Category: Features

After surviving a brutal attack in February that had many thinking his running career was prematurely over, Thabang Mosiako not only returned to running incredibly quickly, but also stronger than before, and he says it is all down to magnesium. – BY SEAN FALCONER

The South African running community was shaken in February when news broke of an apparent racially-motivated attack near the North West University campus in Potchefstroom on two well-known black athletes, SA 5000m Champion Thabang Mosiako and SA 3000m Steeple Chase champion Rantso Mokopane, along with their friend Sandy Londt. The initial reports said that Thabang was in a coma after suffering severe head injuries, having had his head repeatedly kicked and bashed against the pavement. There were doubts whether he would recover from his head injuries, let alone run competitively again.

In 2017 Thabang claimed the men’s 5000m title at the SA Senior Track and Field Champs, putting in a stunning last lap to close down Olympian Elroy Gelant’s 200m lead. Later that year he won the FNB Joburg 10 CITYRUN, and in January the second-year human resource development student at Boston City campus in Potchefstroom won the SA Cross Country Trials to qualify for the SA team going to the CAA African Cross Country Champs in Algeria in March, but the brutal attack seemed to have put an end to those plans.

Amazingly, though, he made an incredible recovery from his injuries and not only resumed running, but made it to the African Champs just over a month after the attack, where he finished a very creditable 26th and third South African home in the men’s 10km. “My preparation did not go to plan because of the attack, but after running my race, I was so happy, because I had managed to finish, and under the top 30 as well. It really showed me that I can run again,” says Thabang, who went on to finish 12th and fourth South African in the FNB Cape Town 12 ONERUN in May.

THE FATEFUL NIGHT
According to Rantso, the three friends stopped at Varsity Café in the early hours of the morning to buy some food. While Thabang and Sandy waited outside, he found himself in the queue to pay behind three apparently drunk white men, one of whom began swearing at the elderly black woman working the till. That prompted Rantso to intervene. “I asked them can you please pay and go, because what you guys are doing is not right, but those guys got angry. There was another white guy behind me in the queue, and he also said to the drunk guy to stop, but nothing happened to him. The drunk guy just focused on me.”

When Rantso came outside, the group had grown to about 10 men who then attacked him, so Thabang and Sandy tried to help their friend. Passing police officers came and stopped the fight, but appeared to take the side of the white men. “The police started beating us with batons, as if we were the ones who were in the wrong,” says Rantso. Having received no help from the police, the three tried to get away from their attackers, who began chasing them. “It happened so quickly, and then we were running for our lives,” says Thabang.

Shockingly, Rantso says they came across another police vehicle and asked desperately for help, but were ignored, and stopping for help just allowed the chasers to catch them once the police drove away. “Sandy went one way and Thabang went the other. I was fighting two, but then they left me and went to Thabang. I saw them hitting and kicking him, and when they finished he was lying unconscious with blood on his head. Then more police came and they called the ambulance.”

RECOVERY BEGINS
Thabang woke up the next day in hospital and says while lying there, his thoughts turned to the attack, and how he had kept thinking about his wife Thandi (who was SA under-23 Champion over 1500m last year), and their young son Mpho. “I thought I would die there, and kept thinking what would happen to them if I lost my life,” he says. Fortunately, his injuries were not as severe as initially feared, so he was up and about a few days after the attack, but he was left with sever headaches, especially when he tried running, and believed his opportunity to represent his country in Algeria was gone. “I was overcome with despondency, and I had given up on the Algeria trip,” he says.

Then out of the blue he was contacted by Benita Niemann of Magnesium Café and everything changed. “She tracked me down before African Champs and told me to try the product, that I will see the results.” Having heard of the attack and Thabang’s struggle to recover, Benita had decided to offer what help she could. “It was really sad for me, because when I first made contact with Thabang, he had two hands full of tablets, and not one was magnesium. As soon as he started to drink the magnesium, he started to recover. People don’t understand the importance of magnesium,” she says.

Thabang continues the story: “Everyone thought I would only be running again next year, or at least after six months of recovery, but I went to African Champs. What really helped me recover was the magnesium products, and I can’t thank Benita and Magnesium Café enough. It took away the headaches, and gave me the energy and focus I needed in training. Physically I am OK now. The terrible headaches I was getting are not so bad now, only coming now and again, and I plan to keep using the product, because it saved my career!”

Unsurprisingly, his training mates noticed his rapid recovery and quick return to form, and began asking him about the wonder supplements he was taking. That saw coach Springs Phakathi ask Benita if she would consider sponsoring more of his training group, so now Rantso, Thandi and Puseletso Mofokeng are all using her products, and Rantso is equally effusive about the effects of magnesium. “It seemed to really help Thabang. Initially he used to stop regularly in jogs due to the headaches, but gradually improved once he started using magnesium. Previously I never believed in supplements, but now I’m also using magnesium, because it’s the best thing I have found for recovery and energy.”

ENDURING FRIENDSHIP
No suspects have been arrested following the attack, in spite of Rantso following up with the police and university authorities, and he says the latest information they have points to the fact that it may have been men from Pretoria, with ties to Potch students, that attacked them. “Ironically, Thabang always avoided coming out in the dorp at night due to previous attacks or incidents like this, usually with drunk guys. To be honest, I don’t go out at night any more, because I don’t feel safe.”

He says he wished the attack had not led to his friend suffering so much, but he nevertheless does not regret getting involved in the café. “The first thing I thought was, what if that had been my mother, just doing her job… so I had to speak up, because we must protect people that can’t stand up for themselves. I had no intention to fight, but I am still responsible for what happened. I used to think maybe we were at the wrong place at the wrong time, but seeing my friend almost get killed made me stop and say this must not happen again, and that is what I am fighting for.”

Meanwhile, Thabang says the physical injuries of the attack may now be largely healed, but the psychological and emotional scars are still healing. “When people talk about the attack, it really hurts me, because even today nobody has been arrested. It hurts because I haven’t got justice yet. Still, I am really proud of Rantso for standing up for that cashier, even though we got attacked. He is a true friend.”

