Category: Features

In a unique and exciting move, Modern Athlete has signed South Africa’s top female runner, two-time Olympian and multiple SA Champ Rene Kalmer, as a Brand Ambassador, and she will be flying the Modern Athlete flag at this year’s Old Mutual Two Oceans Half Marathon

On 19 April, Rene Kalmer will line up for her seventh Old Mutual Two Oceans Half Marathon, hoping to win the country’s largest 21km for the third time. She has also finished as runner-up twice, and in the past four years has never finished lower than fourth in the women’s field. She should be in great shape for the race, too, as her training thus far this year has been focussed on the IAAF World Half Marathon Champs in Copenhagen, Denmark at the end of March – the day this edition went to print she was boarding the flight to Europe as part of the six-athlete SA team for these Champs. Thus she has been running 10km and 21km races, including winning the DisChem Half Marathon in Johannesburg, to get her speed up for the Champs.

However, after that Rene says she will revert to marathon training as she builds up to running a Big City Marathon later in the year. “I have not yet decided which marathon I will run, but I would like to run Berlin or Chicago, or perhaps return to Yokohama, where I set my PB of 2:29:59 in 2011. It has actually felt like I have been loafing so far this year, because I was not in training for a marathon, but I am feeling fit and strong, and enjoying being injury-free, so I am ready to step it up now.”

NEW CHALLENGE

Another thing Rene is looking forward to is her new role as a Brand Ambassador for Modern Athlete magazine. She will represent the Modern Athlete brand at various events and activations, will feature in the magazine as a regular contributor, and will play an integral part in the magazine’s new school and corporate wellness programme. “To the best of my knowledge it’s the first time ever for a running magazine to partner with a professional athlete, so it’s exciting to be part of Modern Athlete’s plans,” she says.

“As a professional athlete, it is all about you and what is best for you, but now I have the platform to really give back to the sport. This will allow me to do so much more that just answering people’s Facebook messages! One of the things I am most looking forward to is the schools programme, given that I used to work as a teacher and really enjoy coaching young athletes. We want to motivate the kids to start exercising, and teach them about nutrition, so it will be a long-term involvement with the schools, and from there we will take it to corporates. I’m really excited about this new chapter in my running career.”

RENE’S TWO OCEANS TIPS

Having run the Old Mutual Two Oceans Half Marathon six times, Rene knows a thing or two about what to expect from your first run.

1 BEFORE THE RACE
When arriving in Cape Town, go straight to the Expo at the Cape Town International Convention Centre to collect your race numbers. The Expo is bigger and better than ever, so you will experience endless energy and get all psyched up, but don’t get carried away and buy new products for race day, as this may cost you dearly.

2 ON RACE DAY
Make sure you have breakfast and stick to what you are used to – you don’t want to make unnecessary pit stops along the route. Then get to the start early, to avoid the worst of the traffic and to give yourself enough time to stand in the Portaloo lines. There is designated parking and the start and finish are within walking distance of each other, but make a mental note of where you park, as a place looks different in the dark!

If you are planning to run with a friend or partner, arrange to meet each other at the first water point in case you lose one another at the crazy start. Also make arrangements where you are meeting friends and loved ones after the race, as the crowd at the finish is huge.

3 AFTER THE RACE
It’s a good idea to carry some money on you, to fuel up immediately after the race, before you start the mission back to your car. Then head to the Forresters Arms, or Forries, which is the place to be for post-race celebrations. And wear your medal with pride, as you worked hard for it!

The 2014 Old Mutual Two Oceans Ultra Marathon will be a landmark race for two very well known South African long distance runners, as Elana Meyer takes on her first voyage, while Bruce Fordyce does his 30th!

TRIPLE GREEN GOAL

For someone who has recently sustained an injury, nine-times Comrades Marathon winner Bruce Fordyce is remaining calm: “I was planning to run a sub-5:00 at my 30th Two Oceans, and my training was going beautifully until I decided to take on the youngsters at our club time trial and did something to the heel of my foot. I think I struck a stone with my left heel. I resorted to riding my mountain bike to keep my fitness levels up, but I might not be able to do the time I was hoping to do. Let’s face it, you will have to cycle for days to get the same fitness result as you do with running.”

