Category: Features

The Comrades Marathon is a massive physical and mental challenge for the average runner, and just finishing the 89km race is considered a big achievement. But after 2014, thanks to Hilton Murray and the Ten10 Challenge, nobody will ever quite look at the Comrades distance in quite the same way.

When Hilton Murray, Hazel Moller and Carlo Gibson set out from Bedfordview Country Club (BCC) on Friday 23 May, intending to run from Johannesburg to Pietermaritzburg, doing the Comrades distance each day within 12 hours for nine days, then run the Comrades itself on the tenth day, many said it couldn’t be done, that the human body would not be able to handle that distance. Carlo and Hazel unfortunately did not complete the challenge, but Hilton, an average 47-year-old guy from Bellville Athletic Club in the Cape – he’ll be the first to point out that he is no super-athlete, and is usually under-trained as well – made it all the way, including an 11:46 finish on race day. He does admit that it was tough-going, though.

“The guys who have done six-day circuit races warned me that the third day is the toughest, and I saw what they meant, but at the end of the fifth day, I realised it was doable, because I had gotten into a groove, and I was 99% sure I was going to make it all the way,” says Hilton. “From there each day was a bit easier, even though I would always get to 65km and start slogging to finish within 12 hours. But there is only one Comrades, and the last day was still the most difficult, because of that route!”

PERSONAL CHALLENGE

Hazel made the headlines last year when she ran back-to-back Washie 100 Milers, which she did to raise funds for PETS (Pets Empowerment in Townships), and the BCC runner is a veteran of hundreds of ultras and multi-day events. Hilton, an accountant by trade but more recently part of the Newton shoe venture started in SA by Zola Pieterse, made contact with her last year when he heard that she ran in Newtons, and the friendship grew from there. When they spoke in January, Hazel said she had an idea for a new challenge, the Ten10, and invited Hilton to run with her. She also found a third runner, Carlo of neighbouring club Jeppe Quondam, when she mentioned the Challenge on a morning run in Johannesburg.

“When Hazel told me her idea, at first I didn’t think it was possible, but after two weeks I thought why not, since I had always wanted to do some personal challenge,” says Hilton. “So I followed a normal Comrades training programme, doing about 90km a week, but Hazel did 200km per week – luckily she only told me that the night before we started the Ten10, otherwise I may have stepped away from it!”

SCENIC ROUTE

The team planned what Hilton calls a “scenic route,” passing through Oranjeville, Frankfort, Reitz, Warden, Bethlehem, Fouriesburg, Clarens, Harrismith, Estcort and Howick. “We wanted to see the country, so it was not the easiest course, and after three days we found we were having problems covering 90km in 12 hours, so we cut it shorter to 87km,” says Hilton. “That also allowed us to get a bit more rest, after finding guest houses and preparing food each evening.”

The team was seconded by Hazel’s husband Chris, and Hilton’s wife Lizet and brother Marius, and initially all went well, but then Carlo and Hazel both picked up problems. He suffered a recurrence of an old leg injury and had to pull out just as they started day four, then Hazel’s ulcer began bleeding, forcing her out as well after six days. She decided to rest up for race day and went on to finish comfortably in 8:36:00. (Lizet also ran the race, but found that seconding duties had sapped too much of her energy and she decided to bail at 53km when she realised she wasn’t going to make the cut-off.)

That left Hilton to run alone from Harrismith, and he says day nine was emotionally the toughest of them all. “We would have run a loop from Estcort, but at halfway the road got very busy and there was no shoulder to run on, so I decided to rather backtrack for the rest of the distance. The problem was, that morning I had a visit from clubmates at the start, and we took pics running together in the mist, so I didn’t realise it was all downhill. When I got to the last four kays, and it was uphill, I had to work really hard to come in under 12 hours. I made it in 11:56, but I was totally wasted – not exactly tapering before race day!”

FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Like Hazel, Hilton decided to run the challenge for a charity, but his first choice did not work out. “I wear a penguin on my hat because I support SANCCOB, for the penguins, but I decided to rather run for one of the official charity of the Comrades. The Pink Drive is another cause close to my heart, because my wife had cancer a few years ago, and also a work colleague, who has breast cancer and had an operation three weeks before I began the challenge, so I also ran for her.” Carlo decided to also run for the two charities chosen by Hazel and Hilton, and the team decided to set themselves a target of raising R100 000. “We raised R72 000 on the website, but my biggest surprise was the pledge line,” says Hilton. “When I came into the stadium on race day, I was carrying a banner with the SMS number on it for just the last 400m, and we apparently received another R11 000 just from that!”

