll be able to determine what works best for you before race day, and what does not work at all.

4 TRYING SOMETHING NEW
Avoid eating unfamiliar foods to your regular diet a week before race day. Foods unfamiliar to your body could lead to gastric discomfort and diarrhoea, which could leave you dehydrated, slowing you down or causing you to pull out of the race.

5 SKIPPING BREAKFAST
If you have difficulty eating breakfast before a race, wake up earlier to give yourself enough time to eat your breakfast. A smoothie works really well if you cannot stomach solid food.

6 DRINKING TOO MUCH WATER
Athletes should drink adequate amounts of fluids the week prior to the race. However, drinking too much water before the race could dilute your electrolytes, which may cause cramping, muscle weakness and hyponatraemia. Electrolytes play a big role in muscle contraction and an imbalance can lead to a decrease in performance.

7 CAFFEINE CONSUMPTION
If you consume caffeine on a regular basis then it would be best to go caffeine-free for a week prior to race day, to experience the performance enhancing benefits of coffee on race day. If you do not consume caffeine on a regular basis and do not know the effects it may have on your performance, rather avoid it. Caffeine may have a negative effect on your stomach, causing cramps.

These common pre-race nutritional mistakes may influence the performance of your race, but can vary from athlete to athlete, so this is a trial and error process – as an athlete you should listen to your body and learn what works best for you.

Kyle Dodd - Jeep Team BMX

In Good Hands to Get You Home

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The Modern Athlete Pacesetting Buses for the 2015 Comrades Marathon should be the biggest and best ever, thanks to the stellar crew of bus drivers and conductors being assembled, and with more buses than ever before, notably in that massively important last hour of the race when more than half the field comes home. Here are the pacers to look out for on 31 May.


Sub-12:00 Vic Clapham Bus

Vlam Pieterse
23 Medals
Club: Hartbeespoort Marathon Club
Vlam is a pacesetting legend, having finished in the last 15 minutes of the race 18 times, both as an official and unofficial pacesetter, so he knows a thing or two about getting to the finish in time to beat the final cut-off. “Driving the sub-12:00 bus is really living life on the edge – great if you make it, heartbreaking if you don’t – and I have learnt to remember that I am a pacesetter, not a nurse, so I must stick to my pacing chart to ensure that everyone in the bus gets to the finish on time, I cannot slow down or stop for anybody who can’t keep up, even though it breaks my heart to see them drop off the bus,” says Vlam.
Last three Comrades: 2014 – 11:53:40, 2013 – 11:58:13, 2010 – 11:50:28

Derrick Rondganger
7 Medals
Club: Telkom Athletics Club
Another veteran of pacesetting, having brought home many get-you-round buses in Cape races as well as the sub-12:00 Comrades bus, Derrick got into pacing four years ago when he was asked to lead a sub-12:00 bus for a group of friends who had lost their regular ‘driver’ due to a pre-race injury. “I fell in love with pacesetting in that race, and I particularly love pacing the last group home, because I think it means the most to them,” says Derrick. “Also, pacing with Vlam is an honour – he is a legend and I am still learning from him, but I think we compliment each other well.”
Last three Comrades: 2014 – 11:53:40, 2013 – 11:56:50, 2012 – 11:38:17

Sub-11:45 Vic Clapham Bus

Frans Campher
19 Medals
Club: Lewensentrum Athletic Club
Frans is one of two Comrades pacesetting brothers – he has carried the sub-12:00 flag in previous years, while Jackie has led the sub-11:00 bus home. Once again both have agreed to pace in 2015, and Frans suggested a mid-point sub-11:30 bus to try relieve some of the congestion caused by so many runners joining the sub-12:00 bus. When he heard there was already a sub-11:30 bus in place, he immediately suggested a sub-11:45 bus. “There is a big demand for an 11:30 bus, but also for a bus to go just in front
of the 12:00 bus, and I think many runners will appreciate the extra choices this year.”
Last three Comrades: 2014 – 11:37:56, 2013 – 11:56:52, 2011 – 11:48:50