Never one to panic, Bruce remarks that these things happen, and since it happened with more than a month till race day, he reckons he will be fine. “The worst that could happen is me running a little slower than I had planned. I would have been worried if it happened a week before race day, but there was enough time and I am feeling optimistic. At the end of the day, so what, if I don’t do a sub-5?” he says.

MAIDEN VOYAGE

Former Olympic 10 000m silver medallist Elana Meyer only made the commitment to run the Two Oceans Ultra in January, and it will be her first race beyond the marathon distance, so she admits to being a little worried that it is such a long way, but says she is looking forward to the day. Elana also says she is not worried about her time: “My main objective is to raise funds and awareness for Endurocad, to support young and upcoming SA athletes.”

“The first month of training went pretty well, and I managed to lift my running from the casual four to five times a week to six solid days of running, including one long run. I ran my qualifying marathon at the Cango Marathon in Oudtshoorn in February. It went really well and I ran a comfortable 3:24. However, since the marathon I have had a niggly Achilles tendon bothering me, but I am very lucky to have my own in-house guru, Jacques Janse van Rensburg, who has been treating me regularly.”

Last year’s Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon champ David Gatebe is confident going into this month’s race and says he is ready to defend his title after a good build-up. We caught up with him for a chat about his race preparation, and his thoughts on the massive incentive for a new course record in 2014. – BY DONALD MATHIPA & LAUREN VAN DER VYVER

After David’s stellar 3:08:54 win at the 2013 Two Oceans Marathon, he arrived back home in Rustenburg and saw posters of himself all over town. “A lot of my friends started taking me more seriously, because before they thought I was just running for fun!” he says. Now, he’s ready to impress again in 2014, with his training programme for the title defence having started in December. At the recent Old Mutual Om Die Dam 50km last month, David secured fourth place in 3:01:02, having dropped out of the race at the 30km mark last year because of it being just three weeks before Oceans. This time around, he had more time to recover in between the two races, allowing him to go conquer the tough Hartbeespoort course before starting his tapering period ahead of Oceans. “At Om Die Dam, I took it easy and was just looking to improve myself. My intention was never to win there, but focus on preparing for Two Oceans.”

Looking ahead to the Cape classic, David says the financial incentive offered by Old Mutual for a new course record will definitely spur the top runners on to chase fast times. The first man over the line in a time faster than Thompson Magawana’s 3:03:44 of 1988 will pocket a cool R1 Million on top of the R250 000 winner’s purse, and the top women will be chasing Frith van der Merwe’s 3:30:36, set in 1989. Unsurprisingly, the race has attracted a number of top runners from around the world, and David says it will be a very tough battle at the front of the pack.

“The Kenyans and Ethiopians will lead us to a new record this year,” he says, but adds that they may not actually take the incentive money back to north Africa. “They’re very good marathoners, but no one is the master of the ultra. After the 42km mark, everybody will tire and all that matters will be mental endurance.” So for the champ, it’s all about sticking to his own race-day plans. “If I try to run other people’s races, not knowing how they prepared, they will beat me. On the day, I want to start with 3 minute 15 seconds per kay and increase to three minutes after two hours on the road. If we pass the marathon mark in sub-2:15, I’ll go for the record, too!”

HEATING UP

In his build-up to Oceans, the Rustenburg-based Impala Running Club athlete averaged 270km per week before his tapering started, with his typical weekly programme focused on speed sessions on track, 3km tempo sessions, one mid-week long run of about 30km and hill repeats on Fridays, while weekends were dedicated to long runs. “I prefer to train in Rustenburg because of the heat and altitude. It definitely helps me at the coast,” he says.

Having learnt the art of long distance running while training in the Vaal with former Two Oceans and Comrades champion Fusi Nhlapo, as well as Moses Rachaka, David says he’s positive about his state of mind going into these big races. However, there is a wary look over the shoulder to some of his competitors. “The Lesotho guys, like former winner of the race Mabothile Lebopo, and my own countryman Moses Mosuhli, are also in it because they do hills like me. Moses is always in the top 10, so he’s not one to overlook.”

With the support of his wife and coach Dave Adams in preparing for the big day, David remains focused on what he has to do. “There’s no pressure – if the opportunity presents itself, I’ll go for it on the day. I just have to concentrate on getting a good result.”

