Category: Columns

The
men’s marathon at the 1993 IAAF World Champs in athletics in Stuttgart,
Germany, was quite a memorable race from a southern African perspective. Hopes
in South Africa were pinned on Willie Mtolo – who later that year would win the
New York Marathon – but it was Namibia’s Luketz Swartbooi who led for much of
the race and looked set to win. However, with just over 1km to go he was slowing
considerably and had nothing left to give. Then a tall, slightly gangly-looking
South African called Mark Plaatjes came breezing past him and pulled away to
take the win in 2:13:57, 13 seconds ahead of his Namibian friend.

 

“I caught second-placed Jae-Ryong Kim from
South Korea at 35km, but it was only when I got to 40km and saw the lead van that
I realised I could win it,” says Mark. “I felt absolutely horrible passing Luketz,
because he did so much work and was so brave, but I had waited 12 years to
compete against the best in the world, due to South Africa being banned from
international sport due to Apartheid, and I was the most motivated person out
there. I fully expected to get a medal in Stuttgart. I didn’t know what colour,
but I knew I’d get one!”

 

GREENER
GRASSES

However, the record books do not list Mark’s gold
medal performance as South African, even though the country had been allowed
back into international sport the previous year. Instead, he was running for
his adopted country, the USA, where he and his family had sought political
asylum in 1988 while vacationing in Chicago, even though it meant sacrificing
his assets in SA, including his cars, home and investments.

 

“People think I came here to run, but it was
all about not wanting my two daughters growing up as second-class citizens.
Gene was three at the time and starting to ask questions… we’d pass by Water
World and she would want to go in, but could not understand that we weren’t
allowed in because it was Whites only. I couldn’t vote or live anywhere I wanted
to, or send my children to any school I wanted, and I didn’t want them growing
up always feeling inferior to someone.”

 

TREMENDOUS
POTENTIAL

Mark was born in Johannesburg in 1961, one of 10
children of a seamstress and a shoemaker. His athletic talent shone through
from an early age and from 1981 to 1983 he attended the University of Georgia
in the USA on a track scholarship. “What really opened my eyes was coming
to America,” Plaatjes said. “I was treated wonderfully and never felt
any racism for the two-and-a-half years I was there.”

 

In 1985, Mark broke the SA marathon record with a scintillating
2:08:58 in Port Elizabeth to not only take the SA Marathon title for the second
time – he had won it in 1981, as a teenager! – but also became the first SA
runner to break 2:09. (And he won the SA Cross Country title twice, in 1984 and
1985.) But in 1985 he was also denied entry into the Boston Marathon at the
last minute, when he was already in Boston, due to the international ban on SA
athletes, even though he himself had suffered discrimination and disappointment
in Apartheid South Africa.

 

Moving to America in 1988 did not automatically
open the door to Mark competing on the world stage, however. At first he was
still denied entry to the top races like Boston, even though he had been
cleared to run, but he did get into the 1988 Los Angeles Marathon, where he ran 2:10:49 and
finished third. What he remembers most is
going to the starting line, tears streaming down his face. “I had only trained
for about four weeks and I just ran the race on emotion.” He was fourth in
LA in 1990 and won the race in 1991 in 2:10:29.

 

FINALLY
THERE!

However, he still missed out on the 1992 Olympics –
ironically, that was the year SA made its triumphant return to Olympic stage –
because the rules required a five-year waiting period to gain US citizenship. So
the following year, Mark was determined to get to the World Champs in August,
but he only just made it! His American citizenship was finally issued in July,
just three weeks before the Champs, and he had been selected on the proviso
that his Green Card came through in time.

 

He went to the 1993 Houston Marathon to try to
qualify for the US team, but his 2:16 in windy conditions was not good enough.
“Then I went to Boston and it was great, because I had to run 2:12:45 to
get onto the team, and I ran 2:12:39 with lots of energy to spare. I didn’t kill myself, as I knew I only had 14 weeks
between Boston and the World Championships. I just wanted to get on the
team.” He placed sixth overall and first American, and the rest, as they
say, is history.

 

NEW ROOTS

Mark has made his home in
Boulder, Colorado, where he runs his physiotherapy practice, is part-owner of
the Boulder Running Company chain of running retail stores in partnership with
fellow SA expatriate and elite runner Johnny Halberstadt, and coaches a local
running club called Gijima. His knowledge of runners’ needs has seen his businesses
flourish in one of the pre-eminent running cities in the world, and his wife
Shirley has been practicing massage for over 10 years and is also part of the
practice.

