Category: Features

With three gold medals to his name, including a third place last year, Rustenburg policeman Gift Kelehe was one of the pre-race favourites to take the 90th edition of the Comrades Marathon – and he was happy to tell everyone that he would do it, too. Gift’s sensational win in 5:38:35 was thus not only vindication of his pre-race confidence, but also a historical first of two brothers winning the world’s oldest and biggest ultra, with older brother Andrew having won the Comrades in 2001. – BY LAUREN VAN DER VYVER

With the familiar strains of Chariots of Fire playing and the chanting crowd at the Pietermaritzburg finish cheering him in, Gift Kelehe soared over the line with arms outstretched to a history-making win in the 2015 Comrades Marathon. One of the first to embrace him was older brother Andrew, winner in 2001, and then the younger Kelehe still had enough fuel in his tank to do 10 celebratory push-ups in the home stretch, with the stadium announcer and crowd counting with him. It was a dream realised, says the winner. “I just had a feeling I would take it this year! Looking back, with a fifth place in 2011, eighth in 2012, bailing in 2013 because of a stress fracture, then coming back and improving with third in 2014, I knew a better position was in me.”

With about 25km to go, Gift took the lead from eventual runner-up Mohammed Hussein of Ethiopia and opened a substantial gap over all the chasers. At the top of Polly Shortts hill, he knew the victory was in the bag, and with final instructions from long-time coach John Hamlett, Gift maintained his pace to claim the win. “As I approached the finish, I saw people running to the stadium from their houses, or leaving their cars in the road. The minute I reached the stadium, it was electrifying, with people banging on the side walls. This was my dream race!”

“Taking the 90th edition of the race was special, and the fact that my brother won in 2001 and now I also have the title, that is history. The support from my coach, brother and sponsors has been unbelievable. I remember Andrew being with me when I didn’t finish in 2013, and he told me that it wasn’t the end of the world, that I must train harder and that I will be back. He was right.”

Strategy Sounds
Following his comeback third place in 2014, Gift started training for the 2015 edition as early as October last year, doing the base training that he and his Samancor Chrome Marathon Club teammates usually did in January in previous years. He still had to wake up early each morning to fit in his training runs before heading to work for the SAPS, where he is part of a specialised tactical response team in Rustenburg, and then in the evenings he’d change out of uniform and go for another run. By April, he was clocking 250 to 270km a week, and spent time with the team in Dullstroom to prepare in high altitude conditions. That’s also where a few race-day strategies were worked out for better communication between Gift and his coach for running in the bunch.

“I had to simply sit with the guys, not doing the work for them, so Coach had a whistle he would blow and that’s how we’d communicate, so I’d know when to slow down,” explains Gift. “Last year we made a mistake where Coach shouted an instruction to me and I didn’t hear him, but Ludwick Mamabolo heard and he backed off, because we were fighting alongside Stephen Muzhingi. This year, the whistle was something only I knew, and I could always hear it. The guys were confused – Coach would blow the whistle, they would look at him, then look at me and wonder what’s going on!”

Winning Focus
Gift’s introduction to the bigger distances was realised as a 20-year-old when he played second to his brother’s 2001 winning effort. At that stage, Gift was a middle distance athlete who was encouraged by John, who had been working with Andrew since 1989, to work with the team at speed work drills before the Big C. When Andrew took the title, a proud younger brother wanted to emulate that achievement. “I wanted to be a champion like him, I needed that feeling.”

The plan now is for the team to go back to the drawing board in the next two months, with a back-to-back win the main focus for 2016. “I like making history, so another win is in our minds,” says Gift. “I think my experience counts for a lot, and with the women’s race, too, South Africans are ready to start a trend where we locals win it. I think we can make the race ours for a long time.”