TWO OCEANS CONTENDERS

While ultra-marathons are notoriously difficult to predict, and things can go horribly wrong for even the fastest, fittest athletes, we still think these are the other runners to look out for on in this year’s race.

THE MEN
Mabothile Lebopo
(Maxed Elite), Lesotho
The 2010 winner won the Mokgohlong Marathon in Lesotho in December.

Shadrack Kemboi
(Maxed Elite), Kenya
It will be a first race longer than 50km for the Gauteng and Soweto Marathons champion.

Michael Mazibuko
(Nedbank), South Africa
The 2011 Soweto Marathon champion was second in the Vaal Marathon in February.

Coolboy Ngamole
(Nedbank), South Africa
The 2012 Olympian is also a former SA Marathon champion, and has the natural speed.

Stephen Dikobo
(Bidvest), South Africa
The 2013 City to City Marathon champion is up to speed, recently closking 31:30 for 10km.

Collen Makaza
(Toyota), Zimbabwe
Fourth last year and runner-up at the World 50km Champs – true racing pedigree.

Moeketsi Mosuhli
(Maxed Elite), Lesotho
The former Soweto Marathon champ finished third last year, so keep an eye out for him.

THE WOMEN
Thabitha Tsatsa
(Maxed Elite), Zimbabwe
The defending champion will be looking to improve on her 3:39:54.

Jennifer Koech
(Nedbank), Kenya
After finishing ninth last year, she went on to win the 2013 City to City Marathon.

Mamorallo Tjoka
(Toyota), Lesotho
The multiple Soweto Marathon champ won the Mokgohlong Marathon and Nongoma Ultra in recent months.

Nina Podnebesnova
(Nedbank), Russia
She was fifth in 2013 and has the speed to challenge for the win.

Vuyiseka Dubula and Mark Heywood formed the TAC (Treatment Action Campaign) Runners for Health group in 2011, to support HIV positive runners and the work being done by TAC to ensure that people living with HIV have access to life-saving treatment, which has now helped to make it possible for 2.1 million people to be receiving the much-needed drugs. One of the running group’s most special moments came in the wet, windy 2012 Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon.

Mark: In 1994 I was recruited by Zackie Achmat, who was living with HIV at the time, to work for the AIDS Law Project. This is how the journey of TAC began and how I got to meet Vuyiseka. She was the big inspiration behind TAC.

Vuyiseka: I joined TAC in 2001 after testing HIV Positive, and Mark and I started working closely. I couldn’t understand how this man who was quite a bit older than me could be doing all this running, and I thought he was completely crazy. I still felt like I needed to challenge him on this, but at first I refused to go run with him. Then there was a specific day in 2010 that he gave me his Comrades medal he received in 1996 and said I could keep it until I had gotten my own. I then thought I should be able to do this if he can. This is when Mark and I started TAC Runners.

M: We are usually about eight runners that line up at the start, but we end up picking up about 60 to 70 runners en route, and the Two Oceans race in 2012 was specifically very special to me. It literally rained from the first step to the last. We sang the whole way and ended up being a big bus at the end of the race. It was incredible how people regarded us on the race and even the supporters cheered us on. It was a wonderful experience.

V: The wind made it tough! Especially on the downhills as it swept us up from beneath. We were each struggling with different aspects of the weather, but kept motivating each other. All of us strangers became so close during the race that we ended up knowing each other by name by the end. Mark kept us on track and we had to often tell him to slow down!

We sing from the very start of each race and end up sweeping up all the strugglers on the road, and the music carries our tired legs to the end. In that Two Oceans, Shosholoza was a big favourite on the day, but on the uphills it was rather tough to get enough breath to sing it properly. When we got to Constantia Nek we were all pretty exhausted and the singing didn’t hold up as well, but when we got to 5km before the finish, we raised our voices and the energy carried us to the end. It was an unforgettable day and race. I look forward to this year’s Two Oceans.

M: I have been running for 20 years and done 101 marathons, and this is definitely something that has changed the dynamic of my running. I would possibly have stopped running if it wasn’t for this exciting group that we started. Running to me means peace. I find that there is a dignity and equality in running and the more people we can get to join us, the more lives we can change.