 

Stuttgart proved to be the high
point of Mark’s career, which included wins in 20 major marathons around the
world, and he still speaks fondly of that day. “Everything… becoming a
citizen, making the World Championships team, and the race turning out the way
it did… the whole saga was just so special. I couldn’t explain it then, and I
still can’t explain it, the way I felt on the podium, getting the medal and
hearing the national anthem.”

 A
common sight in many road races in the Cape is a big bus of Top Form runners
having a good chat and sometimes even singing. “It’s just the natural way our
members gel and we like sticking together,” says chairman Anver Yasin. “We even
have music and singing, because our bus always has a driver, usually our
vice-chairman Magedie Theunissen, who carries a little music box in races and
club runs. I think running was traditionally a quiet sport until Top Form came
along!”

 

The club was established in 1993 and today has about
150 members. It is based out of the Turfhall sports grounds in Athlone, where
it hopes to get its own clubhouse soon. Top Form boasts a number of talented
runners, including Martha Pretorius and Shaheed Russon, who recently finished
second in the mixed veteran category at the three-day Pronutro AfricanX Trail
Run. “Martha is the Forrest Gump of this club, because she can beat all the men
in six-day events and knows no limits, just keeps running,” says Men’s Club
Captain Paul Cieverts.

 

There
are also some real characters in the club, like Mohamed ‘Bapoo’ Osman, better
known as the Bow-wow Man. “Bapoo just says bow-wow all the time when he runs –
it comes out involuntarily, and people actually look for him and know him for
that. I was once on a hike in the Fish River Canyon in Namibia, and a guy from
Gauteng asked me if we have a guy in our club that keeps saying bow-wow!” says
Anver. Another stand-out character is Petrus Campher, who often sacrifices his
own run to help others, by sticking with struggling runners despite the cut-off
approaching, or going up a tough hill over and over again to help tired runners
get to the top. “He’s such a brilliant, unselfish guy, with so much
enthusiasm,” says Paul.

 

ON THE SOCIAL SIDE

Top
Form holds pasta parties before the Two Oceans and Comrades, as well as
quarterly socials and the Annual Awards in February. “In January we all go away
to the Berg River Resort in Paarl for a three-day training camp, and the club
gazebo is taken to all league races and the bigger vents, with eats and drinks
usually supplied as well,” says Paul. Another highlight on the calendar is the
end-of-year Charity Run, to raise funds for and collect gifts for three old age
homes in the area, and the members run to Ethel’s Place in Silvertown to hand
over some of these gifts.

 

The
club also has a development squad of junior track athletes, training with
Sharief Jeffreys, while minister and motivational speaker Chris Osborn and his
wife Hilary organise buses to bring 20 to 30 kids from outlying areas to the
cross-country league races, with the club picking up the tab for the bus fares
and entry fees. “The club is also involved in raising funds for a feeding
scheme that Chris runs to help these kids in poorer areas,” says Anver.

 

PACK RUNS

The members meet up on Tuesdays at nearby Vygieskraal
Stadium for a track session and again on Thursdays at Rhodes Memorial for a
hill session, then on weekends they do regular long runs, especially in the
high season leading up to the big ultras. It was on one of these pre-Comrades
long runs six years back, on Mothers Day, that one of the club’s funniest
moments occurred, as Paul explains: “We did a 64km run from my home in
Crawford, including the full Two Oceans route. It was really hot and we had
three cars seconding us, so after Constantia Nek some guys decided to bail and
they filled the cars.”

 

“About 10 of us kept going, but when we got to Top
Gate, about 13km from home, Jerome Mentor decided to stop and told us to send a
car back for him when we finished. It was so hot that I actually left my watch
at a caf? just to get a cooldrink, and by the time I got home I was totally
finished. That evening I got a call from Jerome’s wife, Claudine, to ask where
he was… He was still sitting next to the road, and he was so knackered, he
didn’t even moan when we eventually fetched him! Luckily Claudine is also a
runner, so she understood why he had missed the whole of Mothers Day.”

 

Club Contact

Anver
Yasin 021
6961211 (h/w) / 082 565 5018 / [email protected]

Carbs vs Protein?

 

My
wife and I are both ‘semi-retired’ ultra-distance runners who have been
struggling with our weight since reducing our running. My wife has recently
been diagnosed as pre-diabetic and has reduced her sugar intake drastically.
She is also trying to reduce her cholesterol. I am generally in good health,
but have to reduce my weight by about 8kg to get my BMI to 25. We read about
Prof. Tim Noakes, who has lost weight on a high-protein, low-carb diet. Always
trusting his opinion in the past, we started following his diet, using Dr
Atkins’ new book. It has been four weeks and we have not seen any drastic
reduction in weight, but would like to persevere with it. There seems to be a
lot of disagreement amongst dieticians on the effectiveness of it, and some
claim it to be dangerous to your health. – CHRIS
SCHUTTE, SEDGEFIELD

 

ANSWER:

Prof.
Noakes’ eating plan has caused quite a stir in the health industry. I get asked
about it daily, so I decided to call Tim myself, as I too have always respected
his views. I came to the conclusion that we are all trying to achieve the same
thing, but we are going about it in different ways. The end goal is to control
blood sugar and reduce stress on the pancreas in releasing insulin. Dieticians
know that a low-carb diet can achieve quick results, but we also believe that
we can get the same results following a more balanced way of eating, and this
includes a certain amount of carbs. The results may be slower, but they are
generally more palatable and sustainable.

