Category: Columns

It is easy to set goals, but to achieve them can be a huge challenge.

This is why the 20-year-old Basson Engelbrecht (Tuks/HPC) has good reason to feel proud about what he has achieved this season as a triathlete.

“I set myself five goals and I have achieved four of them. If it had not been for the fact that I was bitten by a spider, it could have been five out of five. But I am not complaining. I have had my best year ever as a triathlete.”

Engelbrecht won the South African triathlon title. He is somewhat apologetic about his victory in East London, because Richard Murray (bronze medallist at the World Championships), as well as Henri Schoeman and Wian Sullwald were all absent. But Engelbrecht was the best of the competitors on the day and the title is his. According to an old saying, there is no ‘remarks’ column in sports.

He also finished third at the African Championships, won an African Cup event in Mauritius and participated in three World Series races.

The only goal he failed to accomplish was achieving a top-five finish in the under-23 race at the World Championships in Chicago, but that was not due to any fault of his.

The Tuks/HPC athlete was bitten by a spider while he was on a training run in Hungary. As luck would have it, the wound became septic after a few days and he was unable to train for quite a few weeks. This forced him to withdraw from the World Championships.

“The most important lesson I have learned this year was not to take anything for granted. I had a dream start to my season but it took one spider to get my season spiralling downwards at an alarming speed. I now realize how fragile the human body can be and why it is so important for a professional athlete to look after himself. Being an HPC athlete is a great help because it gives me immediate access to experts whenever I experience a crisis.”

Engelbrecht fully realizes that his best chance to represent South Africa at an Olympic Games will be in Tokyo in 2020, but this is not going to stop him from doing everything in his power in an effort to slip through the proverbial ‘backdoor’ for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

“I am planning to race as often as I can during the early part of the season in an effort to improve my international ranking sufficiently to perhaps qualify. But I fully realize that it will be a challenge against all odds. A more realistic goal would be to podium in the under-23 race at the World Championships.

“I will also target one World Cup race for a possible victory.”

Lindsey Parry (Tuks/HPC), who coaches Engelbrecht, reckons he is capable of achieving both goals.

“What makes Basson such a good triathlete is the fact that he is a racer in the real sense of the word. Even if he is not in the best of forms he has the race savvy to make sure he is at the right place at the right time. This means that he is always a contender.”

For many people, the 21 kilometres of a half marathon is a tad too long.

But many people still want to experience the vibe and atmosphere of a full scale running event.

Or perhaps they’ve just started running and want to experience the thrill of running in a competitive environment? Or they want to give their children, parents, sisters, brothers, wives, husbands or friends their first taste of the joys of running?

There are probably quite a few reasons why runners would want a shorter distance. And so, the organisers of the Dischem Half Marathon heard this plea and brought in the shorter “Dash” event.

Up until now, this five kilometre run was an all-out race with fierce competition among the runners. However, the organisers decided to make this a fun run which can be enjoyed by moms, dads, old, young, brothers and sisters and, indeed, the whole family.

The five kilometre Dash Fun Run starts at 06:30 and, although entries are sold out, go and support and encourage the field as they run the streets of Bedfordview. You never know, one of the runners taking part might become an international sporting sensation of the future.

The Dischem Half Marathon and Dash Fun Run will take place on Sunday 17 January 2016 at the Bedfordview Virgin Active Club. The start itself is on Riley Road, Bedfordview.

For more information, check out http://www.dischem21.co.za/

There are very few urban areas that can rival the picturesque streets of Bedfordview.

Just ask one of the regular participants of the Dischem Half Marathon and 5km Dash every year.

And many athletes who run this popular event year in and year out will say that this is one of the things that attracts 8 000 people to attend this event, which will take place on Sunday 17 January 2016.

As the event is, in effect, the season “opener”, it is consistently sold out quicker than most other running events. In fact, the limit on online entries was already reached earlier this week which is why the organisers advise that those who want to run this event should send their entries in as soon as possible.

Set to start bright and early at 06:00 on Sunday 17 January at the Bedfordview Virgin Active Club, the Dischem Half Marathon takes runners on a journey which includes Riley Road, Townsend Road, Acacia Road, Oak Avenue and Pine Road before it turns onto Bowling Road. Then runners follow Florence Avenue until the T-junction with Concorde Road where runners turn left onto Concorde Road.

After a distance, runners take the right hand split onto Hawley Road and then merge with Van Buuren Road. Runners then turn right onto Kloof Road and turn right onto Homestead Road after crossing the highway.