V: The health benefits of running have been amazing. Running makes my mind healthy, and therefore my body follows the lead. I have found that the running has given me self-confidence, and a sense of happiness and achievement after completing a race. The feeling you get when crossing the finish line is so extraordinary! When I am running I think of nothing – with every kilometre I let go of my burdens. Running has taught me and fellow TAC members about life, that when you’re running, you have an end goal in sight, and that’s how you should think about life, too. It also gives us something else to talk and think about than the disease.

Our TAC Runners group doesn’t only consist of HIV positive runners. The ‘positive’ in HIV also stands for someone doing something positive for people living with HIV. There is no official membership – if you believe in being active, then you are a member of TAC! And it’s not about how fast you run, but the fact that you are going to finish. We believe there is no excuse for HIV positive people not to get out on the roads, because we have fought to get the ARVs and we now have the same life-expectancy as HIV negative people.

Check out the TAC website at www.tac.org.za, and you’ll find the TAC Runners at www.facebook.com/groups/runnersandwalkersforhealth.

In a unique and exciting move, South Africa’s largest running publication, Modern Athlete magazine, has signed top South African runner Rene Kalmer as a Brand Ambassador for the magazine and its brand extensions. The multiple SA Champion and two-time Olympian will represent the Modern Athlete brand at various events and activations, will feature in the magazine as guest columnist and regular contributor, and will play an integral part in the magazine’s new school and corporate wellness programme.

Rene says she is hugely excited about this new chapter in her running career. “To the best of my knowledge it’s the first time ever for a running magazine to partner with a professional athlete, so it is exciting to be part of Modern Athlete’s plans. As a professional athlete, it is all about you and what is best for you, but now I have the platform to give back to the sport, both now and in the long term. As an athlete you don’t know where to start in terms of giving back, so this will allow me to do so much more that just answering people’s Facebook messages!”

“One of the things I am most looking forward to is the schools programme, given that I used to work as a teacher and really enjoy coaching young athletes. We want to motivate the kids to start exercising, and teach them about nutrition, so it will be a long-term involvement with the schools, and from there we will take it to corporates,” says Rene.

Speaking on behalf of Modern Athlete, Managing Director Craig van der Westhuizen says the whole team at the magazine is thrilled about their new brand ambassador. “To have South Africa’s top female athlete being part of South Africa’s largest running publication is terrific. Aside from her athletic feats, she is also one of the most respected, recognised and popular athletes in the country, with international experience and pedigree. We understand that Rene’s current medium-term goal is to qualify for the 2016 Olympics, so we will support her in every way we can to achieve that goal.”

“This is the first time we as a magazine are supporting a professional athlete, so both we and Rene will work together to see how we can best support each other in developing the sport in South Africa

On Wednesday night (26 March), Rene will fly to Copenhagen, Denmark, for the IAAF World Half Marathon Champs on Saturday 29 March, as part of the six-athlete SA team. She says she has been focussing on 10km and 21km races in recent weeks to get her speed up for these Champs, and will then revert to marathon training in her build-up to running a Big City Marathon at the end of the year. “I have not yet decided which marathon I will run, but I would like to run Berlin or Chicago, or perhaps return to Yokohama, where I set my PB in 2011*. It actually feels like I am loafing at the moment, because I am not in training for a marathon, but I am feeling fit and strong, and enjoying being injury-free.”

(* In 2011, Rene ran 2:29:59 in Yokohama, the first sub-2:30 by a South African woman in 14 years.)

For more information, please contact Craig van der Westhuizen on 011 454 1542 or [email protected].

With a very successful year’s running behind her,
Jenna Challenor of Boxer Athletic Club is looking forward to 2014 with great
excitement. Having given birth to her third daughter, Tao, just over 18 months
ago, the multiple KwaZulu-Natal champion at 10km, the half marathon and in
cross-country says she came back stronger than ever, which saw her win both the
Totalsports Ladies 10km in Durban in August and the Spar Ladies 10km in
Pietermaritzburg in September. She also finished third at the SA Half Marathon
Champs in September in East London, clocking a PB 1:16:21, and provisionally
booked her spot in the SA team for the World Half Marathon Champs in Denmark in
March.