 

What
prevents us from advising a low-carb diet are the consequences it can have if
not followed correctly. We see many people who have previously been on low-carb
diets and that have managed to lose weight, but then gain the weight back, and then
extra! According to low-carb diet advocates, there is no danger in terms of
kidney stress and bone health because you actually eat less in total, including
fat and protein, therefore no extra stress on the kidneys, etc. This may be
true if you follow the diet correctly, but how many people actually achieve
this?.

 

Regarding
athletes, it seems that the verdict is out. According to Tim, people training
for shorter distances and at a higher heart rate would need more carbs to
sustain them. Longer distance athletes, who are running at a slower pace and
lower heart rate, can actually do well on a low-carb adapted diet. My advice to
you would be to find a dietician who can supervise and tweak your diet and
amount of carbs you need in order to achieve your weight and health goals.

 

Modern Athlete Expert

CHRISTINE PETERS

 

Irritating ITB

I
am training for my first Comrades and have always been a runner, but have not
done marathon distances before. I have suddenly been hit with what appears to
be ITB, and the physio has not been very helpful. Could you give me an
indication as to how long ITB takes to heal and whether I can run through the
pain? I have heard of ‘swim running’ to maintain fitness. Do you know how
beneficial it may be? – HAYLEY HARPUR,
SUN CITY

 

ANSWER:

The ITB is a band that runs
from the outside of the hip to attach just below the knee on the shin bone. As
the knee bends while running, the band may make contact with the bony protuberance
on the outside of the thigh bone, causing inflammation. The painful spot usually
disappears almost immediately once running is ceased, but will return once
running is resumed. It seems to be more prevalent in novices tackling long
distance running for the first time, and can be associated with wearing shoes
that are too hard, or more commonly with weak hip stabilising muscles.

 

Treatment includes running
within limits of pain and stopping once pain increases. It is important to
stretch and ice regularly, and strengthening of the hip abductors is essential.
Other treatments include physiotherapy, releasing the band with myofascial
release, anti-inflammatories, needles and taping. An injection of
hydrocortisone is sometimes prescribed, although seldom successful. A small
surgical procedure can also be performed, but should be considered only as a
last resort. ITB can take from a couple of weeks to several months to settle.

 

Cycling, swimming and pool
running are good alternatives to maintain fitness while recovering, and place
virtually no impact stress on the body. With pool running, the increased motion
resistance means the body has to work harder, resulting in improved strength
and fitness. Use a flotation jacket to keep your head above water while your
feet don’t touch bottom. Keep your head up and back straight, and lead with
your toes, sweeping your legs backwards and forwards. Bend your arms at right
angles and pump them up and down.

 

Modern
Athlete Expert

TONI HESP

 

A
week before the race, I picked up a stomach bug, but felt OK when we left
Joburg on the Thursday night. However, on the flight I started having major
stomach cramps, and as we settled into our rooms in Cape Town, my cramps grew
much worse, so my girlfriend took me to the Cape Town Mediclinic. I was
admitted around 1am and hooked to an IV, and when we left at around 5am, I felt
like Superman!

 

We
woke up at 4am on the cold, rainy Saturday morning and made our way to the
start, and I held on to key of the rental car. I normally tie the key to
strings in my running shorts, and did the same that morning. Or so I thought… At
the 6km mark, I realised the key was gone. With thousands of people on the
beautiful course, there was no chance of stopping and looking for it, so I
spent the next 15km working on an excuse for losing it.

 

As
I neared the finish and experienced the extreme cold and rain, I knew the rest
of the group were waiting for me. I met up with my sister just before we
finished and broke the news to her, and together we tried to think of possible
solutions to the problem. The finish looked like a ghost town, with people
squeezing into tents to escape the rain, and our friends were not at the agreed
upon meeting point. We looked around for an hour, but couldn’t find them. They
had decided to queue for the shuttles to take them back to the parking area.
They were freezing and cramping… and waiting for the car key.