He adds that he was blown away by the amount of attention the challenge received, both in mainstream media and social media. “I was totally oblivious to all the hype at first, I was just running, eating and sleeping, but after the fifth day I realised something was going on. I was getting over 100 SMS messages and another 100-plus Facebook messages per day, and I simply couldn’t keep up – I would type an answer and get three new messages in the meantime! Even then, I didn’t realise how big it had grown, until I heard people along the route calling my name as I passed, ‘Penguin Man, Hilton Murray, Ten10, go for it.’ A huge thank you must go to Patrick Devine for handling the social media side of things, and to Gerald Yapp for designing and hosting the website.”

LET’S DO IT AGAIN

With the success of the 2014 Ten10 Challenge, the intrepid trio have already committed to repeating the run. “The Ten10 Challenge is going to happen again, and Hazel and Carlo want to try again, but I will only be involved in organising and seconding,” says Hilton, adding that they have big plans for 2015. “It is an excellent platform to raise funds for charity, so we’re thinking of having eight to 10 runners, and we want corporate sponsors to come on board. We think we have established a nice base to work from and are hoping to make this an annual event as part of the run-up to Comrades.”

Hazel adds, “A huge thank you needs to go to the Bedfordview Country Club members who sacrificed their time, effort and money to create the event infrastructure for the Ten10 Challenge. Without their dedication and commitment, my dream to raise money for PETS would not have materialised, and we have already put together a committee to ensure the event is organised and run even more effectively next year, so that we can continue to raise much-needed funds for these charities.”

The 2014 Comrades Marathon delivered a stunning race with many highlights – and a number of surprises. From an all-South African men’s podium, the Brit who broke the Russian stronghold, Zola’s stunning gold and various milestone finishes, we relive the greatest moments of this year’s race.

Around 14 600 athletes set off from Pietermaritzburg at the start of the 2014 Comrades, and 12 hours later 11 984 had crossed the finish line in Durban to beat the 5:30pm cut-off gun. The stadium was once again filled by an enthusiastic crowd, whose roar of approval was clear as they witnessed a South African 1-2-3 in the men’s race as KZN local Bongmusa Mthembu from Nedbank broke the tape in 5:28:34, followed by teammate and 2012 winner Ludwick Mamabolo (5:33:14), with Gift Kelehe third (5:34:39).

The new champ said afterwards he did not feel any pressure, as he felt there was more focus on Ludwick and on defending champ Claude Moshiywa (who withdrew during the race due to a niggling hamstring injury). “I was confident and ran with the top guys and knew they wouldn’t give up easily, but nobody thought about me, nobody mentioned me,” says Bongmusa, “I think that’s why I was in such a good position – I ran my own race and was comfortable throughout.” He added that winning Comrades had been his dream since he watched it on TV when young, but with a first taste of glory, now he wants more. “This is just the beginning. It’s straight back to work from here because I like to push myself hard and to compete and win more.”

Breaking the Stronghold

In the women’s race, all eyes were on eight-time winner Elena Nurgalieva to see if she could win the race a ninth time and pull level with the Comrades King himself, Bruce Fordyce. However, an incredible late surge saw Britain’s Eleanor Greenwood overtake Elena and twin sister Olesya to claim her first Comrades win in 6:18:15. Her 27:50 split for the last 7km, averaging
3:59/km, was the second-fastest for that section in the entire field – only sixth-placed man Mncedisi Mkhize was faster in 26:56! Elena and Olesya held on for second and third respectively.

Speaking after her win, which saw her close an eight-minute gap with just 17km to go, Eleanor said she had simply run her own race. “I kept to my game plan even though the twins were in the back of my mind. Then with about 5km to go, I saw the timing car ahead and knew I had my chance to catch up,” she said. “The win means everything. This is the highlight of my career!”

SA Surprises

With two new winners crowned, another big surprise saw Nedbank’s Caroline Wostmann finish sixth woman and first SA woman in 6:51:43. Her rise to a top 10 position and a gold medal in her fourth Comrades is nothing short of remarkable, having gone from a bronze medal in 2009 (9:17:39), on to a 8:33:29 Bill Rowan in 2011 and then a 7:16:48 Silver in her previous runs. Equally popular finishes came from South Africans Martinique Potgieter and Julanie Basson, who rounded off the women’s top 10 with their ninth and tenth place finishes in 7:00:46 and 7:02:50 respectively.