“I decided to come back fairly quickly after Tao was
born and didn’t know what to expect, but ended up having a really awesome year.
I went to the Totalsports race unprepared, having been injured for a month
before, but I did alternate training and my world-class physio Wayne Holroyd
held me together, and I ran a time just one second off my PB of 34:58! Then I
won the Spar race, which I also won in 2011, even though I was tired after
three big races leading up to it, including the SA Half Champs. Now I’m waiting
to see if we will go to Denmark. I would love to be in the team and go run at
world class level.”

SPORTY ROOTS

Jenna ran middle distance at school and also did
lifesaving, being part of the SA team, along with future husband Brett, which
won the Lifesaving World Champs in New Zealand in 1998. She took a break from
running while studying teaching, but got back into it when she began working,
around the same time that she also turned her photography hobby into a business
venture. “I was doing my teaching, my photography, and running, and then my
eldest two daughters, Nicolette and Rylee, arrived. It all got a bit too much
and I had to choose, so I went into photography – it’s a lot more flexible for
my children, and my running. I do miss teaching, and one day will go back to
it, but now I can train, look after my kids, and still do my photography.”

She is a dedicated mother to her active daughters, and
says that Tao’s arrival completed her happiness. “I always wanted three babies,
and had to beg Brett for five years to get my third, but that’s me done now,
the factory is closed!” she laughs. “Now I can really focus on my running and see
where I can go with it. Thankfully, Brett is an incredible husband and father,
and is very supportive of my running – even though he travels a lot for
business, I wouldn’t be able to do so many races if he wasn’t so supportive. I
also need to thank my shoe sponsor Saucony and supplement sponsor 32Gi for
their awesome support!”

When asked what effect her three pregnancies have had
on her running, Jenna smiles as she explains she is now a better runner than
ever. “Some people say you struggle after having children, and I must admit I
did struggle to regain my fitness after my first two, but after my third, I
feel stronger than ever. Maybe it’s because I have to juggle a lot more now,
and be more disciplined and focussed, because I only have one-and-a-half hours
to train at 4:30am. I’m a mom of three and a wife, and I split myself a million
different ways, but I fit it all in. You just have to go out there and do it,
work it round your family and make it part of your life.”

LOOKING AHEAD

For now Jenna is focussing on distances up to 21km,
and this year she plans to get back into cross country, having run in SA
colours in 2009, but later she plans to step up to the marathon and ultras. “One
day I want to run a good marathon overseas, and having lived in Durban all my
life, the Comrades is in my blood. My mom has run 10 Comrades, and I feel I
have the endurance for it. I actually get stronger the longer the distance, but
Tao is still too young, so I’m not ready for that step up yet. I can’t train
for four hours and then come home to carry a one-year-old on my hip all
afternoon. At this age they’re very hands-on, but once they get to two to
three, it’s a lot less physically demanding. Then watch me go!”

Having
just recently run the Two Oceans and then facing 20 hours of flying to get to
Boston, Chris and I knew that we weren’t going to be in tip-top form, so we
decided to soak up the experience and have the time of our lives. We got to
Boston on 12 April, did some sightseeing and commented a few times about what a
safe and beautiful place it was… The registration and Expo were unbelievable
and we were like two kids in a candy store. We also took a bus tour of the
route, and I must say that their much-feared “Heartbreak Hill” has nothing on
our Chappies or Fields Hill!

Race
day arrived on Monday 15 April, Patriots’ Day in the USA, but also known as
Marathon Monday in Boston. Our day began with an early bus trip from Boston to
the start, where we waited for three hours in the athletes’ village and
marveled again at the safety and security as Americans packed their phones and
wallets in their post-race, pick-up tog bags. Being from South Africa, we
didn’t even consider this – and arrived in black plastic bin bags!

TRAGEDY STIKES

I
was just 500m from the finish line when a barrier was suddenly placed across
the road to prevent runners going through. I had heard a loud bang just before,
but there was a lot of noise from the crowd, so it didn’t register that anything
was wrong. I just thought maybe they were allowing traffic through for some
reason. Minutes later an official announced that there had been an explosion
and that we should wait until further announcements as to how we could finish.