IMAGES: Tobias Ginsberg, Back Track & Courtesy YouTube

After coming back from an operation on her foot and having to learn to walk again, multiple SA Champion Rikenette Steenkamp had been frustratingly close to breaking the 21-year-old SA Record for the women’s 100m hurdles, but in June she finally claimed the record for herself. – BY SEAN FALCONER & WILHELM DE SWARDT

If ever an athlete deserved to break an SA Record, it was Rikenette Steenkamp. Throughout the 2017 season she had been knocking on the proverbial door of dipping under 13 seconds and improving on Corien Botha’s SA Record of 12.94 seconds, which had stood since 1998, and the same had continued in 2018. She had finally broken that 13-second barrier, and then had actually run a 12.92, at the Resisprint International Meeting in Switzerland, but the wind from behind was unfortunately too strong for record purposes.

Undaunted, Rikenette (26) continued chasing the record, and in June she finally did it at the Memorial Josefa Odlozila Meeting in Prague. Former World Junior Champion Elvira Herman of Belarus won the race in 12.69, with Rikenette finishing second in a brilliant new SA Record of 12.91 – and that in spite of not having the best of starts, coming out of the blocks second-last, but still leading over the first four hurdles.

“To at long last break Corien Botha’s record was amazing. I have dreamt of doing so for the last seven years. What excites me is that it was not the perfect race. My technique going over the first four hurdles was possibly the best I have ever done, but I was coming onto the hurdles so fast that it led to me losing a bit of rhythm. Then I hit the sixth hurdle – I can’t remember when last that happened!” says Rikenette. “I was quite emotional afterwards, especially when I met up with my coach, Hennie Kriel. I owe so much to him for the way he guided me to break the record.”

Starting from Scratch
What makes Rikenette’s SA Record all the more impressive is the fact that just two years ago she had to learn to walk properly again after an operation on her foot! Having won the SA Schools title in 2009, then recording a hat-trick of titles in 2010 by claiming the SA Schools, Junior and Senior titles in her matric year, then going on claim the gold medal at the 2014 African Champs in Morocco, she saw her career derailed by constant pain in her foot.

“After a six-week off-season break in September 2014, I started training again, but slight pains in my right ankle started bothering me. Despite consulting various physios and doctors, the pain gradually increased. In early 2015, I tried training three times a week at about 60% intensity, but that was just frustrating, and at the end of 2015 I consulted a foot specialist, Dr Fief Ferreira, and he finally identified the problem,” says Rikenette.

“I had an extra piece of bone about 15mm long in my ankle, which impaired my mobility and therefore caused a lot of pain when running. There was no other option than to do surgery, followed by six weeks’ bed rest, two months’ physiotherapy and two months of swimming, whilst working with a biokineticist. That rehabilitation period was difficult, although I knew it would all be worth it, but I could only return to the track in September 2016! There were moments when I thought I won’t ever run again, but I am so blessed with an amazing family and support system that carried me through this time. They always helped me to focus on the next part of the process, and we celebrated every small victory.”

Bouncing Back Strongly
Today, the pain and frustration of her operation and recovery are distant reminders of how far she has come, spurring her on to still greater achievements, and up to her record run in Prague, Rikenette had posted a remarkable series of results in European races, winning four races and finishing second in a further two. Also, it shows how far she has come, in that posting a second sub-13 in a week, at the Diamond League Meeting in Stockholm, just after the record run, actually left her feeling a bit disappointed…

“I guess I should be satisfied with a time of 12.99, as it is only the third time officially that I managed to dip under 13 seconds, but after my 12.91 in Prague, I know that I am capable of running faster times. Still, I am overwhelmed with thankfulness after the setbacks and challenges that I’ve been through the last two years. The biggest lesson I have learnt is that it is OK not to have everything under control. I view things very differently now. Life almost never works out completely as planned, so I enjoy my running a lot more now when I am relaxed and make jokes. I also don’t see mistakes or bad races as failures. It is part of sport to go through processes, and it’s not possible to run a personal best in every race.”

Postscript: Rikenette Shatter Own Record
Having set a new SA Record of 12.91 in the 100m hurdles just a few weeks earlier in Prague, Rikenette produced another breakthrough performance on 1 July in Switzerland. She obliterated her still new record with a 12.81 in the final of the Resisprint International meeting in La Chaux-de-Fonds, after clocking 12.70 in the qualifying heat, but that mark was run with the benefit of a tailwind and is not record-legal.

IMAGES: Reg Caldecott

 

Winning the Comrades Marathon is considered one of the pinnacles of achievement in South African road running. It brings a massive payday, makes you a household name and really puts you on the running map, with sponsorships, endorsements and media opportunities that follow, as Bongmusa Mthembu found out in 2014. However, winning it again takes things to another level, let alone a third time! – BY SEAN FALCONER

It wasn’t so very long ago that Bongmusa Mthembu was struggling to find work and just keeping his running ticking over, having moved from his hometown of Bulwer to nearby Pietermaritzburg in the hopes of finding more opportunities. “It was hard to get a job, but eventually I got hired as a bricklayer, and at that time I was just training to keep my body healthy,” he says. “Then in 2004 I started to enter some of the local races, and in 2005 I won the Maritzburg Marathon, even without proper training. That was when I started thinking about taking part in the Comrades Marathon, and in my mind I already had the dream of winning Comrades one day.”

He ran his first Comrades in 2006 and earned a silver medal in 6:25:19, followed by two more silvers and a highest finish of 31st in 2007. Then in 2009 he rocketed up the placings as he came home seventh for his first gold medal, followed by third position in 2010, 12th in 2011 and the runner-up position in 2012. He didn’t finish in 2013, but in June 2014, he set out from his home city and clocked 5:28:29 to win the Down Run and fulfil the promise had shown over the preceding years.

A disappointing 17th place followed in 2015, but he bounced back with third place in 2016 for another gold, and then in November that year he added the SA Record for 100km to his list of achievements, clocking 6:24:05 to finish second at the 2016 IAU World 100km Championships in Spain and finally beat Bruce Fordyce’s 27-year-old SA Record by 62 seconds! That cemented his status as one of SA’s premier ultra-runners, but more was to come. In 2017 he won his second Comrades title, crossing the line in Pietermaritzburg in 5:35:34 to add an Up Run title to his Down Run win of 2014. That already put him into a select group of men with multiple Comrades wins, but in 2018 even more glory was to come his way.