The field will no doubt enjoy the tranquil nature of Oriel Park as the route skirts all around this inner city green zone. After turning left onto Kloof Road again off Lynwood Road, runners then run along Tallisman Avenue before turning left onto Nicol Road and then right onto Van der Linde Road.

Using this road, runners cross over the highway and turn left onto Boeing Road and then right onto Batten Road. After this, runners then turn right onto Munday Avenue before following the sharp left hand bend into Malan Avenue. A short while later, runners turn left again into Clarkson Road.

Runners then turn left onto Davidson Street and then re-join Munday Avenue again with another right turn. A left turn onto River Road and runners cross the highway again, keeping straight past Eastgate Shopping Centre until River Road becomes Bradford Road as it crosses Nicol Road.

Turning left onto Smith Road, runners then pass Bedford Shopping Centre before turning right again onto Van der Linde Road and follow this road until the intersection with Geldenhuis Road. A sharp left hand corner leads runners onto Cyclonia Road and over the highway. Runners then turn left onto Taylor Road and then right onto Reginald Avenue.

Half marathon runners then turn right onto Cemetary Road and then left onto Beaconsfield Avenue. Runners then turn left onto Shamrock Road and follow this as it becomes Edenvale Road. A left turn onto Kloof and a right turn bring the runners back onto Townsend Road again. After crossing Van Buuren Road, this becomes Riley Road again which leads the field to the finish.

So if you’ve entered the Dischem Half Marathon, you in for a treat. Remember to train fairly hard and keep disciplined over the festive season as it is a relatively tough route and if you not fit or prepared for it, it will definitely expose you.

For more information or to view the route map, check out http://www.dischem21.co.za/race-info/

It’s now or never! Runners wishing to be part of the 2016 Comrades Marathon have just one week left to get their entry in.

The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) has announced that entries for next year’s ‘down-run’ will close as soon as the cap of 20 000 entries has been reached or within the next week.

There are just over 3000 entries available due to the entry limit of 20 000 being implemented. Athletes from more than 60 countries have already made their entry for the 91st edition of The Ultimate Human Race, with the biggest number of entries coming from the United Kingdom, followed by the USA and Australia.

CMA Race Director, Rowyn James has encouraged all aspiring Comrades runners to enter as soon as possible to guarantee their place on the start line. James says, ‘The ‘down-run’ has traditionally attracted more runners than the ‘up-run’. We look forward to having many more athletes entering the race during this final week of entries.’

The world’s biggest and oldest ultra-marathon will be run on Sunday, 29 May 2016 and will be the 45th down-run in Comrades history. The race will start outside the Pietermaritzburg City Hall at 05h30 and finish 12 hours later at the Sahara Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban.

Please visit www.comrades.com to enter the 2016 Comrades Marathon, view the rising entry barometer or obtain further information.

Although the name Dischem Half Marathon has been with us since the year 2000, the event itself goes back even further.

Johnny Halberstadt (1:07:01) and Sonja Laxton (1:24:15) were the first man and women home at the first half marathon in 1981 which was organised by the Bedfordview Country Club – Athletics.

But in those early years, the organisation of a race didn’t have the sophisticated technology we now take for granted today which can give an athlete “real time” results after an event. Everything had to be done manually.

Two club members Rob and Penny Oliver were appointed timing officials and were given two stopwatches and were given a “crash course” in timing by attending a race at Callies Immelman Stadium and practice time keeping at that race before actually doing this at the upcoming race.

After the race, the organisers had to rush back to Mary Howorth’s office, type out the 700 results before rushing back to the traditional braai with the other club members at Giloolys Farm. After the results were photostatted the next day, a crew from the club would then get together that Monday night to fold these results and fill envelopes, which would then be sent to all 700 athletes who took part in the race.

By 1988, the event had moved to Eastgate Shopping Centre parking lot and there was a record field of 5000 runners. Unlike today’s events, there were no pre-entries and all entries were taken on the morning of the race.

That race, according to the website, was memorable because there was an “error” regarding the “running man” trophies given to each participant. Some of the trophies arrived without the bronzing so many received a little plastic man as a reminder that they had run this race. Fortunately, errors like these have disappeared and runners can now expect beautiful medals as they cross the finish line.

Up until the 1993 event, Bliss Dairies was the sponsor of this event but when this company was absorbed by the Barlow’s Group, this company disappeared and Reebok came on board as a sponsor from 1993 to 2000.

