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Closing of 2015 Comrades Marathon Early Bird Entries

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The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) has announced that early bird entries for the 90th Comrades Marathon entry process will close on 30 September 2014. So far, 9420 entries have already been received since the entry process opened on 1 September 2014.

This means that just over 13,000 entries are available before the overall entry process closes at the end of November or as soon as the cap of 23000 entries has been reached. Thereafter, no entries will be accepted so runners are urged to enter as soon as possible or risk missing out.

CMA Race Director, Rowyn James says, ‘South African runners can take advantage of the ‘early bird’ entry fee of R350 for the entire month of September. As of 1 October 2014, the entry cost for South African runners will be R380.’

 

Runners from the Rest of Africa will be charged an entry fee of R600 and the cost to International athletes is R2000. The entry requirements, which are clearly indicated on the entry form, must be adhered to at all times.

 

Entries may be made as follows:

·        online via the Comrades Marathon website:www.comrades.com; 

·        by posting the completed entry form with proof of payment to the CMA Office in Pietermaritzburg: P.O. Box 100621, Scottsville, 3209;

·        by handing in the completed entry form together with payment at the CMA office in Pietermaritzburg: 18 Connaught Road, Scottsville. 

 

Runners may enter the race before running a qualifying marathon (minimum qualifying distance of 42.2km run in under 5 hours) which must be run between 1 August 2014 and 3 May 2015. Please note that the 2014 Comrades Marathon will not be an automatic qualifier for the 2015 race.  Qualifying details must be submitted to the CMA by 5 May 2015.

The 90th edition of the world’s leading ultra-marathon is all set to showcase South Africa’s and the world’s ultra-runners once again come Sunday, 31 May 2015. Being an ‘up-run’, the race starts at the Durban City Hall at 05h30 and ends 12 hours later at the Oval Cricket Stadium in Pietermaritzburg.

 

Elites gear up for final Spar Race

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Elite runners are gearing up in preparation for the final leg of the SPAR women’s 10km Challenge series at the Wanderers Club on Sunday October 12th.

Barefoot runner Diana-Lebo Phalula, who is virtually assured of winning the SPAR Grand Prix, started training again earlier this week after a break to recover from a hamstring injury.  She won the Cape Town and Port Elizabeth legs of the race in record time, and top four finishes in Durban and Pretoria earned her an almost unbeatable lead of 28 points over her nearest rival, Rene Kalmer.

Phalula’s twin sister, Lebogang, who won the Durban race and finished third in Pretoria, said that she was aiming to finish second on the Grand Prix log.

“Lebo can win the car this year, but I also need a car, and I’ll be aiming to win the car next year,” said Lebogang.

“In the meantime, I want to finish second on the log and win the R30 000 prize.”

Lebogang Phalula won the Cape Town Marathon 10km race on Sunday in 33.22 minutes, and she travels to the Netherlands later this week to run in a 10km race in Amsterdam.

“I’m quite happy with my form.  I’m doing well, but I’m not happy with my times.  I wanted to run 32 minutes, and I haven’t achieved that yet, but that is my aim for next year.  And next year, I will be going all out to win the car in the SPAR Grand Prix.”

She is not the only runner who will be heading for Europe this week.  Rene Kalmer is running the Berlin Marathon on Sunday, on what has been described as the world’s fastest marathon course.  Kalmer has won the SPAR Grand Prix three times,  and was the first runner to win the prize of a Nissan Micra.

Irvette van Zyl, who won the Pretoria Challenge in record time, has been in the form of her life recently, after recovering from serious injury.  On August 9, she smashed her personal best by half a minute to win the Totalsports Women’s race in Stellenbosch in 32.20 minutes, equaling Zola Budd’s personal best for the  third fastest time by a South African woman.  Van Zyl followed up her victory in the Pretoria race by winning the Nelson Mandela Marathon near Pietermaritzburg in glorious fashion the very next day, finishing 19 minutes ahead of her nearest rival.

However, Van Zyl, who had been expected to shine in the Cape Town marathon last Sunday, had to drop out of the race because of a knee injury.  It is not clear at this stage if she will be fit to run in the final Challenge race, but if she is fully fit, she could well challenge for second place on the Grand Prix log.

Another contender is last year’s winner, Mapaseka Makhanya, who has not been able to match the heights she achieved in 2013.  But she has a strong competitive streak and can never be ruled out.

Official launch of Comrades-KZNA Relay Challenge

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The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) and KwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA) officially launched the Comrades-KZNA Relay Challenge at the Prime Human Performance Institute in Durban yesterday.