WHERE FEW HAVE TROD
Prior to this year’s race, just nine men had managed to win the race three or more times in its nearly 100-year history, and of the further eight men with two wins to their name, Bongmusa was the only one running in 2018. Furthermore, just 11 men had ever managed to win the Comrades in back-to-back years, and there again Bongmusa was the only man in this year’s field in the running to change that record. Happily for the affable Arthur Ford AC runner, he was able to do both in his 13th Comrades run.

Having broken away from the chasing pack on Cowies Hill, with about 19km to go, Bongmusa stormed home to break the tape in 5:26:34, beating second-placed Joseph Mputhi by 8 mintes 35 seconds. This made him the first South African to win the race in consecutive years since Bruce Fordyce last managed this feat in 1987 and 1988 (the last two of his eight consecutive wins from 1981 to 1988), and just the third man since Bruce to record back-to-back wins.

Back to Back Men’s Comrades Winners
1922-25 Arthur Newton (4)
1933-34 Hardy Ballington
1953-54 Wally Hayward
1956-57 Gerald Walsh
1963-64 Jackie Mekler
1969-71 Dave Bagshaw (3)
1974-75 Derek Preiss
1976-78 Alan Robb (3)
1981-88 Bruce Fordyce (8)
2007-08 Leonid Shvetsov
2009-11 Stephen Muzhingi (3)
2017-18 Bongmusa Mthembu

After the race, Bongmusa said, “I am very emotional about this win, because the Comrades means so much to me. The experience of my previous Down Run victory helped me a lot, and I decided in Pinetown to break away from the others on Cowies Hill. The Down Comrades only really starts in Pinetown.”

Interestingly, if Bongmusa can win the 2019 Comrades, he would become just the sixth man ever to win the race in three consecutive years. Another Comrades win would also put him level with Alan Robb on four wins, and just one away from joining the Big Five of the race who posted five or more wins. Given the way he has performed over the last few years at Comrades, he looks like he could do just that!

All-time Leading Men’s Comrades Winners
9 Bruce Fordyce
5 Arthur Newton
5 Hardy Ballington
5 Wally Hayward
5 Jackie Mekler
4 Allan Robb
3 Dave Bagshaw
3 Vladimir Kotov
3 Stephen Muzhingi
3 Bongmusa Mthembu

ANN’S AWESOME SURPRISE
In contrast to Bongmusa, who was widely touted by many experts to be a favourite to win the 2018 Comrades, Ann Ashworth was only considered a safe bet for a top 10 position and a gold medal by most pundits. As the old saying goes, shows what they know, because the 34-year-old advocate from Johannesburg pulled off one of the biggest upsets to comfortably win the women’s title in 6:10:04, after a gutsy run that saw her take, then lose and retake the lead in Pinetown. Pre-race favourite Gerda Steyn, the 2018 Old Mutual Two Oceans Winner, was second home in 6:15:34

Ashworth crossed the finish line with a big smile and received a massive hug from her coach, John Hamlett, who added a women’s win to his four men’s wins as a Comrades coach. After catching her breath, she said her race plan had worked out perfectly. “I had started building up for the Comrades with a win in the Legends 68km last year, followed by a fifth place in the Two Oceans and second in the Loskop 50km this year. John told me he believed I could win it, but still, I don't think anyone is more surprised than myself that I am sitting here as the winner. I took two months off work to train for the Comrades, and I want to thank everyone who made sacrifices to help me achieve this.” (Look out for an in-depth interview with Ann in an upcoming edition. – Ed.)

IMAGES: Jetline Action Photo

Dawie Aucamp has been running for 26 years, but the last few years have been really challenging after he suffered a heart attack while out training… even though he didn’t know that until 12 hours later! After many operations and having an Implantable Cardio Defibrillator (ICD) implanted, he’s not only returned to marathons and ultras, but also done his first Ironman. – BY SEAN FALCONER

The troubles started in November 2010. Around the 32km mark of the Winelands Marathon, Dawie felt pain in his chest, experienced white vision and couldn’t breathe, so he pulled off the road. Eventually he began feeling better, so he slowly carried on and made it to the finish. Then it happened again 16km into the Dangerpoint Half Marathon that December. “I thought it was just blood pressure, because I was fine in the Bay to Bay 30km in January, but later that month, the same thing happened 30km into the Red Hill Marathon. I had to put my hand on my wife Annalita’s shoulder to balance, but again I recovered and finished the race. Then it happened again at 30km in the Peninsula Marathon!” says the 56-year-old finance manager from Stellenbosch.

The next day he called his doctor, who ran tests but couldn’t find anything wrong, partly due to Dawie being so fit that he was unable to get his heart rate high enough on the exercise bike to really stress it. That saw Dawie referred to cardiologist Dr Wouter Basson, who ran more tests and prescribed blood pressure tablets. “That worked for a few years, but I was still tired in the legs and would finish races totally exhausted.”

Fast forward to 2015 and Dawie was running his 11th Two Oceans Ultra when a friend passed him at 30km and said he didn’t look good. “I replied that I was going to bail if a bus came past, but none did, so I finished in 6:18. Then at Comrades the same thing happened – around 35km in I told Annalita to go, because I was holding her back, and after a lot of tears she eventually did. I recovered after a while and finished in 10:44, but I was getting worried.”

Then on 9 August, he experienced problems again during a long training run. “I struggled home, but started vomiting and shivering, and my stomach was upset. Annalita found me sitting in the shower under hot water, so helped me get into bed to try rest, but I had no circulation in my extremities, and I kept vomiting, so when she came home later from a Women’s Day function, I said I think we should go to hospital. The doctors gave me one look and booked me in for emergency treatment. It took three shocks to get my heart back to normal rhythm, and they told me I had suffered a heart attack.”

LUCKY ESCAPE
The following day he was visited in ICU by Dr Basson and specialist Dr Rust Theron, who told him the troponin count in his blood was 37,000. A raised troponin level indicates cardiac muscle cell death, and a normal count should have been 40! “Dr Theron still said, ‘You’re somebody’s favourite up there.’ I was in ICU for four days, and three weeks later Wouter diagnosed Super-ventricular Tachycardia in the top chamber of the heart. He said I could start training three weeks later if I kept my heart rate under 130, and in my first run everything was fine. However, the next evening my heart went off the chart, so it was back to Wouter. And yet, the angiogram showed nothing wrong, so he sent me to physiological cardiologist Dr Razeen Gopal, who took one look at my charts and said I’m going nowhere. He also promised me, ‘I am going to give you your life back’.”