However, the biggest cheer of the day was reserved for former world record holder over 5000m, the legendary Zola Budd Pieterse, who finished seventh in the women’s race in 6:55:55 to earn her first gold in her second Comrades outing. The 48-year-old’s top-10 finish was bittersweet, though, as her thoughts were constantly on her former coach and dear friend Pierre Korkie, who has been held hostage in Yemen for more than a year. “I have always dreamt of running a gold medal at Comrades, but today I was running for Pierre,” said Zola. “The run was an emotional rollercoaster, and if it wasn’t for the support, I don’t think I would’ve made it to the finish. It was the hardest day of my life, and this gold is for Pierre.”

Few things make a runner as happy as expert advice from a fellow runner when buying shoes, so having top trail runner Nicholas Rupanga guiding you through the latest models is a real bonus!

Walk into The Sweat Shop branch in Claremont, Cape Town, and chances are you will be served by Nicholas Rupanga, a Zimbabwean national who has lived in South Africa for just over seven years and who divides his time between being a professional runner and professional shoe salesman. The 39-year-old hails from the Mashonaland, about 300km south of Harare, and has been running since his school days, but only took it up professionally once he came to SA to find work. He has a marathon PB of 2:18:41, which he set in Portugal in 2001, and has clocked 30:21 for 10km and 1:05:29 for the half marathon, so this man can run!

Judging by comments posted on Facebook, Nicholas not only knows his shoes, but also offers customers great service in the shop. He has worked at The Sweat Shop for four years, since the Claremont branch opened, and says he loves going to work each day. “I really enjoy working here, because we are like a family and they are so supportive of my running – whenever I want to go training in the mornings, they say go for it and come to work once I’m done. Also, working here means I meet people that I also meet when running, and runners are such nice, friendly people.”

SMILING RUNNER

Another thing that people always comment on is that Nicholas is always wearing a smile, even when running, but he is an ultra-competitive athlete, and lists winning the Pronutro AfricanX Trailrun in 2009 with running partner Patrick Cox as the highlight of his career. “That is still my best run, but it was also great to finish second last year with Kane Reilly. I love the AfricanX and had run it every year since 2009, but missed it this year because of a calf injury. I am seeing a physio, but I think it needs complete rest for a few months.”

Looking ahead, Nicholas will be getting married to fiancé Precious in a few months’ time, and then he says he still has big goals to chase in running, once he recovers from the injury. He wants to run some of the big trail runs in the US or Europe, but his sights are firmly set on a local race first. “My goal is to win the Otter Marathon, even though some people say my age is against me, but I am inspired by Ian Don-Warchope – he is even older than me and still came second at Otter, so I believe that I can still win it. There is strong competition in trail running amongst the vets at the moment, and I’ll be 40 soon, but at heart I feel like I’m in my late 20s. I want the youngsters to see that if you look after yourself, you can still run competitively as you get older.”

Last year, Charne Bosman shone in her debut Comrades Marathon, placing fifth and also the first SA woman home. She chats to Modern Athlete about eyeing a podium spot this year, and running in memory of her late father.

In 2013, Charne’s move up to the big ultras fell perfectly into place: Having won the SA Marathon title early in 2012 and then finished second later that year in the Bonitas City to City 50km, she ran a sparkling 3:40 in her debut Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, placing third in the women’s race. This was later changed to second following the disqualification of winner Natalia Volgina for a doping infringement. Then she followed that up with a 6:53 in her first Comrades Marathon to take fifth place, and was also the first local woman over the line. “After Comrades, people saw me as a proper athlete. I had no idea how huge it was! If anything, it’s South Africa’s own Olympics,” says Charne. “I’ve put the race on this pedestal, so it was always going to be my main focus this year.”

GETTING THROUGH IT

However, Charne’s build-up to this year’s ‘Down Run’ has been far from easy. Shortly after her stellar showing in last year’s Comrades, her father passed away in July, and for Charne, who says he was her biggest supporter, it was a life-changing moment. “He was always at races with my mom. He went with me to medicals and travelled to see me compete. I think the positive thing I can take out of it, was that he knew I was running well at that stage, and this year’s run will be for him.” She says she will pin a small photo of her dad onto her kit at Comrades and he will be her inspiration in the race. “If I want to give up, I will just remind myself that I’m running with him. He will be there with me through every kilometre.”