The exciting athletics event is targeted at schools across the province and aims to give KwaZulu-Natal’s brightest young athletes the opportunity to showcase their athletic prowess.

The inaugural 2013 Relay Challenge was initiated by KZNA and the Fast Feet Athletics Club. It is now bigger and better; and includes sponsorship from the CMA and sportswear brand adidas. Up for grabs among various categories is R50,000 in cash and R70,000 in equipment from adidas as well as a bronzed spike trophy for winning schools.

The Relay Challenge is a team based event that encompasses a 1x800m, 1x400m, 2x200m and 4x100m with eight athletes per team in three age categories — u15, u17 and Open boys and girls. Four districts have been invited from across the province with 16 teams per age group in the male and female categories – that is 32 teams per age group and 96 teams in total.

The semi-finals take place on 26 September and the finals will be held on 2 October 2014 at the Kings Park Athletics Stadium.

Cancer can be beaten, so lend a hand by taking the Spar Challenge

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It is a sobering thought that about one in nine women in South Africa are likely to suffer breast cancer at some stage in their lives. It is no respecter of boundaries, and affects women of all races and classes.

But the good news is that breast cancer is one of the most treatable forms of cancer, and definitely no longer a death sentence. Treatment includes chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, it involves either the removal of the lump or a complete mastectomy.

It can be a traumatic experience, especially if the treatment involves a mastectomy, but that is where Reach for Recovery comes in. Reach for Recovery is a support group for breast cancer patients, providing them with emotional and physical support. All the counsellors are trained breast cancer survivors, who are able to understand the feelings of the newly-diagnosed patient.
“Breast cancer is one of the better cancers,” said Beulah Jankelowitz, Chairperson of the Johannesburg branch of Reach for Recovery.

“It is treatable and it is also reasonably easy to detect. The important thing is not to ignore anything. If you find a lump, you must have it examined. Most breast lumps are not cancerous, but have it checked out anyway. Don’t just close your eyes and think it will go away. The earlier breast cancer is detected, the better your chances of recovery.” She said that Reach for Recovery counsellors visit patients either at home or in hospital to talk to them and to provide them with support.
“We explain what is going to happen, and what they can expect. We also provide pretty floral bags for them to carry their drains, and very soft cushions to put under their arms so they can be more comfortable.

“While we can’t provide medical advice, we are also available to answer questions both during and after their treatment,” she said. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Reach for Recovery is once again the charity associated with the very popular Spar Women’s 10km Challenge and 5km Fun Run at the Wanderers on Sunday October 12. 

A number of Reach for Recovery members will be taking part in the race. They are easily identified by their distinctive pink t-shirts and by their friendly smiles. They also stand out because, wherever they are, they are surrounded by laughter. They are very positive women who know all about the terror of being diagnosed with breast cancer, but they will also tell you how they came through it with the support of other women who had been there as well.


So put on those tekkies and start preparing to take the Challenge and help this very worthwhile group. Who knows, you may need their support someday. As an added incentive, the first 15 000 pre-entries will receive a free T-shirt, and the first 15 000 to finish will be given a medal and a goodie-bag. There are also many fabulous prizes, including a lucky draw for a brand new Nissan Micra.
 

The Rhino Orphanage campaign joins horns with Race the Rhino MTB for World Rhino Day 2014

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In less than a week, like-minded people and organisations across the globe will raise their voices against rhino poaching and the illegal trade in rhino horn by hosting events, shows and a variety of other creative initiatives for World Rhino Day on 22 September. First Car Rental’s ‘Post Your Selfie & Win’ charity campaign in aid of The Rhino Orphanage based in Limpopo will be driving rhino awareness by taking part in one of these events, Race the Rhino.

Race the Rhino is a mountain bike competition that challenges mountain bikers to ride for rhino conservation, with event proceeds going to non-profit organisations such as Poached Rhino and the Renosterveld Trust. This year the race will be held at the Van Gaalens MTB Park, Hartbeespoort Dam, Gauteng, on 20 September, the Saturday preceding World Rhino Day. There will be three MTB routes – a 55km, 35km and 8km – to cater to all levels of fitness.

Race organisers will be driving two of The Rhino Orphanage campaign’s Nissan Jukes, which have been vehicle-wrapped to look like a mom rhino with a baby rhino, from Johannesburg to the race venue at the Van Gaalens MTB Park.