In October 2015 Dr Gopal diagnosed Ventricular Tachycardia of the bottom chamber of the heart, inserted the ICD in Dawie’s chest, and did a cardiac ablation to scar the tissue in his heart that was allowing incorrect signals to cause an abnormal rhythm. After being discharged, Dawie was told to rest – no running until February 2016 – and he admits that his first comeback jog with Annalita was very frightening, but he came through it OK. However, the next evening when he tried a swim, his heart rate skyrocketed and the ICD kicked in to shock his heart back to normal rhythm. It gave him a second shock as his friend Dirk pulled him out of the water, and he had another two while lying next to the pool. “I was having a VT storm, so Dirk phoned Annalita and they rushed me to hospital, and in that time I had another six shocks!” That resulted in another 11-hour operation and a week in ICU, followed by several more ops, until eventually the day came that Dr Gopal came out of theatre and told Annalita, “Now I am finished with him.”

LONG ROAD BACK
Dawie was told to do nothing strenuous till August 2016, and after initially walking regularly, the doctor gave him the all-clear to start running lightly in mid-November. From there he gradually built up his mileage and in February 2017 felt ready to tackle the Cango Half Marathon in Oudtshoorn. “I no longer ran on pace or time, just on heart rate, and I never went over 160,” says Dawie. Next was the Two Oceans Half Marathon, and by July he felt strong enough to go run his sixth Rhodes Ultra 52km. Then he and Annalita decided they wanted to do the 2018 Full Ironman in PE the following April.

“At the beginning of August I started the Modern Athlete Dare to Tri programme, and I was supposed to run the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon in September, but a week before race day I had to go in for a laminectomy for a pinched nerve in my spine, so no running for the whole of September and October. The back specialist said he wasn’t sure if I would run again, let alone do marathons, but I started running again at the beginning of November, because I had spent a fortune on our Ironman entries, flights, accommodation and gear!”

For the Ironman, Dawie had to get a medical clearance before the organisers would let him start, but everything went smoothly on race day, except for a scare during the swim leg. “The ICD has an alarm if a magnet comes too close, as that switches it off. About 2km into the swim I heard an alarm and thought it was the ICD, so I stopped to check, but I think it may have been somebody’s watch alarm going off nearby. I just had to put it out of my mind and try going on. Annalita and I swam together, then split up later and she finished in 13:11, while I did 13:57. It was pure enjoyment, just being able to participate, but there were a few emotional moments for me along the way. Now we’re already booked to go back in 2019, and we’re going to do the Ironman 70.3 in East London as well.”

POSITIVE ATTITUDE
Dawie and Annalita’s most recent adventure saw them take on the three-day AfricanX Trailrun, where he unfortunately rolled his ankle during the first stage and had to sit out day two before strapping it up and getting through day three. “It healed up OK, but I had to cancel my Comrades trip. It would have been my ninth, so my plans for my Green Number have been postponed by one year.”

These days, Dawie says his heart still sends him a warning now and again. Early in June he was out training when his heart jumped over 200, but the ICD picked it up and paced him out. “Annalita always runs with me, either waiting for me or doubling back to come back to me, and it gave her a massive scare, too, because she turned and saw me lie down on the pavement! That was the first attack since my last op, so I’ve been struggling a bit psychologically with my running the last few weeks… but I’m not going to let it stop me. I get my energy from sport, and if not for sport, I would have ended up sitting at home waiting for it all to end.”

IMAGES: Courtesy Dawie Aukamp

Many South Africans run races to raise funds for a charity or cause, but most choose a cause in South Africa, whereas Yvonne Malan is running to support a museum in Great Britain dedicated to the Second World War. There’s an interesting story behind her choice. – BY SEAN FALCONER

In June 1940, the world stood on the brink of disaster. Nazi Germany had conquered most of Europe, and Britain and her former colonies, including South Africa, were the only opposition left to Adolf Hitler’s forces. The British Army had just been miraculously rescued from the beaches of Dunkirk in France, and the Battle of Britain was about to commence, with the fighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force tasked with stopping the German Luftwaffe from gaining air superiority over Britain, which would open the door for a German invasion.

Leading one of those squadrons was South African fighter ace Adolph ‘Sailor’ Malan, and by the end of the Battle he was one of the highest-scoring, most decorated and best known RAF aces. He went on to become one of the war’s leading tacticians in air-fighting, with his Ten Rules for Air Fighting being hung up in most fighter squadron’s orderly rooms, and he was hero-worshipped in Britain. Today, the Malan name is still revered in the UK, whereas he is a largely forgotten figure in his own country, but one runner is trying to change that.

FAMILY HERITAGE
A distant relative of Sailor, Yvonne Malan is running three races this year in South Africa with links to his history, in an effort to raise money for the Kent Battle of Britain Museum in the UK, and to commemorate Sailor’s important role in history. “I’ve already done the Peninsula Half Marathon, which finishes in Simonstown, where Sailor joined the Merchant Marine at age 14. That’s why he later picked up his nickname when he joined the RAF. Next was the Safari Half Marathon in Wellington, where he was born, and the third race will be the Cape Town Marathon, because that’s where he led huge rallies for the Torch Commando in the fifties, speaking out against the Apartheid policies of the then government,” says Yvonne.

“I have created an online donation page where people can support my runs in order to raise my target of £500 for the museum, because if Germany had won the Battle of Britain, the consequences would have been catastrophic globally. Even though the Battle is more British history, it is actually global history, and still relevant to all of us today. Many South Africans were involved in the Battle, and the war, and that should be commemorated, so I am glad to see that the movie Dunkirk has also sparked more interest in that period of history again.”

RUNNING ACADEMIC
Born in Somerset West, Yvonne initially studied at Stellenbosch University before heading to Oxford University in 2005, going on complete a doctorate. She now works as an academic and regularly travels internationally for work, but tries to get back to SA and fit in as many races she can. “I started running in 1999 and ran my first Two Oceans and Comrades in 2000. I have spent much of the last 13 years abroad, and it’s hard to keep your running going in the winter months overseas, but when I am here, I try to run races in support of a charity. This year I wanted to do something a bit different, and I think Sailor and his fellow pilots deserve to be remembered.”