On top of her huge loss, Charne’s health also took strain this past year. Last November, she noticed her heart rate going off the charts during a training run, and was subsequently diagnosed with an overactive thyroid. After receiving medication, Charne hit the road again, but it seized up a week before this year’s Old Mutual Om Die Dam 50km. “I felt tired and lost a lot of weight, and I remember struggling on race day from the 34km mark. Eventually, the doctors and I found out that taking my kelp supplements only makes it worse!” After cutting the kelp out, Charne got back to training feeling positive again. “I was scared the 2014 Comrades would be out of reach, but I did a few long runs in March and felt strong again. Despite everything that’s happened, I knew I’d get through all of this. I’ve always believed that you won’t get tests in life you can’t survive. Running has also helped me through it all.”

STICKING TO THE PLAN

Even after her incredible ‘Big C’ debut, she’s determined to correct a few mistakes from 2013. “I think I over-trained last year, and I was struggling with a knee niggle, so I was distracted by that, too,” she says. “Then I didn’t eat on the route and was sent to the medical tent for drips at the finish. This time, it’s about arriving at the start healthy, and I’ve been introducing bananas and potatoes in my training runs as well.” Her husband of eight years, Carel, will also be a constant support on the route, once again riding on his motorcycle from water point to water point. “He was there to give me drinks throughout and keep me going. He’s a cyclist, so he knows the kind of lifestyle I live.”

Now it’s all about getting the small stuff right for Charne. The introduction of strength work into her training has helped her quads and the Nedbank running club’s training camp in hilly Graskop was the perfect mimic of the Comrades route. “I just want to enjoy the moment. I have a plan, so I must concentrate on keeping my head, not going too hard at Field’s Hill, and then getting onto that podium. It’s time for South Africans to shine again!”

Follow Charne on Twitter: @charnebosman

Last year Laurie Lewis suffered a great personal loss just before the Comrades Marathon, and had a really difficult run as a result, but this year he has coached and motivated a team of 18 runners to the 2014 ‘Big C,’ and we want to say a huge thank you – BY DERRYN SHORT

Our journey started this year, runners congregating at Virgin Active in Roodepoort to take advantage of the treacherous hills of Weltevreden Park. It’s a daunting task getting 18 runners of different abilities in sync with each other – but not for Laurie! He believes in us so strongly that he put two training programmes together, one for the speedy Bill Rowan candidates as well as a Bronze programme for the endurance bunnies. After a few weeks, the strongest connection of camaraderie became part of our Road 2 Comrades family. We’re always sharing a race, pushing each other up a hill and celebrating as each of us qualified for our 89km pilgrimage on 1 June.

We always talk about what we had to do to get there, but what we don’t talk about often enough is the support. Laurie is a hero that’s assisted a team of novices and experienced runners alike to live out their Comrades dream, but he’s travelled a tragic road. You see, he lost his son, Chad, in a motor accident just before the 2013 Comrades. It was Laurie’s dream to run Comrades with his son, supporting each other on the route and crossing the line hand in hand, but last year, Laurie ran the gruelling 89km in Chad’s memory, and I will never forget the moment he moved to the centre of the stadium after his finish, with a bunch of balloons, then let them go – his son’s spirit symbolically reaching the heavens.

MOTIVATIONAL MENTOR

Laurie motivates us all, religiously sending out training programmes and pace charts at the beginning of every month, and every morning we wake up to another inspiring message from him. He’s advised us on what to do when we pick up injuries. He helps us with eating right and choosing the best supplements to make our journey easier.

Although Laurie wasn’t able to run with Chad, he’s trained and will be running with 18 of his ‘children’ this year, including me. Laurie found me in a dark place last year. I had lost faith because I failed to finish Comrades 2013, and he took me under his wing. He’s been my pillar of strength, voice of reason and gift of hope. This year, it’s all about running the world’s greatest ultra for Laurie and Chad.

LOVE FOR LAURIE

ALAN ROBB: “My wife passed away a week before the 2012 Comrades and my son died in a car accident years ago. Laurie and I didn’t have good runs last year and he caught up to me with 2km to go, and we walked to the finish together. We shared tears and hugs as we remembered our lost loved ones.”

CHANTEL: “I’ve been sticking to Laurie’s training programme and it has paid off greatly. He is always prepared to share his vast knowledge on running and his years of experience. He has been inspirational in my own journey to my second Comrades.”

VANESSA: “Laurie has helped me with info on my injuries. Without his help, I wouldn’t have stayed focused. He is the reason I’m staying on track to complete my 10th Comrades!”

RIAAD: “Laurie has restored my confidence by talking to me positively. Without his help, I’d be out in the wilderness and wouldn’t have a positive attitude.”