At the race, competitors and their supporters can get involved in raising awareness of The Rhino Orphanage by taking selfies with the Nissan Jukes and posting to their social media networks, making sure to tag with #Rhinos1st, to enter the competition and lucky draw associated with the campaign.
Melissa Storey, Executive Head of Strategy, Development and Marketing at First Car Rental comments, “First Car Rental’s Rhino Orphanage ‘Post Your Selfie & Win’ campaign has gained huge traction across South Africa since its launch in February this year. The Rhino Orphanage Jukes have been featured at the country’s leading events, with hundreds of people posting selfies helping to raise awareness of the world’s first rhino orphanage and the plight of these little offspring.”
“It’s entirely fitting that The Rhino Orphanage campaign will be celebrating World Rhino Day with Race the Rhino MTB Race, an initiative that is also dedicated to inspiring people to take action to save the endangered rhino species.”
Now in its third year, Race the Rhino is an offshoot of Ride the Rhino, a MTB race that takes riders on a three-day adventure through the Cape Floristic Kingdom in the Western Cape, particularly the Renosterveld, one of the most threatened vegetation types in the world.

Says Heidi Eloff, organiser of Ride the Rhino and Race the Rhino, “Our events firstly encourage all anti-Rhino poaching initiatives. We are closely involved with Poached Rhino and other like-minded organisations that continuously fight against the merciless killing of this majestic animal.
“Secondly, the races aim to rescue one of South Africa’s and the world’s most endangered habitats – the Renosterveld. With only 4% of the region left, the Ride the Rhino mountain bike challenge peddles through as many areas of the Renosterveld as possible to show off its beauty and encourage collective action post-race to save one of the country’s most beautiful treasures.”

To find out more visit:
• World Rhino Day website : www.worldrhinoday.org
• Race the Rhino website: www.renosterveldmtb.co.za

To keep up-to-date with The Rhino Orphanage campaign visit the website at www.firstcarrental.co.za/Post-your-Selfie-Campaign.htm, follow @RhinoOrphanage and @firstcarrental on Twitter, or like these Facebook pages – @FirstCarRental and @TheRhinoOrphanage.

To donate R15 to The Rhino Orphanage, which relies entirely on donations from the public and businesses, SMS ‘rhino’ to 49100.

Chaperon and Read take Wildcoast Wildrun™

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Stewart Chaperon and Olivia Read are the new champions of the Wildcoast Wildrun™ – the popular three day 112km stage race from Kei Mouth to Hole-in-the-Wall on the Wild Coast.

Chaperon was made to work hard for his title and chased throughout by Jacques Mouton from George and twin brothers, Andrew and Steven Erasmus from KwaZulu-Natal. These four runners pushed each other from the get-go, never letting up the pressure. Chaperon lead the pack through the checkpoint on day 1 but was overtaken by Mouton in the final stretch to win the stage by two minutes with the Erasmus brothers about 20 minutes behind after a few navigational errors. The brothers ran together on day 2 and won by 12 minutes to set up a tight race on the final day. Chaperon started day 3 with a meagre four minute overall lead and had to work hard to keep up with second-placed Andrew Erasmus but he managed to stick it out and crossed the finish line with Andrew to claim the overall title of Wildrun™ champion.

In the ladies’ race Olivia Read, a local from Port Elizabeth, never gave any other lady a sniff of victory. Read ran with the defending ladies champion, Sylvie Scherzinger in the first half of day 1 but pulled away later in the day to win the stage by a little more than 20 minutes. Scherzinger, who was struggling with a knee injury this year, could not make up this gap and Read increased her lead on days 2 and 3 to finish as champion, more than an hour in front of Scherzinger.

All in all, it was yet another truly successful Wildrun™ and all runners enjoyed the three day challenge in this majestic part of the world. This week the second departure will take off from Kei Mouth on Thursday for the more social Journey and another unforgettable experience for all participants.

Overall results
Men
1. Stewart Chaperon 10:53:43

2. Andrew Erasmus 10:58:04

3. Steven Erasmus 11:05:35

Women
1. Olivia Read 11:59:34

2. Sylvie Scherzinger 13:05:19

3. Harriett Cullinan 14:34:14

For the full results click here.
 

Doing it Despite Diabetes

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Hello, I am the 49-years-old who was attempting the Comrades this year for the first time, as published in the Letters section of the June edition of Modern Athlete, and this is my follow-up Comrades story. – BY VAL OPPERMAN

I have had Type 1 Diabetes for 30 years, and I know that my nearest known relative with T1D died in 1921, before injectable Insulin was freely available. I therefore have to be careful with training and racing, monitoring my blood sugar levels regularly.