She says Sailor is actually better known in the UK, and she has often been asked if there is a connection. “When I met the late Sir Roger Bannister for the first time in Oxford, he actually asked if I am ‘related to that Malan,’ because he grew up during the war years. If you look at all the books on the Battle of Britain and the biographies on Sailor, you see that he was hugely respected as a leader and there was an aura around him. However, he has largely been erased from the history books, because of his involvement with the Torch Commando.”

“It was one of the first non-racial movements in the country, mostly consisting of war veterans, and they basically said we fought fascism in Europe, only to return to SA and find a fascist government in control, and we’re not standing for it. They had huge rallies and became an outspoken threat to the government, especially Sailor, because he was an articulate, revered war hero with Afrikaner heritage, so the movement was undermined and later banned. Sailor was vilified by the Afrikaner press and withdrew from politics, and I think he has largely been forgotten, even erased, because he was inconvenient… one of many whites that stood up against Apartheid back then, and even today that makes him inconvenient to many in the current regime. I hope to change that perception this year.”

You can support Yvonne’s fundraising runs at  https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/yvonnemalan1

IMAGES: Jetline Action Photo & courtesy Imperial War Museum

Seven years after running her first three-day AfricanX Trailrun at the age of 67, evergreen Marianne Nelson returned in 2018 to give the race another go, and by the end of the event she had once again captivated the hearts of all who were there. – BY SEAN FALCONER

A tradition at the AfricanX Trailrun presented by Asics is the annual awarding of the Sanet Wentzel Spirit Trophy, presented to a runner or team that embodies the best spirit in the event. In 2011, it was awarded to best friends Marianne Nelson and Cathy Taylor, who had taken on the gruelling event aged 66 and 67, in spite of never having done any technical trail running before, let alone a three-day stage race! Undaunted, Team Grannies not only coped with the tough trails, but finished each stage with beaming smiles, no matter how long they had been out there, and they received a standing ovation when they received the trophy. That’s when their fellow runners heard the real inspiration for their run: Tragically, both had lost a son in a car accident, and they had decided to run AfricanX in memory of their loved ones.

Fast-forward to 2018 and Cathy is unfortunately no longer able to run trails following a broken ankle, but Marianne is still lining up most weekends for shorter trail races all around the greater Cape Town area. “Naturally, that first AfricanX remains one of the highlights of my running career, and it triggered me to really get into trail running,” says Marianne. “After my son’s death, I wanted to get away from the competitiveness of road running, and I realised out in nature there is a more relaxed atmosphere. Also, the Western Cape really has some stunning trails, and every run is a highlight for me.”

PLAY IT AGAIN
And so, with her 75th birthday coming up in December and her eyesight deteriorating – she now prefers to run just behind somebody that can guide her through the technical sections – Marianne decided this would be the last year she could attempt the AfricanX again. “Year after year Cathy and I had said we wanted to do it again, but she unfortunately couldn’t, so I asked my friend Marlene Nel if she would run with me.” Entered as Team The Young and the Restlezz, they ran virtually every trail race on the calendar in the build-up to AfricanX, sometimes even two on a weekend, but Marianne admits they were still a bit worried about intermediate cut-off times for the various stages.

“I was worried that we wouldn’t make it, but in the end we actually ran quite comfortably. I think it was just so wonderful that a young woman like Marlene would be willing to run with me all that way, and the support from all the other runners was incredible. Every moment was precious, a wonderful experience, but best of all was coming in to finish day two and seeing Cathy waiting for me, and then having my husband Alan as well as my daughter and daughter-in-law waiting for me on day three. To be welcomed home by so many people who had shared this dream was a marvellous surprise, and I was just so full of emotion at realising I had done what I had dreamt of for so long.”

RUNNING BACK TO HEALTH
Remarkably, there is another aspect to this story. What nobody knew back in 2011 when the Grannies won the trophy was that both had only taken up walking in their mid-50s to combat serious medical conditions. Marianne had been diagnosed with severe osteoporosis in her back and feet, while Cathy had severe osteoarthritis, and the two met when they both joined Run/Walk for Life in Durbanville, under doctor’s orders to begin walking to strengthen their bones. Running was strictly forbidden!

The two became inseparable friends and quickly progressed from social walking to competitive race walking up to 20km on the road and 10,000m on the track, and by 2009 both had been awarded national Masters colours. They also began running, earning provincial colours in road and cross-country, and Marianne went on to run the Comrades twice, at age 60/61, with her late son, Lafras. “I never knew I would be able to do something like that, but thankfully they had extended the cut-off to 12 hours, otherwise I would never even have gone.”

MAKING AN IMPRESSION
As an incredible sidenote to this year’s AfricanX, Marianne and Marlene were training in the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve near Stellenbosch earlier this year, when they ran into a group of men also checking out the AfricanX route. One of these elites took one look at Marianne and shouted out, “Granny!” That was Bernard Rukadza, who went on to win the AfricanX for the third time this year – he still remembered her from that 2011 race, and that shows just how much Marianne inspires those around her. Typically, her humble response to that is, “I’m just happy doing nice trail runs each weekend. My bone density is now up around 80%, and I want to show people that age is a state of mind, that if you put your mind to something, you can do anything!”

IMAGES: Tobias Ginsberg, Marlene Nel & courtesy Marianne Nelson

While some described Clarence Munyai’s fourth place in the Commonwealth Games 200m final as disappointing, it was actually an incredible achievement by an emerging young star. – BY SEAN FALCONER

One of the headlines on a well-known South African online sport portal that caught the eye during the recent Commonwealth Games in Australia was “Munyai Flops in 200m Final on Gold Coast.” That headline showed just how much expectation SA’s sprinters currently carry on their shoulders. After all, it wasn’t so very long ago that our men’s sprinting was in the proverbial doldrums, with the SA Record for 100m having been stuck on 10.06 for more than 20 years, and none of our sprinters making finals on the world stage, let alone medalling.

However, in the last few years the 10-second barrier has been beaten by five SA speedsters, including Akani Simbine, who made the 100m final at the 2016 Olympics and 2017 World Champs, while Wayde van Niekerk has dominated the 400m at Olympics and World Champs, with a World Record as well. We also had Anaso Jobodwana in the 200m final of the 2012 Olympics, and he won bronze at the 2015 World Champs.