Dischem came on board in 2000 and is still the sponsor of this event, which is constantly ranked in the top 10 and some even say the top three in the country.

Last year’s Dischem Half Marathon saw first man home Elroy Galant in a time of 1:07:24. Rene Kalmer was the first woman home, winning in a time of 1:18:26. So, although the men’s times are roughly the same, women athletes seem to be getting better and better every year compared to the 1981 result.

Participation of the event also seems to grow year on year with 8 000 runners participating in the 2015 event.

The 2016 Dischem Half Marathon will take place on Sunday 17 January at the Bedfordview Virgin Active Club. The route remains the same as previous years, taking runners through the picturesque streets of Bedfordview.

There will also be the ever-popular 5km Dash Fun Run in conjunction with the half marathon. This shorter event serves to give those not ready for a half marathon a race day experience. Although previously organised as a race, this is now classified as a fun run and entire families can enjoy a healthy but fun day out.

Athletes also return to the event every year because of its reputation as a well organised event with a “top shelf” goodie bag (courtesy of Dischem) and a T-shirt. It is regarded as a “must do” event which opens many runners’ yearly race calendar.

Online entries are open. Check out http://www.dischem21.co.za/race-info/entries/ for more information.

There is no doubt that 2015 was his best year yet as a professional triathlete and Richard Murray could not be happier with the way it all went.

Murray ended the season with his second World Triathlon Series victory – his first since 2012 – a third place at the Rio Test Event, two World Cup wins and two more WTS podium places. Murray won WTS Edmonton and finished third at both WTS Abu Dhabi and Chicago. He also won World Cup events in New Plymouth (New Zealand) and Cozumel, Mexico.

Since winning WTS Hamburg in 2012 – it was seen as his break through year – he has been a regular contender, but the victory eluded him. Last year he managed various podium places including a second place at WTS London, but a bad end to his season ruined it somewhat. This year Murray and his coach Joel Filliol did things a bit different. There was less racing, less traveling and more training with Filliol and the squad. He was also in Europe during winter – missing out on the South African summer like many other pro athletes – to work with his coach on his swimming.

“After finishing 52nd at last year’s WTS Grand Finale and not being able to improve on my overall fifth place in the world rankings, my coach and I sat down and had a long discussion on how me can make sure it does not happen again. We also worked out a plan for my swimming; which is the discipline I really wanted to improve on. Looking back on what happened since the season started I can only be happy with how it all worked out,” said Murray.

Along with winning WTS Edmonton the highlight of the season was for sure qualifying for the Olympic Games in Rio next year. There was much uncertainty beforehand if he would race because of financial constraints, but in the end it all worked out and Murray got some valuable exposure to the conditions and route in Rio. “My form was good at the Rio Test Event and that helped me a lot to give a good performance on the day. Hopefully there is more to come in August next year!”

Murray always has high expectations and hopes, but 2015 surpassed all his expectations. “It’s definitely been more that what I expected. I always believed I can do it, it was just a case of keep working hard and never giving up.”

He added: “It is definitely my best season yet and by finishing fourth overall in the world rankings I managed my best position here as well. I have improved on my swimming and that made a big difference in general. I am still a few seconds behind coming out of the water and I still work very hard on the bike, but progress has been made. Another big season is coming in 2016 and even though I just finished a great season I don’t want to take anything for granted. I will once again work hard in the pre-season and once again I will sit down with the coach to make sure we build on what was done in 2015.”

Murray ended his season with a second place at the Island House Invitational Triathlon last weekend where 20 of the world’s best triathletes will compete in a unique triathlon format on the island of the Bahamas.

The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) has announced that entries for the 2016 Comrades Marathon will close within three weeks or as soon as the cap of 20 000 entries has been reached.

There are currently just over 5 000 entries available. Next year’s field includes nearly 13 500 South African athletes, about 200 Rest of Africa runners and almost 900 International entrants from more than 60 countries. CMA Race Director, Rowyn James has urged all runners who have not entered as yet to get their entry in before the entry process closes.

James says, ‘There is not much time left before the three-month long entry process closes. Our Board, Staff and Race Organising Committee are all hard at work to ensure that the 2016 Comrades Marathon is a wonderful experience for our runners.’

James adds, ‘Sunday, 29 May 2016 will be the 45th down-run in the history of the race and the 91st running of the world’s biggest and oldest ultra-marathon.’ The race alternates between an ‘up-run’ and a ‘down-run’ between the host cities of Pietermaritzburg and Durban every year.