Sub-11:30 Pink Drive Vic Clapham Bus

Wietsche Van Der Westhuizen
37 Medals
Club: Bellville Athletic Club
As one of the most experienced Comrades runners, Wietsche also knows a thing or two about pacing. Some years back he twice led the sub-9:00 bus home, and has also done sub-6:00 and sub-6:30 buses at Two Oceans, most notably the fun sub-6:30 Pink Drive bus in this year’s Oceans. He even donned a pink bra! “Besides running for a target time, we’re running for a cause, so I’ll be running Comrades with my pink bra again. I believe running is a sport you must enjoy – and if you’re not having fun, you should go play bowls!” he says. “My aim is to make sure everybody gets to the end and enjoys it – they will have pain, but they’ll want to come back next year.”
Last three Comrades: 2014 – 11:46:15, 2013 – 11:37:45, 2012 – 9:24:20

Hilton Murray
11 Medals
Club: Bellville Athletic Club
Having shot to fame as the man in the penguin cap who did 10 Comrades back-to-back last year, running 89km per day for nine days and then the Comrades itself on the 10th day, Hilton has now turned his running talents to bus conducting. At the 2015 Two Oceans he joined clubmate Wietsche van der Westhuizen in leading the sub-6:30 Pink Drive bus, and says, “At Comades, we’re going to turn our bus into the first ever Pink-legal-abnormal-overload-human&apenguin&achicken-bus on the N3 from Durban to Pietermaritzburg, a road notorious for overloaded runaway buses, but seldom pink! Standing room unlimited on this bus!”
Last three Comrades: 2014 – 11:46:14, 2013 – 10:45:48, 2012 – 9:42:38

SUB-11:00 Bronze Bus

Jackie Campher
13 Medals
Club: Lewensentrum Athletic Club
Jackie was one of the first volunteers when Modern Athlete ran its first Comrades buses in 2011, and he successfully brought home three consecutive sub-11:00 buses to great praise from the runners around him. “I enjoy leading buses and helping other runners achieve their goals in races, whether it is a sub-11:00 or qualifier of five hours, or even a sub-4:00 marathon, which they might have tried but could never do. I am flattered that there have been runners asking on Facebook if I am taking the 11-hour bus again this year – these are people I met while leading buses in races, and I am proud to be able to help them.”
Last three Comrades: 2014 – 9:45:52, 2013 – 10:56:42, 2012 – 10:51:33

Buks Van Heerden
15 Medals
Club: Nedbank Running Club Vanderbijlpark
Buks also goes into this year’s Comrades with a large following, thanks to the fact that he has paced in a whole series of races in the Gauteng area in the build-up to the Comrades, and built up quite a fan club along the way. “For me it is the feeling of taking people through and seeing their happiness when they make it. Being a pacesetter has taught me that there is more to running than winning. It’s about helping people to achieve something that they may not believe they can do, or are not sure they can get there. I know that these buses make a big difference in people’s lives.”
Last three Comrades: 2014 – 8:46:08, 2013 – 9:54:57, 2010 – 10:07:54

Jeff Ramokoka
16 medals
Club: Eskom Athletic Club CGA
Last year Jeff volunteered at the last minute to lead the hitherto driverless sub-11:00 bus, and he soon had a massive following out on the route. The photos of the bus tell the story, with Jeff out front conducting a singing, dancing throng of runners down the road, with an awesome vibe that carried them all the way to the finish. No surprises that a number of his passengers wanted their photo taken with him at the finish! Chances are his bus will go a little bit faster than the other one led by Jackie and Buks, thus giving runners more than one option as they chase their bronze medals.
Last three Comrades: 2014 – 10:42:15, 2013 – 9:12:15, 2010 – 9:18:22

Chris Kubeka
13 medals
Club: Eskom Athletic Club CGA
Chris missed out on the fun in 2014 due to an injury, but still travelled along the route, moving from point to point, in order to second his friend Jeff and help where he could with the bus. This year, back from the injury, he will join as Jeff’s conductor and co-driver on their sub-11:00 bus. “I saw how great the spirit was in the bus last year, so this year I want to be part of it with Jeff,” he says.
Last three Comrades: 2013 – 10:44:44, 2012 – 10:16:33, 2011 – 9:16:36

Sub-9:00 Bill Rowan Bus

Johan Van Tonder
12 Medals
Club: Alberton Amateur Athletic Club
Johan is one of the country’s most experienced Comrades pacers, having carried his first sub-9:00 flag as far back as 2003, and done so most years since. Even in the years when things did not go well for him – as can so easily happen in a 90km ultra – he dropped back and joined one of the slower buses, sometimes even bringing that bus home when its driver experienced problems along the way. “I love my pacesetting so much, because seeing people reach their goals reminds me of the promises I made to my family to help others whenever I can. I love giving back to the sport, and will keep pacing for as long as I can.”
Last three Comrades: 2014 – 8:56:00, 2013 – 9:07:07, 2012 – 11:57:10

Note: Some Pacesetters may change before race day due to unforeseen illness or injury, and additional Pacesetters may still be added.