Meanwhile a crop of sprinting youngsters, including Clarence, were coming through the ranks, medalling numerous times at World Youth and World Junior Champs and pointing to even bigger things to come in SA men’s sprinting. And while the focus was on Akani in Australia – which he responded to by winning the gold medal in the 100m final, with teammate Henricho Bruintjies claiming the silver – there was also immense pressure on Clarence, especially after his recent performances on SA soil. He went on to finish a very commendable fifth in the 200m final, later being promoted to fourth following the disqualification of the winner for a lane infringement, but that prompted the “Flop” headline, and some people seemed to have forgotten that Clarence only just turned 20, and this was his first major final at senior level. In other words, it was nowhere near being a flop!

YOUTHFUL SUCCESS
In 2016 Clarence won the SA Senior and Junior 200m titles, and finished fourth in the 200m final at the IAAF Under-20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland. His win at the senior SA Champs made him the second-youngest ever National Champion, and one of only three 18-year-olds to win an SA title. That saw him selected for the 2016 Rio Olympics, alongside friend, rival and fellow 18-year-old Gift Leotlela. In Rio, neither was able to progress past the first round of the 200m, but they took home invaluable experience of competing at the highest level. Then in 2017 he won the African Under-20 Champs 200m gold medal, and represented SA at the World Champs in London, but was unfortunately disqualified in the first round for stepping out of his lane.

Fast-forward to 2018 and Clarence has enjoyed a breakthrough season. At the Gauteng North Champs in late February, he clocked 10.10 for 100m, improving his personal best from 10.20 – and if he had done so just four days earlier he would have set a new SA Junior Record, but he turned 20 on 20 February. Afterwards, he said he was ecstatic about his performance, but he still preferred the longer sprint event. “The 200 metres is my favourite distance – I am way faster in it – but I know I am capable of running a sub-10 for 100 metres and sub-20 for 200 if the conditions are right. But I am not going to get obsessed with it. It will happen. I just need to make sure that I keep on doing the small things right.”

Just three weeks later he lived up to those words. At the SA Champs, in front of his home crowd at Tuks, he smashed the SA Record for 200m with a time of 19.69 seconds, eclipsing the 19.84 set by Wayde in 2017 and giving him the tenth-fastest time ever in the world. He was justifiably proud of the achievement: “I’m only 20 years old, and to run 19.69 at my age is something I never dreamt would happen. That is why I almost did a complete victory lap afterwards!”

HOPES OF A NATION
That saw Clarence head to Australia as the fastest man in the world this year, with many in SA expecting him to return with a medal, but a tightening hamstring saw him slow up perceptibly with 50m to go in the semi-final, where he finished second in 20.36 with the overall second-fastest qualifier. Then he clocked 20.58 for his eventual fourth position in the final, but aggravated the hamstring strain, and was thus forced to withdraw from the SA 4x100m relay team that went on to win a scintillating silver medal.

Although disappointed, Clarence still managed to take the positive from his Australian outing. “Unfortunately, the hamstring injury that hindered me in the heats flared up again, and I knew it was going to be a tough challenge even before I settled in the starting blocks. Still it was my first major final, so I am happy to have finished. And now that I have done a 19.69, I think it will obviously put me under pressure. I will have to step-up my game!”

IMAGES: Roger Sedres/ImageSA & Reg Caldecott

Cape Town-based Ethiopian astrophysicist Kamil Suleiman ran the recent London Marathon with a most unusual record in his sights. – BY PJ MOSES

Kamil believes that everything is possible, and that nobody can deny you your place in this world if you do not allow them to. “I saw successful people who looked just like me all around when I was growing up. I never felt inferior to anybody, and I want to give that gift to every child struggling against injustice and oppression in this world.” This bold mission statement led him to the London Marathon in April and an attempt at a Guinness World Record (GWR): He wanted to become the fastest runner in a marathon dressed as an Irish Leprechaun!

The existing GWR for this is 2:59:30, and Kamil’s motivation to chase it was not just because he has a good sense of humour, but because he knew this was a good opportunity for him and his comrades in the Runners for the Freedom of Palestine (RFP) movement to spread awareness of their cause on a major world stage. “I gave it my all and came within 15 seconds of breaking the record, but unfortunately I could not get it done. I did the training and prepared properly, but it was a late morning start and a record warm day for London.”

Kamil finished in 2:59:45, complete with costume and flag, in position 1079 out of 40,273 finishers, which put him in the top 3% of the field, but he was nevertheless just a little disappointed. “I was upset about missing the Guinness World Record by just 15 seconds, but I’m super proud for two reasons. One, the record attempt was only a platform – the main goal was to raise awareness about the plight of the people of Palestine by finishing with the Palestinian flag, and the amount of coverage we got was incredible. Two, this was my first sub-3 in a flat marathon, and there’s no hiding from the continuous work by the same group of muscles. Continually telling myself to keep pushing till the end, despite the exhaustion, was so hard, but I didn’t accept defeat till the finishing line, and I am proud of that.”

The Plan is Born
Growing up in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Kamil played soccer and other sports, but running didn’t interest him back then. However, after winning a scholarship to continue his studies in Astrophysics at the University of Cape Town and relocating to South Africa, he slowly became aware of the Cape running culture. It still took him almost a decade of living in Cape Town before he would fall in love with the sport, but eventually he began running for fun in 2012. Then in January 2014 decided to take it more seriously and joined Itheko AC. “I was not a natural, I think, and finished my first marathon in a slow 4:39, but the flame had been lit inside of me to become a better runner.” With the help of his coach, Farouk Meyer, he trained hard and improved massively to clock a PB of 2:56.

The idea for the ‘Leprechaun Run’ came from his friend Safoudien after they checked the Guinness records. “I wanted to go for the fastest marathon time while using a skipping rope, because I loved skipping as a child and still skip when training. In practical terms, however, we decided that it would not be possible for me to skip and take the flag near the end of the race, so I postponed that idea and decided on the Leprechaun idea instead. Then, getting a costume made the way the GWR wanted and getting a lucky race entry through a charity were also obstacles we had to overcome.” Thankfully, the ‘luck of the Irish’ was with the group and everything worked out.

Motivation and Support
On race day, Kamil had a decent first 32km, but from there the heat began getting to him and his legs started to cramp. He says it took all his focus and determination not to slow down. “I knew my friend and RFP colleague Rabia Harris was waiting to give me the flag for the last kilometre, and that thought kept me focussed – I had the opportunity to be the voice of the voiceless, and I could not waste it. I also thought about everybody who got behind our cause, and I didn’t want to let them down. It was not a pressure, it was an energy booster, and I can’t thank everyone enough.”