 

My
sister and I joined a couple to get a taxi to the car park, and they offered to
drive me back to the hotel. Meanwhile, the other three were still waiting for
the shuttles. I phoned Europcar and tried to explain that I didn’t rent a car
with them, but that I would like to arrange a second one because I lost the
keys of the car that my friend had rented. It took a while to explain why my
friend couldn’t phone them. Eventually, they sent out a wonderful gentleman
with a replacement car. He picked me up at the hotel, and arranged for the first
car to be towed. Meanwhile, I phoned the taxi driver from earlier and asked him
to go look for my friends, and at 3pm they reached the hotel after a long, cold
day. At dinner that night, we all agreed that it was a weekend that we will
never forget. And we are definitely going back next year!

 

 

No
Pressure… NOT!

Old Mutual
Two Oceans Half Marathon, Cape Town, 7 April

 

Years ago at a Two Oceans
pasta party, I sat next to Big Dave Coetzee from KZN, talking about him pacing
the sub-3:00 bus. Such a slow, boring pace, I though… No pressure, I thought…
but here I was at the start in 2012, with a sub-3:00 Puma Pacesetter flag. Boy,
was I wrong about no pressure! – BY WILBY
STEENKAMP

 

Crossing the start line already 4 minutes 56
seconds behind schedule and going through the 1km marker on a ridiculous 15 minutes
prompted numerous questions from the athletes around me: “Are we going to make
it?” or “Will the bus get us there on time?” We soon started picking up the
pace, but now the questions became “How many races have you paced?” and “How
many Oceans halves have you done?” They were obviously looking at the number 2
next to 21km on my race number, and my unique physique. It was only when I
answered about 50 and 192 that I started gaining their trust.

 

At 8km we were only 1:10 behind and the bus started
cruising at sightseeing speed. The rain at 9km was a shock, but we cruised up
Southern Cross Drive, walking two minutes, jogging one minute. Going downhill
to Kirstenbosch, the passengers in the bus started to realise that 8min/km would
take them to an easy finish. At the 17km marker, I jogged back for 500m to get
as many new passengers as possible on board, and some athletes were very
confused with this bus going the wrong way! I made a last call on latecomers at
20km and then we slipped and slid in on 2:59:24. It was a great day for me as a
pacesetter, and I am thankful to PUMA for making it possible.

Open
any running publication or go online these days, and you will be bombarded with
messages about the benefits of barefoot running. Walk into running stores and
you will find more and more barefoot technology, or minimalist shoes, some with
soles so thin that you may as well be barefoot. And give a barefoot/minimalist
running fan half a chance and they will tell you that everybody should be
running barefoot!

 

The
problem is, while there are definite benefits to be gained from running
barefoot, or as near to barefoot as you can handle, there are also potential
risks. Some experts
say that wearing shoes causes the small muscles in our feet to weaken and the
tendons, ligaments and arches to stop doing their job. They believe that extra
cushioning and inserts in shoes result in poor foot biomechanics and increased
risk of foot, leg and knee injuries. Other experts argue that the right shoes will
correct biomechanical problems and actually reduce injuries. So there are compelling
arguments for both sides of the debate to go shoeless, or wear as little shoe
as possible.

 

THE PRO’S…

?        
Stronger feet: You will strengthen the
muscles, tendons and ligaments of the foot.

?        
Reduced injury risk: Removing the heel lift
of most shoes helps the Achilles tendon and calf muscle lengthen, which may reduce injuries such as calf pulls
or Achillies tendonitis.

?        
Forefoot striking: You learn to land on the forefoot rather
then the heel, allowing your arches to act as natural shock absorbers. (Heel
striking only came about because of the excessive padding of running shoes, and
research shows that landing on the heel is essentially putting on the breaks
every step.)

?        
Improved balance: Without shoes, you
activate the smaller muscles in your feet, ankles, legs and hips that are
responsible for better balance and coordination.

?        
More grounded: You’ll learn to spread
your toes and expand your foot, making it a more solid base to support your
movements.

 

… AND THE CONS

?        
Injury risk #1: Your muscles will initially
feel overworked, which could lead to Achilles tendinitis or calf strains when
the typical heel lift is removed from the shoes.

?        
Injury risk #2: The bottom of the feet (plantar
surface) for most people is soft and tender. Going without a stiff-soled shoe
may initially cause plantar pain, or worse, full-blown plantar fasciitis, as
well pain around the metatarsal bones of the toes.

?        
Less protection: Shoes offer protection from road
debris such as glass, nails, rocks and thorns. They also offer insulation in
cold weather.

?        
Blisters: You may battle blisters
until calluses are formed.