FRANCOIS: “Laurie and the team were incredible. Laurie did a tremendous job with the training programmes, training routes, arranging water points and always having a positive attitude in tough times.”

In 2006 Achmat ‘Sharkboy’ Hassiem was participating in life-saving training off Muizenberg Beach in Cape Town when a 4.5-metre Great White Shark attacked him. Despite losing most of his lower right leg, Achmat’s indomitable spirit saw him return to sport, going on to win a Paralympic bronze medal in swimming at the 2012 London Olympics, as well as running and playing other sports.

I still remember it like it was yesterday. It was a Sunday morning and I went to the beach with my younger brother, Tariq, to practise for the upcoming lifesaving exams. After deciding that Nick, Tariq and I would be the patients and the others would be the rescuers in the rubber duck, Nick was dropped in fairly shallow water, I jumped out at head height around 50 metres out, and my brother went deeper.

I watched them pick up Nick, then I caught something out of the corner of my eye, a black shadow, and this big fin broke the water. The shark was heading towards my brother, so I screamed for the rubber duck to get out to him. They didn’t understand, so I started drumming on the water, to draw the shark’s attention. Immediately it spun and came towards me, and then the fin disappeared. I knew that sharks like to attack from the bottom, but it just bumped me and its tail whacked me. I lost sight of it, but could see my brother was screaming something at me. Then I saw it coming back, its mouth open. I put my hand on the shark’s head and tried to push myself on top of it, but I couldn’t swing my right leg over… then I saw half of it was in the shark’s mouth.

SURVIVAL INSTINCT

It started shaking me violently; it was terrifying, but there was no pain. I was in absolute shock… It pulled me under, then headed towards deeper water. I was still trying to get out of the shark’s mouth, but I was getting short of breath and I remember thinking, why don’t I just let myself drown – that would be better than what the shark would do to me. Then I decided, no, fight! I hit the shark with my fists. It was like hitting a tank wrapped in sandpaper and soon I had no skin on my knuckles, but I had one good leg left and I tried to kick the shark. Then it shook me again, so hard that there was this loud cracking sound.

I swam for the surface and stuck my hand out of the water, and that’s when I saw my brother in the rubber duck. He grabbed me and as he pulled me into the boat, this massive 4½-metre shark came back and hit the side of the boat. It absolutely dwarfed the boat! My brother jumped on me to hold me, closed my eyes so I couldn’t see what had happened, and said that everything was going to be okay. And still I felt no pain.

I was airlifted to hospital and when I awoke in intensive care, the first thing I saw was my brother crying. He said, ‘Thank you for saving my life,’ then he said ‘Do you know what happened? Look under the blanket.’ I was scared, but I looked, and saw my leg was gone – that was the first moment I really knew what had happened. I’d always played sport and dreamt of representing my country some day, and I went into this great depression.

COMING BACK STRONGER

Then one day Natalie du Toit came to visit. She suggested I get into Paralympic swimming, and I soon realised the massive opportunity that disabled sport offers. When I first heard I was going to represent my country it was everything to me. In Beijing I came ninth and I was so disappointed that I didn’t make the final, so in London I swam my heart out, and when I touched the wall and saw the block was lit up, it was one of the greatest moments of my life. My little secret is that I just imagine I’m in the ocean and I’ve got a 4½-metre shark at my feet. It’s definitely good motivation to swim fast!

Being a disabled person that was once able-bodied, I can say nothing has changed. I still go for regular runs, I still play cricket and soccer in the streets at night, and I carry on as I used to. Losing a leg is nothing compared to losing my brother, so I’m just trying to make the best of it. Today I travel all over the world to represent South Africa, and all because of a shark attack and a positive attitude. You have to grab the bull by the horns and live life – and I want to have a positive impact on the people around me.

In 2012 SA sprint sensation Anaso Jobodwana shot to fame as he made the final showdown in the men’s 200m at the London Olympics, setting a PB of 20.27 in the semi-final as he gave World Record-holder Usain Bolt a run for his money. A year later, the speedster from the Eastern Cape grabbed a double victory in the 100m and 200m at the World Student Games in Kazan, Russia, then made the final of the World Champs 200m in Moscow. We caught up with him to chat about training in the USA and building confidence for future podium spots. 

MA: Where did your love of sprinting begin?
AJ: I tried every sport at school, running in inter-high events that only happened about once a year. In 2008 when I was in grade 10, everything changed and I took my running more seriously. A year later, I was fourth in the 200m and sixth in the 100m at the SA Youth Champs. I knew I was on form and at the end of 2009, getting introduced to a coach and various training programmes, I knew that I could really follow-through with it. I went on to win the SA Schools 200m title in 2010, but then picked up quite a bad hamstring injury, partly leaving me out of the 2011 season.