We
stood there for about 45 minutes and runners were using their phones to call
loved ones waiting for them. Many were worried about people waiting at the
finish. I quelled my own anxiety by trying to reassure others – I also think
that living in South Africa sadly creates resilience, as most of us have been
touched directly by violence. I was nevertheless very worried about Chris. He
should have finished about an hour before and the plan was that he would wait
for me at our hotel about 1.5km from the finish. I just hoped that he had not
decided to wait at the finish after all.

A HELPING HAND

In
the meantime the people of Boston gave us water, food and plastic bags to keep
warm. One very kind woman just gave me the coat off her back! Eventually the race
was abandoned and we were directed to leave the course, so I made my way on
foot back to our hotel. It was the longest walk of my life, as I still had no
idea about Chris. In the meantime, he was in the hotel, oblivious to what had
happened, until he turned on the TV. He reckons it was the longest few hours of
his life as he waited for news of me!

Not
finishing was extremely disappointing, but this was far outweighed by the joy
of knowing that we were both safe. Events like this make you take stock and
redefine what is important. We are both still shocked and sad,
but we are determined to return to Boston and show that a small number of
cowards can’t defeat the spirit of the runners and the good people of Boston.

The last
30km of Comrades 2012 was no fun for Zola Budd Pieterse. At the marathon mark her mind went blank
when she realised she had already run a marathon but was not even halfway yet!
And from the 60km mark she was in pain and found it hard to believe that there
were still some 30km left of this race that thousands choose to run each year!
Zola did finish, alongside running friend and mentor, Bruce Fordyce, and
although she swore to herself many times during the race that she would never
run it again, she crossed the finish line knowing she would be back. “I
finished the race and told myself I could do better!”

Now Zola is
back to tackle Comrades 2013, but is humble in her expectations and says she
just wants to finish. “That is my first goal. If I feel OK at the 60km mark I
will try to run faster than last year. And that will be great! I would be very
grateful for a silver medal, but it is not the main aim.”

At the
recent Old Mutual Two Oceans Half Marathon, Zola crossed the line in a
respectable 1:24 and says she was pleased with the result, especially
considering she only arrived in SA the week before and then worked three full
days at the expo. Her training for Oceans was all Comrades-based, which meant
she was not sharp or race fit, just covering the distance, she says. “I would
love to run the Oceans Half again and see if I can run faster than this year! I
would also like to do the ultra, maybe in three years when I am 50. I can’t
wait for my new age group.”

LIFE IN THE USA

Zola, her
husband and their three teenagers have been based in the USA for the last five
years. They initially moved to Myrtle Beach so Zola could compete on the
Masters Athletics circuit. “Now the kids are in high school and we don’t want
them to change schools again. It will depend on their education when we move
back to South Africa,” says Zola. She visits South Africa four times a year as
promoter of Newton Running Shoes. “I miss South Africa a lot, especially our
running community. And I really miss running with friends and in Bloemfontein
on the farm roads.”

Zola still
tackles her beloved cross-country races in the USA and loves racing 5km
distances. “There are loads of 5km races over there. My favourite was the Foot
Locker cross-country race last year. I won my age group in 17:30,” says Zola,
who in 1983 clocked 8:39.00 for 3 000m before breaking the 5 000m world record
in 1984. She represented Great Britain at the Los Angeles Olympics and went on
also win two World Cross-Country Champs titles.

THE ‘BIG C’

Zola admits
that she never thought she would be tackling the 90km between Durban and Pietermaritzburg,
let alone running it a second time. “Comrades challenges your normal day-to-day
existence and it makes you feel part of something bigger. I think all Comrades
runners have to be a bit crazy, because you have to rationalise why you are
doing it, and craziness is the closest or best answer I can find.”

This year
she is definitely in better shape physically, having done more long runs and
track workouts, and also emotionally. “I think the most important factor in Comrades
is how fresh and injury-free you can get to the start. You need to look forward
to running it and not dread it.” She adds that she still turns to Bruce for
training advice, but with all the travelling she does it has been difficult for
her to follow a set programme. “I have a general guideline and then apply it to
my day-to-day circumstances.” The former barefoot starlet also hopes the Up Run
will suit her better than the Down Run. “I have never liked running down hill. If
you are tired going down hill you can’t really walk, but uphill it is easy to
walk!”