“I also need to give Rabia special credit here. The race was heavily guarded, with both visible and hidden security personnel, and the cops near my supporters kept moving the rope or stripe tape to prevent the runners from getting close to the spectators. Rabia the rebel saw no choice but to jump over the fence to hand the flag over to me. If she hadn’t done that, I would have had to crawl under the rope, which would have probably triggered the really bad cramp that then thankfully only happened after I finished!”

IMAGES: Courtesy Kamil Suleiman

In the May edition we featured one of Stuart Mann’s humorous blogs about his quest to complete 100 unique marathons, so this month we decided to show you a bit more of his unique take on things as we gear up to make him a regular contributor in the mag. – BLOG EXTRACTS BY STUART MANN, COMPILED BY SEAN FALCONER

Stuart is a Joburg-based professional Lean-Agile Coach (in the software industry) and describes himself as a compulsive marathon runner, experienced joker and mischief-maker, a father of two gorgeous girls and husband to one gorgeous wife, and a trainee feminist who regularly rushes back from marathons for his daughters’ dance recitals.

His popular Running Mann blog has for the past months been focused on his immediate goal to complete 100 unique marathons before Comrades 2018, which he achieved in April. “I’ve found some great marathons all around South Africa, and the world, on this quest,” says Stuart. As a proudly South African runner, he has already started his next quest, to run every marathon and ultra in SA.

Running a marathon every week is thirsty work, and Stuart’s lifetime goal is to attract a beer sponsor, but says he would settle for someone to sponsor his travel costs so that he can run more marathons and share their story. “I believe that every marathon has a personality and I try to bring this out in my reports. I’m especially passionate about the small races and love to promote them to other runners, as well as South Africa to foreign runners as the best marathon running destination in the world.

“My other goal is to attract enough blog readers and social media followers to have my costs covered to run marathons and write about the experience – that’s my ‘selfish goal’ – and to use this platform to raise money for educational charities in SA, my altruistic goal. It must be working, because after collecting my medal at Two Oceans this year and while congratulating my fellow finishers, I was asked, ‘Are you the crazy bastard who runs marathons all over the country?’ That’s probably the sincerest compliment one can receive from a fellow ultra enthusiast!”

Given his quirky sense of humour and entertaining way of writing about his running experiences, we decided to put together a few extracts of his recent blogs. We think you’ll see why we decided to make him a regular in the mag. Take it away, Running Mann!

See the Lighthouse at the End of an Ultra
Bay Ultra, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Province
(Marathon #175 / Unique marathon #92 / 3 February 2018)
People sometimes make jokes about PE being slightly backward. However, I discovered that they are actually ahead of the rest of the world. (Well, those who use the Gregorian calendar, anyway). Most provinces provide a January schedule that allows their runners to slowly progress into marathons and hold back on the ultras until well into March, e.g. Joburg’s January races are Kudus 15km, Dischem 21km, Striders 32km and then Johnson Crane 42km. In PE they skip the short stuff and head straight into ultra season – or so I thought. When I verified this with a group of runners from Charlo Athletics Club, asking them, “Is this PE’s first marathon of the year?” they replied, “No, we already had one at the beginning of December!” So there you have it, PE is on a time zone that is at least one month ahead of the rest of the country.

Can You Judge A Marathon By The Shirt?
Assegaai Marathon, Piet Retief, Mpumalanga
(Marathon #177 / Unique marathon #94 / 17 February 2018)
Local legend has it that if you drink from the Assegaai river, it will forever be in your blood. Local common sense has it that if you drink from the Assegaai river, you will have a severe case of explosive diarrhoea. The motto of the club is “Laat waai, Assegaai,” which translates as “Let loose, Assegaai.” – one glass of unfiltered river water and you’ll definitely be letting loose all over the place!

A Return To The Mainstream
Maritzburg City Marathon, KwaZulu-Natal
(Marathon #178 / Unique Marathon #95 / 25 February 2018)
If you do run into any difficulties on race morning, it would be very difficult to plead ignorance, as one receives seven pages of detailed instructions over e-mail from race director John Hall, who leaves nothing to chance. I noted that the race instructions included a few interesting words that have not been used in contemporary writing for many years, like “tarry” and “muster” – so it is highly appropriate that the race starts in Old England Road.

The Fastest Ultra in Africa
Uniwisp Fast 50, Nelspruit, Mpumalanga
(Marathon #179 / Unique Marathon #96 / 3 March 2018)
After about 8km I realised that I had forgotten the lubricant, and by this stage, I had worked up a good sweat under the hot Lowveld sun. Although my legs were still fresh, I realised that I was starting to ‘wear out’ where the sun don’t shine (a bit like rusty steel wool scouring exquisite porcelain). I knew that I had to make a plan fast, or I would be spending the rest of the weekend walking around like John Wayne!

As luck would have it, the Van Heerden Pharmacy table was around the next corner and had a full medical kit available. As I approached, a kind lady noted the desperate look on my face and politely asked if I needed any help. Whilst simultaneously grabbing hold of a giant tub of Vaseline, I politely declined her kind offer and said I would self-medicate (much to her relief, as she realised the nature of my distress).

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Old Mutual Om Die Dam 50km, Hartbeespoort Dam, North West North
(Marathon #181 / 10th Om Die Dam / 17 March 2018)
Once you get going it’s all plain sailing… until you reach Saartjies Nek at 14km. Legend has it that Saartjie was a nasty witch who now haunts the pass (making this a real “heks’ nek” as was pointed out to me by @Chris211162 on Twitter). For the first time since the race started in 1990, the route was flipped, so you hit Saartjies much earlier in the race (she was a much nastier nymph on the old route when you met her at 39km).

The climb has always been a highlight of the race – I normally look forward to a nice long, guilt-free walk! Water tables line the road with ‘mop messages’ from Saartjie. In addition to the placards in the picture, halfway up the climb you get “Saartjie het jou” (Saartjie’s got you) and at the top “Saartjie sê sien jou volgende jaar” (Saartjie says see you next year). When I first ran the race, Saartjie could only speak Afrikaans, but she has learnt a bit of English over the years – maybe she’ll also start speaking another of our 11 official languages in years to come!