Remember the Name!

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A year ago many of us had never even heard of Caroline Wöstmann, but after finishing first South African woman at the 2014 Comrades and winning the 2015 Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, she has become one of the most talked about female ultra-marathoners in SA!

When Caroline Wöstmann came home sixth in 6:51:43 in the 2014 Comrades Marathon, many South African runners and fans of the sport could have been forgiven for asking, “Who?” She was relatively unknown, having run just three Comrades before, with a best time of 7:16:48 to finish 15th in 2012. Before that, in her two previous Comrades runs, she had finished in 9:17:39 in 2009 and 8:33:29 in 2011, so she was an outside bet at best when the pundits discussed their favourites for the top 10 gold medal positions for 2014. Her only run at the Two Oceans Marathon, in 2013, had seen her finish 83rd in 4:54:42, so that also did not point to her making such a breakthrough in the 2014 Comrades, but that’s what she did, seemingly quite comfortably, too.

Now however, after her spectacular win in the recent 2015 Two Oceans, her name is on everybody’s lips in running circles, because she stormed through the field to claim the women’s title in 3:41:24, passing second-placed Tanith Maxwell on Southern Cross Drive and then storming past defending champion Nina Podnebesnova of Russia with less than 5km to go. As she took the lead, the 32-year-old broke into a huge smile, which one commentator described as almost unbelieving, and it stayed on her face right to the finish as she became the first South African woman to win the race in 14 years.

Great Expectations

Unsurprisingly, the winner’s tape had barely hit the ground and the pundits were talking about her chances of winning the Comrades at the end of May: Will her legs recover in time, does she have the speed and endurance to win it, and more. Caroline herself is upbeat about it all, saying that she has faith in her coach, Lindsey Parry of the University of Pretoria’s High Performance Centre, to see her through to Comrades. He has been coaching her since September, and Caroline says he has helped change her outlook completely, resulting in one personal best after another, including a 2:44:57 marathon in Port Elizabeth in December.

“He said I should aim for 3:50 at Oceans, and I said no, that is too hard, so I don’t know how it happened that I ran 3:41. They say that a good Two Oceans blows your Comrades, but I’m sure Lindsey will know what to do, and he thinks my legs will be fine for Comrades. My main aim is to enjoy it – I simply can’t imagine how anybody could run that far without actually enjoying it. It’s supposed to be about enjoying the journey, not just about the destination, and there are so many people to chat to along the way, crowds to enjoy, beautiful views to take in. That’s why I run the Comrades.”

Family, Work and Running

Caroline was born in Johannesburg and lived in Midrand most of her life, but now lives in Pretoria, where her husband Haiko works, and she commutes to work in Johannesburg. She studied at the University of Pretoria to become a chartered accountant, then worked for Deloitte for a few years as an audit manager before accepting a post lecturing management accounting and finance at Wits. The couple have two kids, Gabriella (7) and Isabell (4), and Caroline says Haiko does a bit of running and often comes with her to races, where he sometimes does the 5km fun runs with the kids, but mountain biking is more his strength.

It was actually having kids that got Caroline motivated to run. “About a year after Gabby was born, I hadn’t managed to lose my pregnancy weight, so I decide to try running. My sister Christine started with me late in 2008, as she was staying with me at the time while doing Matric, and we would run around an 800m block in our suburb, but she would wait for me at the top of one hill, as I was that bad back then! But after a couple of months of running, instead of feeling terrible, I started feeling good, so my New Year’s Resolution was deciding to run the 2009 Comrades! Everyone thought I was mad, but I was determined.”

Caroline ran her first race at the end of October 2008, joined Midrand Striders and then moved onto the DisChem Half Marathon in January 2009, but that didn’t quite go to plan. “Christine and I missed the start after getting stuck in traffic and struggling to find parking, so we ended up starting with the 10km or 5km athletes, but we still loved it, and did about 2 hours 30 minutes.” A month later she did her first 42km at the Pick n Pay Marathon, clocking a respectable 3:52. “I now look at it as a terrible finishing time, but my clubmates were all wow at the time.”