The Comrades Marathon has earned its place in the Guinness World Records, in addition to winning other significant awards. It was recently shortlisted for the 2016 Discovery Sport Industry Awards in the categories; Sport Brand of the Year and Sport Participation Event of the Year, the winners of which will be announced in February next year.

Please visit www.comrades.com to enter the 2016 Comrades Marathon, view the rising entry barometer or obtain further information.

He has 38 consecutive Comrades finishes to his name as well as 29 Two Oceans medals, making him one of the most ‘decorated’ ultra runners in South Africa, and he is also a former SA 50km Race Walking Champion, but Wietsche van der Westhuizen prefers to be known for his popular long training runs on Saturday mornings and for helping other runners achieve their endurance goals. – BY SEAN FALCONER

Most Friday afternoons you’ll find Wiets (58) taking about three hours off work at his security installation business in the northern suburbs of Cape Town to drive around fetching water, Coke and ice for the next ‘Wietse Run’ 28km training run. Then on Saturday mornings he’s up at 4am to get everything ready for the 5:30am start from Willowbridge Mall in Tyger Valley, where he is normally joined by around 200 runners, and up to 360 in peak ultra season. The runners pay a voluntary R20 fee and can choose to do 6, 12, 20 or 28km, there are three water tables and six cars to support the runners, various businesses in the mall support the runners with products, and once a month there are even valuable lucky draw prizes worth up to R5000. It’s an incredible operation, which Wiets has been running for close on a decade now.

“18 years ago we moved down to Cape Town and I joined a group of guys from Bellville Athletic Club doing a 28km training run along the Big Mama route most Saturdays. They used to put Coke and water out on the road, hidden in the grass, and we did that for about 10 years,” says Wiets. “Then four of the main guys stopped running and I decided to take over. We made the seconding more formal, with a car driving on the route to give us drinks, usually driven by my wife Wilna – she’s not a runner, but I can wake her up at 4am and she’ll put on her tracksuit and be there for me. What an incredible woman! Today we have six cars, and the whole shopping centre is involved, especially Dis-Chem and Pick n Pay.”

Doing this most Saturday mornings is quite some undertaking, but Wiets says it is all about giving back to his fellow athletes. “A few years ago I realised there were a lot of people battling to get under five hours for the marathon to qualify for Oceans and Comrades, so I helped them, and over the years I have promised so many guys to help them train for and run the Comrades… that’s what keeps me coming back, training all these youngsters and getting guys off the couch and running. But what they don’t realise is that they are actually helping me: You won’t find me even doing a 5km run on my own, but I usually have at least 20 youngsters running with me in the week, and then 200-plus on the weekend. That’s why I organise these long runs… people think I am helping them, but they are actually helping me!” he laughs

Bug Bit in Beaufort
Wiets grew up in Beaufort West, where his father worked on the railways, and one family friend from Cape Town that visited quite often was a good runner and race walker. “When I was in standard four, he said I should come join him on a run – I didn’t realise he wanted to run about 15 to 20 kays, out of town to the airfield and back!” However, the bug bit and Wiets began doing athletics, cross-country and race walking at school. His father was transferred to Johannesburg two years later, and Wiets went on to study teaching at Pukke in Potchefstroom, where he also became a regular road runner. Then in 1978 a friend at varsity entered him for the Two Oceans down in Cape Town. “Luckily my dad worked for the railways, so I got a free ticket, and I pitched up and just did a 56km run in five hours 44 minutes. I was almost dead! In those days you didn’t need to qualify, so I had gone from nowhere to my first ultra.”

And more was to follow… “At Oceans they handed out a small A5 flyer for Comrades, entry was something like R5, but because I was still under-age, I had to get my dad to sign it, so I waited till he was reading the newspaper and just slipped it in front of him. The week before the race I went to ask him for some money and he said, ‘Over my dead body will you run Comrades!’ So I traded in all my empty cooldrink bottles and off I went to Comrades with R10 in my pocket – that was enough to pay for petrol, food and accommodation for myself and my friend Ferdi Botha, who went with to second me!”