A Love Letter to my Favourite Ultra
Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, Cape Town, Western Province
(Marathon #183 / 16th Two Oceans / 31 March 2018)
South Africa hosts the two biggest (and greatest) ultra marathons in the world: Two Oceans and Comrades. I’ve been asked many times about the difference between the two. My philosophical view is that if you are a teenager in love, Two Oceans is the sweet, charming, beautiful girl that you should marry. Comrades is the girl that’s way out of your league, but is malevolent enough to string you along, making you think you have a chance, only to break your heart (and your body) after crushing your spirit and ripping out your soul.

Growing up in Cape Town, Two Oceans was my “girl next door” – and it was as a teenager that I fell in love with her. I had just started high school at Rondebosch Boys and they asked for volunteers to hold up kilometre boards over the first 15km and man (or in my case “boy”) the last support table on the route. This seemed like a really good idea, since I could support my Dad (The Old Running Mann) and we were told we could drink as much Coca-Cola as we liked on the day. In future years, Rustenburg Girls School were invited to partner us at the table, which made the proposition even more attractive!

The Pick of Polokwane
Mall of the North Marathon, Polokwane, Limpopo
(Marathon #184 / Unique Marathon #99 / 7 April 2018
This race’s main sponsor is Jaguar, and Land Rover is owned by the same company. A long time ago I used to run like a Jaguar. Unfortunately, these days I run more like a Land Rover… I tend to leak almost as much, but don’t need to be rescued from the side of the road nearly as often! I did, however, volunteer to do some modelling shots in front of the Jaguars to help sell a few more cars. I even offered to do a driving shot, but they weren’t too keen for me to sit on their shiny leather seats. Can’t say I blame them, I wouldn’t want a sweaty marathon runner stinking up my fancy new cars!

Where The Hills Have No Name
Jackie Gibson Marathon, Johannesburg, Central Gauteng
(Marathon #185 / 3rd Jackie Gibson / 15 April 2018)
We got going on a bitterly cold Joburg morning, but the warm tops were quickly removed as we hit the first hill. I asked local runners and support table personnel what some of the many hills were called, but they all seemed to be nameless. When I checked with race director Cathy Munn after the race, she responded to my question with “Nothing official for the hills.” This is a race with so many hills no one has bothered to name them yet! In the absence of official titles, most runners seemed to resort to the very simple naming convention of AFH – where A is for Another, H is for Hill and F can be filled with the adjective of your choice. Unfortunately, marathon runners are not particularly imaginative, and there seemed to be a lot of duplication with the choice of ‘F word’ used to describe each hill…

In upcoming editions we will feature more of Stuart’s unique take on all things running, but if you would like to check out his full blogs, go to http://runningmann.co.za, or follow him on social media: @runningmann100.

IMAGES: Courtesy Stuart Mann

Razaan Kamaldien has shown amazing juggling skills as she manages the busy life of a top Western Province junior runner and a University of Cape Town law student, and is now really starting to fly in her running. – BY PJ MOSES

In between a heavy academic workload, training for the UCT hockey team and hours of training as a runner, young Capetonian Razaan Kamaldien excels at all she does. “I always want to be as good as I can be at everything I try, and be the best version of me in all I do!” she says. And she has certainly excelled at running, since deciding to take it seriously four years ago, having become a regular podium finisher at road races all over the Cape. Recently, she raised the bar for herself still higher by winning the junior title at the 2018 Old Mutual Two Oceans Half Marathon, heading a very strong field of junior girls from across the country.

According to Razaan, the support and encouragement of her Dad, who is also a runner, has given her the wings to fly. “My parents have been very supportive in all that I do, but especially my Dad, because he runs too, and he knows how much work it takes. When he introduced me to running it was only for fun and keeping fit, but when I realised that I may have some potential for being good at it, he was willing to drive me around to races, even when he wasn’t running.”

She also credits a move to the Carbineers WP Athletic Club as a catalyst in her becoming mentally and physically stronger. “My coach Candyce Hall has been great with the advice and support she has given me, including teaching me about being patient when I have setbacks, or how to be a leader among the junior girls that I compete with. Still, I wasn’t expecting to do as well as I did at Two Oceans, because I was sick with the flu just two weeks before the race. I thought that I wouldn’t have anything in my legs, but it all worked out and I surprised myself with finishing strongly and taking the win in a time of 1:40!”

BALANCED APPROACH
Even though her life is busy, Razaan makes the time to spend with family and friends. “Find time for yourself and do not allow a busy life to overwhelm you. One of my favourite quotes says, ‘If it’s important, you’ll find a way; if it’s not, you’ll find an excuse.’ To me, prioritising my life is second nature. I set a schedule for myself and stick to it. I think proper time management is an important key to success.”

The youngest of four kids, Razaan’s family is what keeps her grounded and focused on her goals when a lot of other young people are caught up in the distractions the world has to offer. “I think especially girls need to find out what makes them happy and give their dreams 100 percent effort. Running made me a better person because it gave me a place to be me, but also to be surrounded by a new family in my club and the Cape Town running community. I don’t judge other people and the way they live their lives, but I prefer spending my time with family, training, studying or going to the movies. It keeps me on the right track.”

Another favourite pastime when she needs a break from running and studying sees Razaan take out her fishing rod and head to the nearest jetty with her Dad. “I love fishing. People often laugh when I tell them this, but it is a normal part of my life, and I don’t even mind the smell of fish on me,” she giggles. “Okay maybe I don’t love smelling like fish, but it doesn’t bother me much. I love just being close to the ocean – and I don’t eat what I catch, but release it back into the water.”

RUNNING GOALS
As she moves up to the senior level, Razaan is looking forward to the challenges ahead. “I’ll be running against my heroes, women who have blazed a trail for me and other young female runners. I hope their knowledge rubs off on me, as we compete and run together.” For now, her racing preference is the half marathon, but she says she can’t wait to be old enough to take on marathons and then ultra-distances. “I enjoy the longer distances, but I know that I still need to do the shorter ones to get faster. My goal is to run a sub-40 10km in the next five years, and by the time I hit my mid-20s, and with my coach’s blessing, I can run marathons. I will be more than ready.”

IMAGES: Running Ninja Photography, Moegsien Ebrahim & courtesy Nicki Hill