Comrades Debut

That saw her qualify for the 2009 Comrades, but she says her first Big C was really tough. “At 70km I was crying on the side of the road. My hubby had driven along the route with Gabby and stopped at three or four points to support me, and I told him I couldn’t go on, but he said I can do it and kept me going. He wasn’t going to let me quit after all the effort to get there, and I got my bronze in 9:17:39. I missed the 2010 race due to being pregnant with Isabell, but was back to earn a Bill Rowan in 2011, then a silver in 2012. In 2013 I got a bit overambitious and wanted a gold medal, so I overtrained and landed up with a stress fracture. But then came 2014 and I got my gold.”

“I didn’t expect to be the first South African woman that year, because I had joined the Nedbank club and had been training with Charne Bosman. I fully expected her to be first, but I felt confident of getting a top-10. I was actually surprised that nobody else believed it. Afterwards people said I was smiling the whole way, looking so comfortable, but I actually struggled a bit in that Comrades, due to a minor injury picked up five weeks before the race. I was actually a bit worried throughout and don’t think I was smiling that much, and the last 10km was really hanging in there.”

Winning Ways

Moving into 2015, Caroline says the recent Two Oceans was the best race of her life, and from beginning to end she just felt great. “The crowd support was so amazing, and I used it to fuel my running. I was thanking people for their support, so got still more support, and when I moved into third, the guy on the bike next to me even said wow, what incredible support.” However, Caroline says that passing Tanith to take second place was a bittersweet moment: “I am actually a big fan of hers, and wanted to see what she would do in her first ultra, so I actually felt a bit overwhelmed passing her. I wanted to say you’re such a legend, but at the same time didn’t want to say too much, so I just said hi. She was probably a bit more conservative, as she was going into unknown territory beyond the marathon mark, but I saw footage of her coming home and she looked so strong, so I definitely think she can go faster in future.”

As for her own future plans, Caroline says her ultimate goal is to win the Comrades: “I don’t know if I’m capable of winning it yet, because there are such great athletes that come out to run it, and I don’t know if I’m at their level yet. So I’m not going to go for the win this year, I will go for a specific time. But then I never would have dreamed I could win Two Oceans – I didn’t think I was fast enough, let alone able to run under four minutes per kay for 56km. My strength has always been going far, not fast, and I was stuck with the speed thing for a while, hence I approached Lindsay to coach me, and since adopting a targeted approach to speedwork, I have seen a huge improvement. But still, I think I was more surprised than anyone else about winning Oceans!”

Jeep Team Thomas Van Tonder

The 2015 Colgate Road Race Entries Still On!

Modern AthleteNewsLeave a Comment on The 2015 Colgate Road Race Entries Still On!

A message from race organisers below:

“Runners and members alike seem to be under the impression that the Colgate race entries have closed, please note that this is not the case.

Entries are still available at the club office. We will be selling until 2 May at the stadium, or until 6000 entries have been received.

LATE ENTRIES AVAILABLE:

Address: Club Room 2, Boksburg City Stadium


Monday to Friday from 09:00 – 13:00

Saturday, 2 May from 09:30 – 14:00
 

Murray raced his heart out for home fans

Modern AthleteNewsLeave a Comment on Murray raced his heart out for home fans

South African Richard Murray gave it his all in a bid to finish on the podium at Sunday’s Discovery World Triathlon Cape Town.

 

In the end Murray finished fourth after being passed by Vincent Luis in the final kilometer of the 10km run. Olympic champion Alistair Brownlee won in his first race back after injury and Spain’s Javier Gomez, the current World champion, finished second. It was Frenchman Vincent Luis who passed Murray in the final stretch. For Murray it was bitter sweet seeing that fourth place is one place better than last year, but the athlete from Durbanville desperately wanted to finish on the podium in front of his home crowd that was some 1000 strong in the Green Point Athletics Stadium. 

 

“It was a spectacular race. I’m a bit upset that I couldn’t manage a place on the podium, but it is one place better than last year and I gave it my all. I was on the rivet during the running leg and I just couldn’t follow when Javier and Alistair went for it near the end. I tried to keep my third place. I still want to finish on the podium in front of my home crowd so badly,” said Murray.

 

“I am grateful for everybody who came out to support us today. I had kids running alongside me on the route screaming my name and that was very special. Big up to Javier, Alistair and Vincent for getting the podium places today. I‘m very happy to see all the people coming out to support us. The sport is growing and that is so important as well.”