Unsurprisingly, there is little ‘down time’ for the new champ, with interview upon interview, being paraded through his home village of Taung Sekhing as well as being honoured by the provincial legislature, but Gift is happy to embrace it all. “What a response it has been! People have recognised me in the street and I hope I can keep my win in the community.” It’s also something to hear that the humble 33-year-old didn’t waiver from the team’s traditional fartlek session the day after his phenomenal win. “I’d never skip that! It loosens my legs and helps with recovery. And it feels better after a win, too…”

After 20 years of running, I can look back on some incredible memories of races I have run, places I have been and people that I have met, and still, what I experienced on 27 April touring the Cape Town area with a bunch of running friends as part of the 6 Freedom Runs for Freedom Day Challenge stood out as one of the really special days of my running career!

In 2014 a group of Johannesburg-based runners decided to take on all the 5km parkrun routes in the city in a single day, and they called it doing Freedom Runs, as they ran them on 27 April, the Freedom Day public holiday. Down in the Cape, David Papenfus saw this mentioned online and decided it sounded like a great idea, so in March he called up all his Red Sock and parkrun mates in the Stellenbosch area and suggested a Cape version of the same challenge for 2015, on the six parkrun routes we currently have up and running in the Cape Town area, including Bellville and Stellenbosch. Soon a Facebook group had been created, the various parkruns contacted, and the group of Cape Freedom Runners began to grow, with runners from all over Cape Town saying they would join for one or more of the runs.

Early Start
So it was that the Stellies group met in the Spar parking lot before sunrise and off we went to Fish Hoek for the first run at 7:30am, with great excitement and jokes flying. It was a wee bit cold and windy, but after a few words of welcome from Dave and a group photo, we soon warmed up on the run, and then it was straight back into the cars and over Ou Kaapse Weg to get to Rondebosch Common for Freedom Run number two at 9am. I ran these both fairly hard, to catch up to friends after hanging back at the start to tweet pics of the massive groups that met up to run with us, and I soon realised I was going to have to pace myself a wee bit more if I wanted to get through the next four… So, I took it much slower (and chatted a whole lot more) at the third run in Green Point (10:30am), and again at the Big Bay parkrun in Blouberg at 12, where a brisk south-easter also made the first half of the out-and-back route a bit more challenging.

I was blown away by how many people had heard about our Challenge via Facebook or running friends, and then come out to join us for anything from one to four of the runs, depending on what their schedules for the public holiday allowed. The spirit in the ever-growing group at each run was amazing, which really kept us all going as our legs started to stiffen up from all the stop-starting – but we were having so much fun, that was just a mild irritation, really.

Taking strain…
After a lunch stop in Blouberg, we headed to the hilly three-lap Bellville course for a 2:30pm start, and by now I wasn’t the only one showing signs of strain. Then it was back to Stellenbosch for the Root 44 parkrun, delayed from 4pm to 4:30pm, as we had taken a bit longer at Bellville than planned, and that saw 15 of us running our sixth 5km route for the day. That group included runners from Bellville, Cape Town and Fish Hoek joining our Stellies group, and by that stage we were all comrades in arms and cheering each other on. It was hugs and high-fives all-round as each of us finished our last run of the day.

That evening, over well-earned beers, we heard that 22 runners had done all nine parkruns in Joburg that day, and I still wonder how they managed to fit them all in – they must have raced the routes and then driven like bats out of hell! That said, by next April we’ll have a few more parkruns in the Cape, so we could be doing a nine-run challenge ourselves. It was a stunning experience with stunning people, so here’s a huge shout-out to my fellow Freedom Runners: David, Ilse, Adele, Peter, Mariska, Zahn, Cecil, Jacques, Marion, Anna, Colin, Craig, Kim and Gino. I’m looking forward to doing it again with all of you (and still more runners) next year!

In the last two years, two female grandmasters have been rewriting the running record books on a regular basis in SA, so we caught up with both Nancy Will and Margie Saunders to find out what motivates them to chase down these records.