 

LAST WORD

Recently, a
number of studies have emerged showing an increase in the number of lower leg
injuries suffered by runners who have transitioned to barefoot running or minimalist
shoes, but that is not to say that barefoot running is necessarily bad for us,
as explained by Doctor Ross Tucker of the South African Sports Science
Institute.

 

“In my opinion,
I’d say that every single runner will benefit from barefoot running as a
training method. It changes muscle activation patterns, strengthens muscles and
tendons that we don’t activate nearly as well in shoes, may be an effective
form of rehabilitation, and it’s really enjoyable. So I would say that everyone
should incorporate some barefoot running into their training programme, whether
it’s a two-minute warm-up, an easy 30-minute jog once a week, or some sprints
after training. I’d say try it out and feel the difference it makes.”

 

“However, practically,
theoretically, logistically and for many other reasons, some people will not
take to barefoot running well enough for them to become 100% barefoot runners. It
may prove to be the answer to some people’s prayers, and the secret to
injury-free running for life, but can’t be used in the same dosages by everyone
else, as they may have an entirely different history and thus set of contra-indications.”

 

So
the bottom line here, if you’ll excuse the pun, is that you should not simply
throw away your conventional running shoes immediately. Transition slowly into
minimalist shoes, and then to barefoot running, and let your body acclimatise
to the change. That way you will reap the benefits of barefoot running with far
less risk of injury. And you will find out the easy way if it works for you or
not.

Most
injuries incurred during this crucial period leading up to Comrades are most
likely to be from doing too much or not listening to your body. Remember,
almost all running injuries are gradual in progression. They become gradually
and progressively more debilitating through various stages and it’s important
to recognise when treatment is required.

 

At
this stage of your Comrades training, it is common to become more aware of
every niggle or ache. The pains that appear after a run, or at the start of a
run but settle quickly, will often respond to self-management, namely rest, ice
and stretching. Professional treatment should be sought as soon as possible if
the same pain presents every time you run, if it gets progressively worse as
you run, interferes with the way you run, or prevents you from running.

 

Complete
rest is seldom the best treatment, as the pain can return once running is resumed
even after an extended rest period. It is often possible to continue training
within the limits of pain while having treatment. However, rest is required if
the pain is present even during normal activities, or in the case of a stress
fracture.

 

CONSISTENCY AND TAPERING ARE KEY

By
now you should have completed your last long run and started your taper for the
big day. Consistency is essential to making it to Comrades and a successful
finish. Sometimes pushing through fatigue is needed to achieve your goal, but
it’s better to know your body and to recognise when it’s safer to back off and
rest. So tapering is an important part of your training, and the higher the
volume and the intensity of your training, and the longer the event you are
preparing for, the longer the taper. Considering the training for Comrades and
the length of the event, a four-week taper is advisable.

 

During
training, your muscle power diminishes and muscle fatigue increases. Tapering
minimises the negative effects of long distance running, reducing fatigue on
race day and greatly reducing your chance of injury. Your muscles get a chance
to repair all the micro damage caused by the high mileage. The taper makes you
physically stronger on race day and helps you perform to your optimum. Tapering
will also strengthen your immune system, making you less susceptible to a
pre-race cold. It also helps to eat a balanced diet.

 

Some
runners use this time to sharpen up by increasing the pace of their running.
This should only be done if speed work is a regular part of your training, and
should be done at a decreased amount. Novices should rather use this time as a
recovery period and as a means to simply keep your legs moving, limiting the
chance of injury. Not tapering serves no additional benefit except risking your
final result. Listen to your body. Don’t worry about missing a training workout
if you are feeling tired or sluggish.

 

The
gradual build-up and consistent training over the last few months is what gives
you a successful finish, not the training during the taper period. Having said
that, even if your training has not gone perfectly to plan, now is not the time
to try make up lost mileage – it will not improve your fitness for Comrades,
and will likely end badly, whether it be an injury or tired legs. Remember,
it’s better to get to the start undertrained than overtrained, or worse,
injured.

MORE ESSENTIAL ADVICE

?        
Avoid all other activities that have a high potential
for injuries, and definitely don’t introduce new activities. Now is not the
time to participate in sports that may end your Comrades before you even get to
the start, e.g. soccer, mountain biking, etc.

?        
If you are worried that your shoes are a bit worn,
it’s probably still better to settle for your old, tested shoes than buy a new
pair too close to Comrades. This is also definitely not the time to try a new
brand of shoe, or to get new orthotics.

He is currently running two popular Boland
restaurants, has done a bit of TV work, and has cooked for celebrities such as Trevor
Manuel and Tokyo Sexwale, former British Prime Minister Maggie Thatcher, author
Jackie Collins, actors Beau Bridges and Wynona Ryder, and Bono of the band U2,
but Matthew Gordon is also an avid mountain biker, in between time with the family
and pursuing other interests.