THE ROAD AHEAD

She is not
sure that she will be running Comrades every year, but she would like to do it
again when she turns 50. “I think people run Comrades because it adds meaning
to their lives. You are not just a runner, but a Comrades runner. It is a
challenge on a physical level, but even more on an emotional and spiritual
level.  It also makes you part of
something bigger than yourself, and bigger than just a race.” She is also considering
tackling a Half Ironman race this year in the USA and Ironman next year. “I
believe you have to keep challenging yourself!”

A year ago, Ludwick crossed the Comrades finish line first in
5:31:03, sparking huge celebrations in his Limpopo
hometown. Then the news broke that his A sample had tested positive for
methylhexaneamine, and a while later confirmation came that his B sample was
also positive, which resulted in a huge knock to his reputation and a loss of lucrative
sponsorship deals. Now, a much-delayed
inquiry has found multiple irregularities in the testing process and cleared
Ludwick of all charges, and at the beginning of May he was finally
awarded his winner’s medal and trophy by the Comrades Marathon Association.

Now he says he now hopes for a better future
in the sport he loves. “It was a very low moment going through these
allegations,” says Ludwick. “I had to allow the law to take its course. Maybe
it was God’s will, but I knew of my innocence from the beginning. I won fairly.”
He adds that he knew he would have to fight for his name to be cleared: “I
walked a dark road, but I always felt that positive things would eventually
come.”

Cleared to
compete again, when asked if he fears being watched and doubted, Ludwick
remains positive. “People can judge. I know the truth and that I ran fairly,
doing what I love best. There is always hope after a storm and now I’m on top
of the world!” And for Ludwick, there is no better response than going into competition
harder than before.

NEED TO EDUCATE

Ludwick continues
to stand by his ‘work-hard-to-get-ahead’ philosophy and feels that the
drug-testing irregularities found in his case is a definite wake-up call for
South African athletes. “It’s an eye-opener to the procedures, and we need to
educate athletes,” he says. “And as athletes, we need to take responsibility.
We need to ask ASA what they’re doing. Some of the top athletes in this country
don’t know what’s happening when they cross that finish.” He uses a very
powerful image of a climber trying to climb Kilimanjaro without the tools to do
so, when describing the knowledge the average SA runner has: “One can be very
talented, but then one doesn’t know about the processes involved in testing,”
he says.

For an
athlete who has avoided alcohol and smoking throughout his career, the doping tests
were indeed a mountain to climb. While suspended and trying to clear his name,
the champ still turned to running to help him cope, despite the media circus over
the last few months. At home in his village in Ga-mamabolo, Polokwane,
Ludwick’s loving wife, Loreto, as well as his friends and the community all stood
by his side. “For months I could not provide for my family, so we took a knock,
but we survived,” he explains. “Running just made me happy at that point, and
it helped me get rid of my stress.”

That saw
him return to fulltime running late last year, and early in the New Year he came
back to Gauteng
and joined Bedfordview Athletic Club. “They took me in as their son,” says
Ludwick. “I was lost and they accepted me, despite the dark cloud that followed
me. It gave me more strength after the criticism out there.”

COMRADES AND BEYOND

Now the
champs says the 2013 Comrades is his priority, and the Big C will always be his
main focus. “The race is a privilege for any athlete, it’s the nation’s and
world’s ultimate, and something every South African should honour.” He’s eyeing
another top finish this year and has spent a few weeks in KwaZulu-Natal restudying the route. For now
he is remaining tight-lipped about where he wants to be in the next few years,
simply putting it this way: “I’ll always be back and grow stronger!”

RULING SUMMARY

Here are
just a few of the points in the inquiry findings that saw the doping charges against
Ludwick dropped:

?        
There
was an absence of control over the Doping Control Station (where samples were
taken), regarding who entered it and the reasons for athletes leaving and
returning.

?        
The circumstances of the sample collection process were found to be such
as “to cause some doubt to be placed on whether or not the samples that were
tested were in fact those of Mr Mamabolo.”

?        
The panel found a
“remarkable lack of concern for the need to record precisely what happened or
the rationale for the documentation and information required.”

?        
Mr Mamabolo was described as “a patently honest witness.” By contrast,
the credibility of three SAIDS witnesses was called into question.