So it was now ‘Tapering Time’ ahead of the Comrades, time to dramatically reduce training and to check blood sugar three times a day versus just diet monitoring. During this period I dramatically reduced my mileage and to eat correctly to begin to store essential fat as well as glycogen in my muscles and liver. The glycogen is essential for ultra-distance running, and even more essential for a Type 1 Diabetic, and the fat would also be important on race day – and would be depleted in 12 hours along with all my liver’s Glycogen. My Doctor estimated that I would lose about 5kg of body weight during the race.

So, at 2.30am on the 1st of June, I awoke my dearest little ‘Comrades Bug,’ the one that bit me three years ago, had breakfast, got my running gear on, had photos taken with my husband, daughter and best friend, let them write goodwill messages on my hands and arms, and then I started the short walk to the start. Those 45 minutes of being in my seeding pen from 4:45am were surreal with excitement. I checked my blood sugar again and awaited the famous cockcrow before the boom of the gun signalling the start, and joined 18,000 fellow Comrades joyfully singing along to Shosholoza, the South African National Anthem and the tear-jerking Chariots of Fire traditional Comrades song.

The gun sounded and a human surge of anxious bodies slowly moved forward underneath a huge arc of fireworks and deafening shouts of ‘Good luck’ & ‘See you in Durban.’ Back home in Durban, the TV was not switched on at my house this year on Comrades Day, and my dog missed all of us, because all my family were with me along the route, cheering Comrades Bug and I both on – and Comrades Bug sat there right next to my heart every step of the 89.28km to Durban.

I checked my blood sugar six times along the route, ate and carefully hydrated, and finished in 11 hours 56 minutes and 17 seconds to the deafening roar of the thousands of spectators at Kingsmead Sahara Cricket Stadium in Durban. Then I cried my eyes out in indescribable euphoria at the finishing line. After I got my medal and badge, I went to the medical tent to check my blood sugar again, which was perfect.

So that was it… a long, hard, hot day, but very exciting, and I made it after three years and 2500km of running as a Type 1 Diabetic.

From Wannabe to 100

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Later this year I hope to run my 100th marathon, and having heard about 100 Marathon Clubs in several other countries, I think it is time for us to start one in South Africa as well. – BY HANO MAREE

As for many South Africans, Comrades was a childhood dream and in 1999, when a friend asked me to join him for the Millennium race, I jumped at the opportunity. I was under-trained and inexperienced, but amid all the suffering, I had an epiphany that has formed the basis of my running philosophy ever since: Running is not just a sport, it is a social event that is enjoyed en route with anonymous runners (soon to be friends) from all walks of live, sharing race ‘war stories’ or just having a laugh.

Since then I have kept a race logbook, but did not place any value on the number of marathons and ultras I’d done until 2010 at the Macleay River Marathon in Australia. At the prize-giving, Bob Fickel, who incidentally is currently managing the Australian 100 Marathon Club, received a T-shirt to commemorate his 200th marathon. It made me wonder how many people in SA have completed 100 marathons and when will I ever get there? Over the following three years, as I slowly accumulated marathons, I also found some books on the topic. According to Steve Edwards, the fastest person to reach 500 marathons, more people have climbed Everest than have completed 100 marathons! However, I do believe that a number of SA runners have been excluded from these calculations, but the point remains, not that many people have done this.

CHASING MY CENTURY

Many countries with 100 marathon clubs follow similar rules, with the UK’s being the best described on their website. Membership is only for runners that have completed 100 marathons and/or ultras. You can also join the club as an associate member if you have run more than 50 races, but then you are labelled as a ‘Wannabe.’ I have contacted the UK 100 Marathon Club and the rules are quite clear that walking events do not count. The reasoning sounds fair, so I was knocked back by three and that put me on 92 at the end of July, with 31 ultras, 58 marathons and three stage races, so I am still in the Wannabe club, but 2014 will (hopefully) be the year of my 100th marathon.

At the beginning of the year I started planning my assault on the 100th and in setting up a schedule, I was more concerned with where, rather than when. I calculated that if I do every marathon in the Western Cape in 2014 and travel to a few races – and remain injury free – I could get to my 100th in Stellenbosch at the Winelands Marathon, my hometown race, in November. I will not be the first to run 100 marathons, but it will be my first time.