MA: But you qualified and got that spot for London. How trying was it being on the sidelines in that period?
AJ: Pretty frustrating! I remember the federation requested athletes to qualify again before the World Junior Champs and I competed, having already picked up the injury in April that year. I rushed the rehab process – more than I should have – and it took me more time to recover afterwards. So in 2011, I knew I had to look after myself and start to recover in my own time. My confidence was low – I even remember telling my coach that maybe I wasn’t cut out for it – but in late 2011, I moved to Jackson State University in Mississippi to study physiotherapy and focus on my athletics, so I put that behind me.

MA: Last year, you clocked 20.13, the fastest 200m in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, and ran a wind-assisted 20.00 at the World Student Champs, where you also matched your 100m PB of 10.10. Has training in the USA helped you, and how do you balance training and competition with your studies?
AJ: It’s great because the coaches and teammates push you in training and they’re quick, so it makes you work that little bit extra. There are regular track meets in the States and there’s another level of competitiveness. Also, at the end of 2011, introducing strength work helped my recovery and fitting in three weight sessions a week definitely helped me push out the blocks faster. We train Monday to Saturday with Sundays off for sleeping in! We also prioritise nutrition in the time leading up to competing – that’s our fuel and we follow that up with adequate amounts of carbs and high-protein for quicker recovery while getting enough sleep.

Balancing everything as a student is manageable for me. Training definitely puts me under more stress, but luckily we’re given a three-month break from school to focus solely on competition. Then you can get your head in the right space.

MA: You’re based in Florida at the moment but visiting SA for a while. Why are you back and what does this year hold for you?
AJ: I’m home to get some rehab sessions done, because I picked up two hernias and I’m waiting for results from my doctor before getting into training again. It’s great to have support from family and friends here – they always check up on how I’m doing and they’re very interested in watching me when they can. As for 2014, I’m set on getting out of the blocks quicker, steadily working on my times and technique, and continually learning new things about my body. That will only translate into the results I want. Obviously there is African Champs and the Commonwealth Games to look forward to later this year!

MA: In April, Simon Magakwe became the first South African to break the sub-10-second barrier, clocking 9.98 in the 100m at the SA Champs. Do you think you can go faster?
AJ: I’m not too sure! Only time will tell. I’m just working hard to come back and then I’m always thinking about Rio 2016, which is great, because I never even thought I’d make it to London, but there I was, running against Usain Bolt and other stars. It was just an absolute highlight!

You can follow Anaso on
Twitter: @Anaso_J

On the 1st of June a group of 12 runners clad in red socks and fancy dress will line up in the CC batch of the 2014 Comrades Marathon – and if last year is anything to go by, The Unogwaja Challenge team will be running, cheering, dancing and ignoring all the age-old wisdom that warns Comrades runners to start slow and conserve energy! – BY FEIGE LEWIN

The Unogwaja Challenge traces the footsteps of Phil-Masterson Smith, the youngest ever Comrades winner in 1931, aged just 19. Two years after his win, due to the economic depression, he could not afford the train fare to Natal for the Comrades, so he cycled for 10 days from Cape Town, then ran the 89km ultra on day 11, placing 10th! Phil was known as Unogwaja – the Hare in Zulu – and this will be the fourth set of present-day Unogwaja cyclist/runners that will take on the challenge. What makes them so phenomenal is not only that they cycle 1750km from Cape Town to Pietermaritzburg in the 10 days preceding Comrades and then run the race on day 11, but that they do it all in the name of charity.

Last year’s Unogwaja team raised R500 000 for the Comrades Amabeadibeadi Charities (The Pink Drive, Wildlands, Worldvision, Starfish Greathearts Foundation, PMB Community chest and the Sports Trust), and when Unogwaja founder John McInroy saw what the 2013 team was able to accomplish, he set his mind on doubling that figure in 2014. “I believe one day, with the full force of the Red Love Train behind us, we are going to raise R10million in one campaign! But this year to raise R1million will be truly remarkable. Just a few years back it would have been deemed inconceivable!” Some might label him a crazy dreamer, but by mid-April the 2014’s team fundraising tally had already passed the R600 000 mark!