 

Born in London, Matt (45)
grew up in Johannesburg and completed a two-year chef’s course at Wits Tech
Hotel School. “As a kid I did a lot of cooking at home, and it evolved from
there.” An overseas stint followed before Matt returned to SA. He first had to
do two years of national service, but his training was put to good use as head
of the army’s functions kitchen in Pretoria.

 

FLYING SOLO

After a few years working at
the Sandton Sun, then moving to the Mount Nelson in Cape Town, Matt went solo
in the early 90s and opened his first restaurant, Le Ballon Rouge, in Franschhoek. That led to an offer from Haute
Cabriere wine estate to run their restaurant, and he also opened the French Connection Bistro in Franschhoek
in 2002, which he still owns. Then came the opportunity at Harvest at Laborie in Paarl, on the Laborie wine farm.

 

“The restaurant had
basically gone out of business, but owners KWV decided last September to get it
going again, so they called me in. We refurbished the place and made it a
kiddie-friendly family restaurant, and it’s such a lovely farm setting, just
2.5km from the centre of town and thus easily accessible. The farm also offers
mountain biking or trail running routes, and adjoins Paarl Rock Nature Reserve,
so we’ve held adventure races and orienteering events here.”

 

Matt raced motocross bikes
when he was younger, and then got into mountain biking eight years ago to keep
fit. “It’s the ideal sport for me, living in Franschhoek, near the Berg River
Dam, with vineyards, forests and mountains right on my doorstep” Matt is
married to Nicky and they have two daughters, Emma (12) and Katie (8), and the
whole family is regularly out mountain biking.

 

FITTING IT ALL IN

So with two restaurants to
run, and a family, how does Matt find time for exercise? “I’ve got staff that
have been with me for a long time, and it makes my life so much easier having a
capable crew behind me. I can usually go riding five times a week, with two
spinning sessions and three rides on the mountain.”

 

Matt also finds time for his
other passions: Flying, techno gadgets and playing the drums. “I redesigned
Haute Cabriere with a helipad on the roof, so got to know the pilots and got
plenty of unofficial training. I got my helo licence in 1998 and fixed wing
licence in 2004.”

 

Matt says he will possibly
do a recipe book in the near future, and would also like to do more TV work. “I
would like to tie in my flying and cooking, by flying to interesting places to
go cook with people. There aren’t that many flying chefs around, so I think it
would be an interesting show.”

 

In
the early 1970s, a group of young South African middle distance athletes were
setting the world alight, not only with their times, but also their great friendly
rivalry, pushing each other to better times. Dicky Broberg, Marcello Fiasconaro
and Danie Malan really were world class, and it was their misfortune to reach
their athletic peak just as international condemnation of South Africa’s
Apartheid policy saw the country banned from international competition.

 

Still,
they left us with incredible memories of track racing at its best, and many
consider Danie Malan the pick of the bunch. Between 1973 and 1976 he set a
world record for 1000m and also set SA records for 800m, 1500m and the mile.
Two of those national marks were only bettered some 30 years later, and he
remains one of the greatest athletes ever produced by this country.

 

EARLY YEARS

Danie was born in 1949 on the family
farm, Salomonsvlei, just outside Paarl. He took part in athletics from a
young age, beginning with the short sprints and hurdles, but his career really
took off in high school, when he won the national under-17 title for 400m at
the 1967 SA Junior Champs, followed by the under-19 title for 800m in 1969. After
school, Danie obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture from
Stellenbosch University. At that time, the Maties athletics club boasted
several world-class athletes, including great friends and rivals Danie and Dicky.

 

Their most famous race was on 31 March 1971 at Coetzenburg, when Dicky set a SA record of
1:44.7 for 800m and Danie ran 1:45.1, the two fastest times in the world that
year. “It was all about pride back then, to be the best in the world,” says
Danie. “I had a great rivalry with Dicky, and Marcello at UCT, and there was
also rivalry between the universities, especially Stellenbosch and UCT.”

 

SPRINGBOK
PRIDE

“Also, in those days, to get
Springbok colours was a huge thing. In my second year at Stellenbosch, in 1970,
I was chosen for a Springbok team for the first time and toured overseas, competing
in Greece, Germany, France, Belgium and the UK. But that was the last Springbok
team to go before international isolation – after that, we could only compete overseas
as Maties students, which is why most of my overseas photos are in Maties
colours.”