Where there’s a Will…

At this year’s Old Mutual Two Oceans Ultra-marathon 56km, Nancy Will (62), who runs for Pinelands in Cape Town, cruised her way to a new 60-69 age-category world best of 4:12:54 at the 50km marker, but just missed out on the grandmaster course record at the finish with her time of 4:44:48. “I missed out on the record by only 21 seconds! I was not aware of the record on the day and only read about what I had done a day after the race,” she said. “All it tells me is that I have to go back and get that record, because I can cut it down.”

Nancy now has 14 ultra medals (4:08 PB) and six half marathon medals (1:30:40 PB) at Oceans as well as five Comrades Marathon finishes to her name, including two Comrades silvers and a PB of 7:12:34, so it’s strange to think that she never really considered herself much of a runner in her younger years. “I was a swimmer, and it was only after I got married that I turned to running to lose weight, and it just stuck from there,” she says. “Today, there are so many experiences that stick out, from SA Champs to running for Western Province, to all the big races. I’ll also be heading back to Comrades again this year after 10 years away from the race. My son will be running and I am hoping to do well in my age group there.”

Competitive Streak
Having represented South Africa as a swimmer and recorded great results as a road runner, including setting Western Province records at various distances in her age category in the last two years, Nancy has also turned to trail running this year for something a little different. “I ran the 50+ Trail Summit Series and I am enjoying the challenge of trail. There is no boredom factor and it tests me.” Apart from Comrades and trail races, Nancy is also aiming to re-break her provincial records this year across various distances as well as cut down her times on her 42km, 21km and 10km finishes.

Just before her taper period before Comrades, Nancy was clocking around 100 to 120km a week, which was quite an intense load to make sure she can last on race day. “I usually train on my own, but I also join our club group twice a week. The atmosphere and support at the club is always great and there is such a hype around Comrades, too,” she says. “I’m glad I’ve got a sport that’s easy to do, where you can get fit and meet new people, because there are no barriers in this sport. I think the most important things running has given me are good friends and a healthy body!”

The Record Buster

Port Elizabeth’s Margie Saunders (62) has made quite a name for herself in the last year as she has set and reset a number of SA records in the grandmaster category. At the end of February, she broke her own national mark for the 15km (1:04:01) to go with her national marathon (3:15:48) and half marathon (1:30:53) records. Now, having been in great form for the last few months and with her confidence at a peak, she’s ready to chase down the one SA record that has eluded her thus far, Sonja Laxton’s 10km record.

Interestingly, she also only came into running later in life. “I only started running when I was 35 years old, having been a swimmer for years,” she says. “Running came about because I wanted to do triathlons and I jumped right in and started with a half marathon, and suddenly found myself in the provincial team.” She continued setting fast times in her 40s, including a 2:55 marathon and two silver Comrades medals, which she considers her biggest running achievements, but then a speedbump in her health struck in 2000.

“I was diagnosed with breast cancer and for six months I underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy,” she explains. “At 50 I was back running competitively again, but nothing serious and I was less competitive. Then at age 57, I took on my first Ironman 70.3 and at the 2013 World Triathlon Champs in London, I managed a first and fourth place in my age-group in the sprint and standard distances, and it was my mission after that to take running more seriously.”

Runner & Triathlete
Today, Margie wakes up at around 4am and says she never misses a day’s training, even if she has an early morning flight to Johannesburg for her work as a manager of medical schemes contracted with ER24. “I run every day, and still swim three times a week, but I keep my distances shorter in the week. The swimming is my secret in keeping up my cardio fitness. When I work at home in Port Elizabeth, I can sit at my desk at 5am, run at 8am and get back to work an hour later. Running is easy because you just head out with your shoes!”

Margie is now focused on working on her 10km time and is looking forward to competing in the full Ironman one day. “I retire next September at 63 years, so I can afford more time training for Ironman then, especially when you need time on the bike,” she says. “For now, I clock 40km a week, swim regularly and do some rides a few times a month. I’ve reached my best in my sixties and have got great support from my Nedbank club and my family.”