Now, I usually do not run marathons on back-to-back weekends, but part of the challenge was venturing into the unknown, so I recently did four marathons in four weeks, followed by a double marathon weekend in Australia, then a week off before the Puffer… and I thought this was going to be easy! But the whole attraction of this challenge for me is the fact that you can do it in your own time and you have a lifetime to achieve it. It is a personal challenge that every runner can aim for, irrespective of ability, and if this body can cash this cheque, there will be chocolate cake at the Stellenbosch Athletics Club gazebo after the Winelands!

SA 100 Marathon Club

Despite all its wonderful long distance races, South Africa does not have a 100 Marathon Club. There are several initiatives that reward distance in races in a calendar year, but none that rewards the average runner for a lifetime of running. I propose that we get the debate going and see where it leads us. Contact [email protected] or join the Facebook page.
 

Are you maxed out?

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While running with an older running friend the other day, he looked at his heart rate monitor, then asked me if I knew how high is too high for a heart rate, because his wife had told him she was convinced he is going to blow his heart up! Damned good question, I said, so I decided to look into it, and found that maximum heart rate is an elusive number, especially for runners. 

When calculating your maximum heart rate (MHR) for your age, the usual equation used is 220 minus your age, but that does not apply to everybody – many people can tolerate higher heart rates, while others cannot get to the formula-driven max, no matter how hard they push themselves. Also, this formula was developed many years ago from studies of young athletes, but more recent studies looking at a broader age distribution have shown that this formula often underestimates the MHR in older subjects, and thus Tanaka and co. came up with a revised formula in 2001 of MHR = 208 – (0.7 x age). A further study in 2007, by Gellish and co., revised that still further to MHR = 207 – (0.7 x age).

Now my friend is 52, so using the three different formulas, we get an MHR of 168, 172, and 171 respectively, so the difference is minor. The good news, for his wife, however, is that he said his heart rate monitor usually hovers around 160 during his workouts, only occasionally going over the 170 mark, and his heart rate drops to 140 or below during the regular walk breaks he includes in all workouts, so he appears to be safe from an imminent heart meltdown, according to basic MHR calculations.

EXPERT OPINION

According to Dr William Roberts, a medical doctor who specialises in sports medicine, heart rate tolerance is specific to each individual and is best determined by experience. “The closer you are to your MHR during your workouts and races, the shorter the duration of exercise that you will be able to maintain at that pace, but if you can maintain a rate of 160 comfortably during your workouts and races, as in this case, then your MHR is well above that.”

“This subject is unlikely to ‘blow up his heart,’ as he has a proven load tolerance, but if your heart rate increases at the same workload or your exercise tolerance drops off unexpectedly, you should consult with your physician. If you develop chest pain, pounding heart beats, increased heart rate, or dizziness during your workouts, you should stop and seek medical advice, because something has changed. It is never a bad idea to discuss your exercise, health and risk factors with your physician, and at age 52, you should be meeting with your physician every year or two to look at health and prevention issues.”

KNOW YOUR ZONES

To effectively use a heart rate monitor in your exercise life, you should aim to work out within specific heart rate zones that fall within a particular percentage of your heart rate. Here is a general guideline used by exercise physiologists, who say that most of your workout should be done in zones 1 or 2.

• Zone 1: 60 to 70% – very comfortable effort, use this for warm-up and cool-down.
• Zone 2: 71 to 80% – comfortable enough to hold a conversation, most training is done here.
• Zone 3: 81 to 93% – comfortably hard effort, you may be able to say short, broken sentences.
• Zone 4: 94 to 100% – hard effort, the pace is sustainable, but conversation is a few words at a time.

Wildcoast Wildrun™ kicks off this week

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One of South Africa’s favourite and original stage trail races, the Wildcoast Wildrun™ is set to kick off on Thursday from Kei Mouth in the Eastern Cape.

Participants will arrive at Kei Mouth today before starting their run tomorrow morning after crossing the Kei River on an iconic ferry ride. Taking place over three days, runners are set the task to run 112km from south to north, crossing several rivers along the way, through some of the most spectacular scenery in South Africa. The finish at the beautiful Hole-in-the-Wall after three days of running is a fitting end to what is an unforgettable three days of wilderness running.

A total of 112km and over 2000m of vertical ascent means this run isn’t a walk in the park but the memories created make it an experience no trail runner should miss out on.

On the racing front it is in open field for the taking in the men’s field while the ladies champion from 2013 is returning to defend her title. Sylvie Scherzinger set the fastest time for day 3 at last year’s race and will hope to continue to improve and break some more records this year.

Stay tuned for daily reports and photos on the Wildrun™ website at www.wildrun.com.