INCREDIBLE ATHLETES

This year’s Unogwaja team is a unique mix of exceptional men and women who cross the age divide, from South Africa, Portugal, Germany, Kenya, Northern Ireland and Brazil. However, these basic stats are just about the least interesting thing about them. Take Tiago Dionisio as an example: He has completed 13 consecutive Comrades since 2001 and is the Portuguese Ambassador to Comrades, and in 2013 completed the Unogwaja Challenge. In March, he joined the list of the world’s ‘Mega Marathoners’ by completing his 300th marathon, in the same month he turned 40. His marathon list features multiple international races, including the Western States 100 miler, which he ran a week after his 2006 Comrades finish!

“My 300th marathon was on the last day of an event that included seven marathons in seven days. The previous weekend I had done two marathons, so I had just finished nine marathons in nine days! I had never run so many marathons in a row, so this also made the 300th special,” says Tiago. He also got to share his special moment with his partner, Rita Manso, who will also be part of the 2014 Unogwaja team. She is a full-time mom, professional businesswomen and ultra-runner in her own right, and as Tiago was running his 300th, she ran alongside him to complete her 50th marathon.

IN THE HEART

But what makes Unogwaja truly unique is that the team is not just made up of seasoned athletes, but rather of people that show spirit and heart, like newcomer Danielle Mascher. Dani has two Comrades back-to-back finishes to her name, but only started cycling a year ago, and joining the first day’s ride of the 2013 Unogwaja Challenge was her first public cycle. It was also the first time she put headlights on her new bike – and the first time she knew Unogwaja was in her future! “It feels as though each person’s part in this journey is ordained by something bigger than us all!” says John. “And when the time is right, it cares little for how far you have ridden on a bike before! Let the whispers in your heart be your guide! This journey is not about the bike or running.”

All eyes at this year’s Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon were watching to see if anybody could break the elusive course records and claim the R1 million incentive, but come the end of the 56km ultra-marathon, with both records still intact, the talk was all about the superb run by 42-year-old Hendrick Ramaala in his first race beyond the marathon mark.

Cresting the monster climb at Constantia Nek in the leading group of three runners, along with Lebenya Nkoka and Masilo Matjiane from Lesotho, Hendrick Ramaala was very much in unknown territory. The 46km mark was behind him and ahead lay just 10km more, but his legs were beginning to suffer, and he could only watch as eventual winner Lebenya pulled away one kilometre later. A while later he lost second place to another Lesotho runner, Warinyane Lebopo, but clawed his way back to finish second in 3:11:33, less than two minutes behind the winner’s 3:09:52.

Understandably elated, Hendrick said afterwards that he really enjoyed the run, despite finding it hard towards the end. “I didn’t do enough mileage in preparation for the race and I struggled after 42km, but I’m still happy with my performance. I really enjoyed myself here at Two Oceans and I plan to come back next year – with more training I know I can do better.”

TRUE PEDIGREE

Given his incredible track record, Hendrick’s successful step up to ultra-marathoning should come as no surprise. He holds the SA records for 10 000m on the track (27:29.94) as well as 20km (57:46) and the half marathon (60:07), and he has the fastest time ever by a SA runner for 21.1km, having clocked 59:20 on an aided course in Lisbon in 2000. Hendrick has represented SA in four Olympics and at five World Athletics Championships, and he was twice runner-up in the World Half Marathon Champs (and also placed fourth), while also helping the SA team to two first place finishes as well as second and fourth.

However, it in is the marathon that Hendrick has enjoyed his greatest success. From a SA perspective, only Gert Thys (2:06:33) has gone faster than his 2:06:55, and Hendrick has wracked up a remarkable eight top-10 finishes in the London Marathon and six in the New York Marathon. That includes winning New York in 2004 and finishing second in 2005 and third in 2007, and coming home third in London in both 2005 and 2006. He also won the 2004 Mumbai Marathon and recorded top-10 positions in Paris, Chicago and Berlin!

Inevitably, Hendrick is now being asked if he will move up to the ultra’s permanently, but he says he reckons he still has at least three more years of hard racing left in his legs, so the marathon is still very much in his sights. He says he would like to run one of the major Big City Marathons later this year, but if he cannot gain entry into New York or Chicago, he may run the Cape Town Marathon in September, which would actually be his first standard marathon on home soil. “Then next year I want to run the marathon at the World Championships in China, and I want to go to the Rio Olympics in 2016. I think I still have the leg speed to be competitive, so the youngsters must watch out!”