Having won medals at the African Champs, World Champs and Commonwealth Games, and having just added a seventh senior SA title to his list of honours 12 years after his first as a 17-year-old in 2003, star 400-metre hurdler LJ Van Zyl is not only raring to go for the World Champs in Beijing in August, he is also eyeing an Olympic medal in Rio in 2016.

With a new coaching team behind him and fatherhood on the near horizon, LJ van Zyl is running better than ever right now. Just before jetting off to Europe to begin his international campaign last month, the 29-year-old chatted to Modern Athlete about his revitalised form going into 2015, including that SA title in 49.29 seconds in Stellenbosch – his fourth qualifier for Beijing – as well as a new 200m dash PB of 20.71 (following shortly on another new PB of 20.86). He says his great form is largely thanks to working with his new coach Irma Reynecke at the High Performance Centre (HPC) in Pretoria.

“With Irma, it’s a lot of focus on speed work. You’re never slower than 85% in training, which is quite something! It took me about three months to get used to her programme, because I come from a more endurance background, but I’ve seen it work. My 200m flat-out time is faster and my confidence is growing,” says LJ. “Also, being set up at the HPC, from being one of their first athletes back in 2005, I have an organised base camp as well as all my medical covered. Without that help, it would be very difficult for an athlete.”

All Systems Go
Starting with the GreatCity Games in Manchester, LJ says his international campaign will be all about enjoying the ride and loving the sport again. “The City Games is a unique experience and great warm-up because the organisers build an arena in Albert Square in the heart of the city. I won my event there in 2013, so it’s a great way to start my season before the real tester at the Diamond League meeting in Doha on 15 May,” he said.

Doha remains a special venue for LJ, as he holds the Diamond League meeting record there with his 48.11 finish in 2011. It’s a platform where he will be hoping to sneak under 49 seconds again and build more momentum towards the World Champs. Another Diamond League meeting in New York later in June will also tell him where he stands with his training and what he can target in Beijing. “At the 2011 World Champs in Daegu, South Korea, I won a bronze medal, so I want to go to Beijing with a little bit more,” he said. “My planning has gone well and I took a little rest after the national champs, visiting my parents to recharge, but the season is on again and it’s all systems go.”

Eyes on Rio
The three-time African champ, Commonwealth gold medallist and South African record holder (47.66) is hoping that a solid 2015 will set him up nicely for Rio 2016, where he is dreaming of a podium spot. “I’ve really won every medal in the 400m hurdles that I can, except that Olympic one,” he said, as he recalls his fifth placing at the 2008 Games. “I want to leave Rio with something, so this season will hopefully set me up perfectly for that moment.”

And with wife and fellow runner Irvette set to give birth to their first child in September, LJ has a lot more than hard yards on the track to give him the inspiration for next year’s showdown. “I’m so excited and it’s definitely a reason to get up with more fire every morning! Maybe our kid will follow in our athletic footsteps and have that speed from Irvette and me. Either way, it’s a great time for us, so I’m positive about what’s around the corner.”

LJ’s Major Honours

World Championships
Silver 2011 4x400m Relay
Bronze 2011 400m Hurdles
Commonwealth Games
Gold 2006 400m Hurdles
Silver 2006 4x400m Relay
Silver 2010 400m Hurdles
All-Africa Games
Gold 2007 400m Hurdles
African Championships
Gold 2006 400m Hurdles
Gold 2008 400m Hurdles
Gold 2008 4x400m Relay
Gold 2010 400m Hurdles

For 20 years, Yolande Maclean has been a prolific name on the road running circuit, notably for her Comrades gold medal runs, but a knee injury six years ago put the brakes on her running for a while. Now her hunger to compete has brought her back firing, and she chats to Modern Athlete about new experiences as an athlete and her promise to embrace every opportunity.