 

Unfortunately,
Danie picked up a leg injury at the end of 1971, so didn’t compete in the 1972
summer track season, but interestingly, later that year he ran and won the
Peninsula Marathon in Cape Town, clocking 2:32. “I always considered the road
just training for the track. My coach believed in us building up slowly with
long distance training in the winter, so I was running 35-plus kays and then
got into the marathon. I was actually making fun of it at first, but suddenly I
was alone in front. With four miles to go I hit the wall and I was dead at the
end!”

 

BEST
YEARS

Danie’s greatest year came
in 1973. On 27 May, he finished second to American Rick Wolhuter over 800m in
Los Angeles, setting a new SA record of 1:44.5. A month later, in Munich, he broke
the 1000m world record on 24 June, running 2:16.0 to improve the mark from
2:16.2, held jointly by J?rgen May
of East Germany and West Germany’s Franz-Josef Kemper, which had stood since
1965. Just two weeks later in Zurich, on 6 July, he beat European champion
Yevgeniy Arzhanov over 800m in probably the race of his life. Then later that
year he beat 800m world record holder Marcello Fiasconaro in a pulsating 800m
at the SA Games in Pretoria. “I was really on top in 1973, and ran some of my
best races that year, but the greatest moment of my career was looking up at
the clock in the Olympic Stadium and realising I had broken the world record.”

 

In 1975, Danie broke the SA
record for the mile, running 3:54.60 in Stellenbosch, and in 1976 he broke the
SA record for 1500m in Zurich, while on honeymoon with Mildie in Europe, running
3:35.98. That meant he now held every national record from 800m to the mile,
bit it also signalled the end of his track career. “While we were in Switzerland, we
heard that South Africa had been kicked out of international competition
completely. I appreciated it very much when the stadium announcer said, ‘Danie
Malan of South Africa, always welcome in Zurich,’ but we were now out
completely.”

 

Danie announced his decision to retire from
competitive athletics and focus on farming, saying, “Now that I’ve lost what little
international competition kept me going, there’s no reason to stay on.” He
continued to run, including finishing fourth overall in the 1978 SA Cross
Country Champs and helping the Western Province team win the team title, but
his track days were over.

 

LEGS
STILL TICKING OVER

These
days, Danie still runs regularly, doing 40 to 60 minutes on the mountain next
to his farm, although he says it is difficult to fit in running in the busy summer
months. “I also did triathlon in the 90s – my swimming wasn’t so great, but
then I don’t know any runners who can really swim! I went to the Masters Triathlon
World Champs three times, as well as the Master Duathlon World Champs once,
where I came fifth in my age group.”

 

Danie
and Mildie have four children, and all of whom are road runners. Sons Wynand
and Philip help him work the family farm, which produces fruit, table grapes
and dairy products and has been owned by the Malan family since 1837, while
daughters Helen-Elise and Barbara also work in the fruit industry. He is still
in touch with great friends Dicky and Marcello, both of whom live in Johannesburg,
and still passionately watches athletics, although he is disappointed by the
standard of South African athletics at the moment. “I think we’ve got huge
talent in this country, but it needs to be managed properly, and unfortunately the
administration of athletics in this country has not been good in recent years.”

 

When
asked how he thinks the athletes of his generation would fare today, Danie
says, “We ran on cinder and clay tracks, and didn’t use the supplements and
other products that today’s athletes have, but we were so motivated. I think we
would do very well today!”

 

 

 

The Nike We
Run City 10K World Series tour has been held in various cities around the world
and this year was a first for South Africa. The series places great emphasis on
“Running Free” and “Running where they say you can’t.” Well, we did exactly
that!

 

TAKING OVER THE CBD

Standing
amongst thousands at the start line on the iconic Nelson Mandela Bridge, I
realised I was making history. And it wasn’t because I won Comrades or set a
new world record time, it was because I was one of 10 000 runners who took to
Johannesburg’s CBD to run this inaugural race. As the massive field burst into Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika, I knew this was going to be special.

 

Taking a
deep breath, off we went into the fiery lights of the CBD to claim the streets
as runners. The atmosphere along the route was amazing: Hillbrow’s nightlife
and local pub-goers were out on the pavements, cheering and high-fiving runners,
while drum players, DJ’s, vuvuzela cheerleaders and locals made music, shouted
and sang.

 

I had been
struggling with shin splints for a few weeks, which left me a bit nervous about
the run, especially as it was my first 10km! But keeping my pace slow and
rhythmic at first, the first few kilometres flew by. Then my shins decided to
crunch my pace. Around 3km, I met a guy called Charlie, a big man who wore an
extra-small neon Nike shirt as a last-minute entry. “You just got to work
through the pain. The experience will make this fast and memorable!” With
Charlie’s advice, I cruised through the next 7km! I took on Twist Street’s hill
and felt my legs getting comfortable, as if I could go on for a few more
kilometres before my energy would run out.