Many Highlights
Today Wiets has run over 530 standard marathons and over 200 ultras – he only keeps a log of the long ones, because everything shorter than 42km is just a training run – and he can also look back on some great race walking memories. “I was organising a club trip to PE for the Train Race in the early 90s, and at the same time was organising the Transvaal Race Walking Champs in Krugersdorp. About 10 minutes before the start, I decided to take part, and I didn’t realise it but I qualified for the SA Race Walking Champs. The Monday night before we were supposed to leave for PE, the province phoned to say I had been selected to represent Transvaal that coming Saturday at the SA Champs. I said no ways, I’m going to PE, but they said if I go, they will ban me for two years from all athletics, so I had to drop the train trip and go to SA’s. I decided to show them, by taking it slow, and for the first 30-plus kays I was just having a relaxed walk. But then I started catching the guys and in the last few kays I realised something was happening. I was regularly doing ultras up to 100km back then, so I had an endurance advantage, and that year I won the SA 50km race walking title!”

While that win is one of his fond memories of his athletic career, Wiets says there are three main highlights that really stand out: Running his first sub-three-hour marathon at the Winelands in Stellenbosch, and his first Two Oceans and Comrades silver medals, both achieved in 1983. However, he says those highlights are nothing compared to the four emotional highlights of his life: Marrying Wilna, the birth of his two daughters, Louise and Wilandie, and then finishing the 2014 Comrades with both daughters by his side. “We played through it in 2014, just having fun and finishing in 11:46. My daughters grew up with running, so it was an incredible moment for me to finish their first Comrades with them.”

Going for 50…
There are currently nine runners in the 40 Comrades Club, with a further four set to join in 2016, and another five, including Wiets, set to join in 2017, if everything goes to plan, and he believes he could even get to 50. “I will be 69 when I get there, as will Alan Robb, but from 40 onwards, who can tell what will happen? You always have to remember that being able to run is a blessing, and it gets tougher by the year as you get older… but what I do know is that my 40th is going to be one big party. My daughters and my two brothers, Marius and Hendrik will be running with me, plus my niece, as well as many running friends, some of whom are coming out of retirement for it. Now that’s a party I am looking forward to!”

Two months into the 2016 Comrades Marathon entry process, the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) has announced that over 13 000 entries have already been received.

There is one month remaining before entries close on 30 November or as soon as the entry cap of 20 000 is reached.

CMA Race Director, Rowyn James has urged South African athletes to enter the race before the entry period ends to avoid disappointment.

James says, ‘The 91st Comrades Marathon will be the 45th down-run in the history of the race. Plans are in place to make it a truly memorable experience for our runners come Sunday, 29 May 2016.’

Over the recent past, the Comrades Marathon has been attracting participants from nearly 70 countries, with the highest tally of international runners coming from the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States of America.

Visit www.comrades.com to view the rising entry barometer.

With 20 October being celebrated as World Osteoporosis Day, this month we get down to the bare bones of the disease, and how running can be a key factor in preventing it. – BY SEAN FALCONER

The bones of the human body are made of living tissue that is constantly being broken down and replaced, but when a person suffers from osteoporosis, the creation of new bone cannot keep up with the removal of old bone. This causes bones to become weak and brittle, often leading to fractures, and in severe cases, even bending over or coughing can cause a fracture! The disease affects men and women of all ages and races, but post-menopausal older women are the highest risk group.

Running Rules
While you can use medication and supplements to combat osteoporosis and build stronger bones, simply following a healthy diet and getting regular weight-bearing exercise can go a long way to help prevent bone-loss, or strengthen already weak bones. The doctors recommend at least 30 minutes of high-intensity exercise three to five times a week, targeting the major muscles around the hips and spine, so regular runners are already getting more than enough exercise to hopefully ward off osteoporosis.

Running also helps you to maintain a healthy weight, which is another contributing factor to keeping osteoporosis at bay, given that obese adults have a four to five times higher risk of developing osteoporosis than those with a healthy weight. Adding strength work in the gym also helps, as it strengthens the bones in the upper body, and yoga or Pilates not only help in strengthening the whole body, but also in improving your balance and lowering your risk of falling.

Bone-healthy Nutrients
Getting sufficient calcium, vitamin D and protein are essential for your bone (and muscle) health, so dairy foods are highly recommended, as they provide the highest amounts of calcium and also contain protein and other essential minerals. Calcium is also contained in certain fruits and green vegetables, and in canned fish with bones. Most of the vitamin D in the body is produced from exposure of the skin to sunlight, but small amounts are also found in foods such as egg yolk, salmon and tuna, or foods fortified with vitamin D. Another essential is to avoid negative lifestyle habits, such as smoking and consuming high levels of alcohol, but the bottom line remains that a daily run now will do more to help you avoid brittle bones later in life.