When Yolande won the mixed team category of this year’s Pronutro AfricanX Trailrun presented by New Balance, alongside Team CW-X Ultraspire running partner Nic de Beer, she says she learnt a few things along the way: That she was tougher than she thought, but that trail is unforgiving. “We were the first mixed team and seventh overall, beating the likes of Landie Greyling and Carla van Huyssteen! It was my first stage race and it was a new challenge and that’s why it was an easy decision when Nic contacted me,” she says. “You have to deal with the technical parts, monitor what you eat and be aware of teams chasing you, but luckily there was such an easy flow between Nic and me.”

The effortless introduction to trail comes after a spectacular start to Yolande’s year on the road. Having finished second in the Dis-Chem Half Marathon in January, March saw her crush the course record by 11 minutes at the Johnson Crane Marathon, clocking 2:46:56. She followed that up with another win at the Sasol Marathon a week later, crossing the line in 2:46:51. While she was aiming for a top-10 finish at last month’s Two Oceans, she managed a well-deserved 11th place in 4:09:52 after struggling with sciatica pain in her leg the week before the race. “Six years ago, I tore a muscle in my knee and that was me out for six months. It’s taken a while to build up again, but I figure if you’re a true athlete, that hunger to be back never dies. Just like at Oceans, when I was at 26km I thought I’d bail, but then I thought I’d take Ou Kaapse first and see. While I was in pain, I knew I had to make peace with it and just finish!”

The Ultra Bug
Unsurprisingly, Yolande’s hunger to compete started at an early age. At school she ran the 100m, 200m, 400m and 1500m, cycled, played soccer and did a few triathlons. “What really got me going was my uncle and dad, because they were sporty. I eventually started running 10km races with my dad, and he beat me and teased me, so I wanted to improve,” she says. She stepped it up to longer distances and suddenly Comrades became a must. “My dad had done it and I was ready at 18, but after some injuries from cross country, I had to wait. Finally, at 25, I ran my first Comrades. Then it was onto Oceans and Loskop, which I won on my second go in 2003.” To date, Yolande holds five Comrades golds (6:29 PB) and four Two Oceans golds (3:47 PB), but admits that the desire to do it all back then was perhaps a stretch too far for someone so young. “When you’re pumped up like that, you don’t hold back, and the wear and tear showed.” That’s when her injury struck and she was forced to start over.

“I started to slowly run again and do it for fun. I implemented strength work, concentrating on my arms and core, and mountain biking became a great off-switch from running, which is high-impact stuff, so you need a break.” Then in 2013, she entered the Jeep Warrior Black Ops Race and tore ligaments in her foot, so she turned to cycling to regain her fitness. That took her to the start of the 2013 RAC Tough One, which she conquered in 2:09, but she knew there was a lot to improve on. “I figured I’d target the 2014 Loskop to see where I was and ran a 3:23 to come second. That was great, because I hadn’t been there for years, and I went on to break my time at Deloitte – a 2:50 from a 2:55 finish – and knew I was in form.” Then, having finished second at this year’s Dis-Chem Half, she decided that the ultras were on again.

“Johnson Crane was a last-minute decision but I felt good enough to go for the win. Same with Sasol. At the end of last year I promised I’d agree to every opportunity that came my way, so when the Discovery Surfer’s Challenge invited me, I went for it – even in winds of 17 knots!” It was also her start at Born2Run Athletics Club last year that brought her to an environment where she felt like she was part of a family. “Ann and David at Born2Run are great and I get a lot of support. My running is on me, though. My parents divorced years ago. At 16, I got my learners and had two jobs over the weekends to get pocket money. At 18, I got my Gran’s old car and got my own car eventually, and my mom has always helped me, but I’ve always had to be independent and self-driven.”

A Bright Future
After all these years, Yolande says she has also learnt when to go ahead and when to hold back. “People panic when others pass them, but I’ve learnt to stick to my own plan and be confident. At AfricanX, I used that, and I would love to run more stage races in the future!” And following a disappointing result at Oceans, she’s motivated to tackle it with more emphasis next year, while she’s still pondering about this year’s Comrades. “I’m entered and will make a call soon,” she says. “You have to take on Comrades when you’re 100%. It’s so special, and if I’m not running, I’m usually watching with a big knot of nerves and excitement in my stomach!”