 

HEADING FOR THE FINSH LINE

Then I saw
the finish line at Mary Fitzgerald Square. Cameras flashed, spectators
applauded and I fell in love with the feeling of completing something. I was
spent. I was dead. My legs burnt and I was drenched. I knew I’d get up the next
day, stiff, sore and happy. Because I have just completed my very first 10km! I
crossed the finish just under 1:30 – a time I was proud of for my first race
and despite my shin splint injury.

 

With a
medal around my neck, I understood the importance of this night. I ran Jozi and
it will stick with me for a long time. I celebrated my heritage and freedom,
and have a new appreciation for our democracy and unyielding spirit.

 

RESULTS

Men

1. Desmond Mukgobu         30:54

2. Sibusisu Nzima                31:05

3. Lucky Mohale                  31:54

Women

1. Rene Kalmer                    35:43

2. Maxine Heine-Wacker       37:36

3. Nolene Conrad                37:56

When you’re
exhausted in a run, you need something – anything – to give you a boost and
keep you going to the finish line. South Coast Striders running captain Wayne Wridgway knows this feeling all too
well, so he came up with the idea of neon laces at a club time trial. Wayne told
his fellow Striders members that when you feel exhausted during a run or race,
you just have a quick look down at your shoes and the shocking colours will
spark the energy levels back to your body. Since then, members have followed
his example and worn the unusual laces in training and races.

 

EARLY BEGINNINGS

In 1997,
club founder and avid runner Brian Gibson-Taylor formed South Coast Striders and
14 interested runners joined. Brian, who had been part of Savages Running Club
in KZN before the creation of the new club, was determined for the club to
succeed. He played vice-chairperson and made Bill Chevell, a track athlete who
represented South Africa at the 1952 Helsinki Games, chairperson.

 

From then
on, Striders has blossomed into one of the best loved running clubs,
encouraging members to always keep running. Brian brought enthusiasm to the
club and focused on long training runs, as he was a Comrades enthusiast
himself. Sadly, Brian passed away in 1989, a great loss for the club. However, his
enthusiasm lives on through the club.

 

SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY

Striders is
known as a club for every type of runner, including those who are looking to
get a little active and socialise. The club believes that’s what running is all
about, in the end. But for those more serious about running and who want to
improve their running times, there is a time trial every Wednesday just after
5pm at the clubhouse in Edward Street in Uvongo.

 

While
members remain enthusiastic, the club’s location on the lower South Coast does
at times affect participation in races further north. “Durban and Midlands
races are clipping our wings to participate in all the weekend races, but we
are well represented in the bigger well-known events,” says club secretary
Hendriette Ludick. When the club runners do participate in the bigger races,
they have to leave around two in the morning to get there before the 5am
starting time. After a race, members and their supporters socialise at the
club’s tent, before the two-hour drive back home. For those members who missed
out there’s always a plan B. “Every runner who misses out will go on a long run
every Saturday or Sunday from the clubhouse. Not every member can travel to the
races we attend up north,” says Hendriette.

 

RUN THE SARDINE!

The club’s
annual half marathon, The Powerade Sardine Half Marathon, takes place in July and
stamps the club’s influence in the South Coast area as over 1 000 runners take
up the challenge. The event marks the time of year when millions of sardines
wash up on the South Coast. So, while nature permits the sardine run, Striders
run the Sardine themselves. The club also organises warm drinks and blankets
after the race to fight off the winter sting. A 10km run is also held on the
day.

 

The club is
also looking to organise a 10km event in August this year. And if you prefer to
walk, Striders also gives walkers the opportunity to get their heart rate up.
The walking group holds an annual walk from Margate Wimpy to the Old Pond in Port
Edward, a distance of 34km. As motivation to get the walkers to the finish, the
club’s runners support them in travelling vehicles on the route.

 

PORT TO PORT

Before
Comrades crunch-time, the club organises a long distance training run of 60km
called Port to Port. Starting in Port Shepstone, runners go along the back
roads in town and out past banana and sugar farms, continuing to the main beach
area in Port Edward, a fantastic route for those endurance enthusiasts looking
to get a foretaste of the gruelling distance of Comrades. Being at the coast, this
long training run has its perks: “Needless to say, all the runners end up in
the cool waves of the ocean for their tired and sore legs,” says Hendriette.

 

That’s just
one example of the club’s great spirit and camaraderie. Building on a rich
history and foundation, the club provides a great space to socialise. It’s a
club for road runners, speed walkers, cross-country enthusiasts and track and
field athletes, as well as the more social runners and walkers. And of course,
the members of Striders, with their trademark shoelaces, are the runners that
stand out.