PODIUM ROUND-UP

In the women’s ultra, Nina Podnebesnova of Russia was first over the line in 3:40:07, having passed a fading Shitaye Gemechu Debellu of Ethiopia (3:43:37) in the closing kilometres. Elena Nurgalieva was third in 3:43:59, while fifth-placed Paulina Njeya was the first South African home in 3:50:48. The half marathon titles went to defending champion Stephen Mokoka in 1:04:16 (his third win) and Lebo Phalula in a PB 1:14:00. In the trail runs, the 22km titles went to Thabang Madiba and Landie Greyling, while the 10km titles were won by Tarisai Rukadza and Annamart Laubcher.

This year the ultra attracted a record entry of 11 348, up on last year’s 11 053, while the half marathon once again sold out its 16 000 entries as 4000 more runners were turned away, and runners from more than 80 countries travelled to Cape Town for what is known as the World’s Most Beautiful Marathon.

What do you eat before a run? When is the ideal time to drink and eat during your race? Here’s what you need to know to fuel a good run as well as your recovery after you cross the finish line! – BY CHRISTINE PETERS, REGISTERED DIETICIAN

If you’re looking to plan your perfect race-day eating plan, you need to understand that there are four main stages to your race day nutrition, and you need to focus on each stage in order to get your race day nutrition right.

1. BEFORE THE RACE (2-3 HOURS)

If running a morning race, your meal shortly after waking up will be your last substantial meal before your race. This is your opportunity to top up the glycogen stores, which would have been partially depleted from your overnight fast. After eating, you should allow 1 to 3 hours for digestion before the start gun is fired.

Recommendation:
1 to 2g per kilogram of body weight;
Low in fat and fibre;
High carbs;
Moderate protein.

Ideal Meal/Snack:
Porridge or cereal with low-fat milk or yoghurt, and white toast with peanut butter or jam.
Don’t forget to drink some water, diluted fruit juice, low-fat milk or your sports drink to top up fluids.
If you lack an appetite in the morning, you can choose 500ml of carbohydrate drink and a sports or cereal bar.

2. JUST BEFORE THE START
If your nerves allow, you should have another small and easily digested carbohydrate-based snack in the hour before you start, so grab a small banana, half a sports bar or some sports drink. Consuming a carbohydrate drink may prime the stomach and improve gastric emptying. This will give you a little push in the beginning stages of your run.

3. DURING THE RACE
Start eating and drinking early in the run (within 30 to 45 minutes) and consume 30-60g low-fat and fibre carbohydrate each hour. During ultra-endurance events lasting more than 2½ to 3hours, you can consume up to 90g an hour. Remember, your race strategy should be well rehearsed before the actual race day, so practise it in training first.

Recommendation:
0.7g carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight per hour OR 30 to 90g of carbohydrate per hour. The body can oxidise 1g of carb per minute.
Start drinking early and continue drinking small amounts regularly. Combination carbohydrates increase oxidation (glucose, fructose, sucrose and maltidextrin are recommended, but not large amounts of fructose because of gastrointestinal discomfort).
Drink to thirst: Draw on your experience of hydrating from your training and races, and be aware of the weather conditions – hot and humid weather increases sweat-loss, which means you might need to adjust your drinking patterns, being careful not to overhydrate. A very basic guideline is to drink between 500ml and 2 litres per hour. Try ingesting frequent small amounts of fluid (150-200ml) every 15-20 minutes.

Ideal Meal/Snack:
Every 30-60min, try having 20-25g carbohydrates depending on size, intensity and duration:
½ sports bottle (375ml) of carbohydrate drink (6-8% carbohydrate solution);
1 sports bar/ cereal bar;
200ml Coca-Cola;
1 energy gel;
4-5 jelly babies;
1 large banana;
4-5 baby potatoes;
1 marmite sandwich (2 slices of white crustless bread);
45g dried fruit.

4. AFTER THE RACE
Refuelling assists with recovery and repairing muscle after exercise, and a good recovery snack or drink should consist of carbohydrate and protein to replenish muscle glycogen stores, fluid, energy and electrolytes.

Recommendation:
0.6-1.5g carb per kilogram of body weight during the first 30min, then again every 2 hours for 4-6 hours. This is especially important if another bout of exercise is to be done within the next 24 hours.
Adequate fluid, electrolytes, energy and carbs;
Small, regular snacks;
Compact carb-rich foods;
20-25g of high-quality protein.

Ideal Meal/Snack:
A sandwich with cold meat, tuna or cheese;
Low-fat flavoured milk;
Low-fat drinking yoghurt;
Fruit smoothie (with low-fat milk or yoghurt as a base);
A handful of lean biltong with an energy bar.