She’s also planning to keep her promise to herself to embrace the unknown, and so she has plans to do both trail and MTB stage races, but also wants to chase down a 2:40 marathon this year while bettering her shorter distance times. There’s also talk of taking on Ironman sometime in the near future. “I want to try new things, otherwise it’s boring! My injury never let me down because running keeps me alive, and that fire never dies. It makes me a better person!”

Without investment, no one will reap the rewards… That’s what KPMG Financial Services Director Pierre Jacobs has always believed in, and why he’s invested in the KPMG-Vorentoe Running Academy, a platform where the country’s young middle-distance stars can flourish.

When the government withdrew its funding in 2013, it looked like the end of the Vorentoe Running Academy, based at Vorentoe High School in Johannesburg under Coach Hans Saestad. Fortunately, KPMG stepped up to the plate in 2014 with funding and today the academy consists of a group of 36 boys and girls – a vastly different picture to the handful when it started in 2000. “It’s rewarding to see this group of young athletes becoming fantastic people. They train hard and it’s our hope to make it easier for them,” says Pierre, who is justifiably proud of the success the academy has seen. This includes scooping the Best School Sports Team in the country at the prestigious South African Sports Awards last year, and sending a group of athletes to last month’s IAAF World Cross Country Championships. The academy also scooped up a whopping 19 medals at the recent SA Champs in Bloemfontein last month.

“We pay for the athletes’ school fees, food, medical expenses, training camps, travel expenses as well as transport to their homes. We’re also supplementing the salaries of coaches, cooks and teachers involved, making sure the athletes have proper after-school care, too.” Also in the pipeline is distribution of vitamins and minerals for the year as well as sanitary packs every month for the girls.

Tangible Change
Pierre adds that it’s the importance of assisting in all areas of an athlete’s life that remains the backbone of the programme, and that it’s not just about the hours spent with Hans on the track, it’s also about giving the athletes the tutoring they need to transition from teenager to adult. “A lot of our athletes don’t come from good schools, so there’s a gap when they arrive at Vorentoe. Now staff are tutoring the athletes in Afrikaans, English and Maths, with improved results,” says Pierre, who cites one of the academy’s brightest talents, cross-country star Tumisang Monnatlala, as a success story. “His Maths percentage was low, but after three months of tutoring, his marks went up!”

Another project this year will be upgrading the girls’ accommodation and ablution blocks. Instead of the ice-cold, concrete ablutions building that they have to walk a good 100m to reach each morning, there are funds to make it more comfortable and welcoming.

The Next Step
“We want to focus on what the athletes do after school, where they can step it up on the international stage,” says Pierre, which is why he and the Academy leaders are also in talks with running legend Elana Meyer and Endurocad to potentially bring the academy athletes into the Endurocad programme for more senior, long-distance athletes. However, for now Pierre says it’s about baby steps to maintain the academy’s top performance at the SA Schools Champs, and then to get the academy’s athletes exposed to international competition.

“If you expect these athletes to perform, the least you can give them is decent accommodation, food and medical back-up,” says Pierre. “There’s a buzz around running and all that this country needs is a willingness to mobilise that enthusiasm, but we need to keep these youngsters in the system, and we’re committed to giving them the opportunities.”

For more info on the project or to get involved in any way, contact Pierre on pierre.jacobs@kpmg.co.za

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

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

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

Great Expectations

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

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

Family, Work and Running

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

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

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

Comrades Debut

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

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

Winning Ways

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

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

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

Sub-12:00 Vic Clapham Bus

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

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

Sub-11:45 Vic Clapham Bus

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

Sub-11:30 Pink Drive Vic Clapham Bus

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

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

SUB-11:00 Bronze Bus

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

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

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

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

Sub-9:00 Bill Rowan Bus

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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