Category: Features

“It’s simple for
me,” says Nzondwane resident Mandla Zwane. “I was born blind, so I’m used to
it. I can run in the dark, too, because that’s how I am,” he laughs, “I know my
way around training and I know Comrades.” From a young age, Mandla had a love
for running and at Arthur Blaxall School in Pietermaritzburg, he would compete
in the 400m and 800m races and beat many an opponent. As he grew older, the
distances became longer.

In 2006, Mandla
entered Comrades for the first time. As a boy, he would join the spectators
alongside the road and cheer the Comrades runners on, wishing to be a part of
the glorious event one day. “I knew I could make it, so I did,” he says, “and
now I want to keep coming back to Comrades to cut off some of my finishing
times.” From a 9:10:52 finish in 2007, Mandla pushed up to 8:19:45 the
following year. This year he finished in a stellar time of 7:52:58 (his
personal best) and has no intention of slowing down. He’s completed the Comrades
six times now, all without a running guide, and holds five Bill Rowan medals as
well as one bronze.

Mandla survives on
a disability grant and his gracious don’t-pity-me attitude has made him an
inspiration to many runners and supporters. “I get so much support when I run.
There are always people looking after you at Comrades!” Mandla was also a
recipient of the 2012 Spirit of Comrades award for his determination to never
back down, despite his disability. “I didn’t believe them when they called me
about the award. Then they kept calling and it was an amazing surprise to
receive it. It was the first time I wore a suit!”

For Mandla, the
secret to his talent is not smoking or drinking, training hard, and the
unbelievable support he gets from his mother. “Some people tell her I should
stop running because it’s dangerous and I could get injured, but she tells them
that I can do whatever I want. When I don’t have enough money to go to races,
she always helps me where she can and motivates me.”

His future looks
positive and he has already entered Comrades 2013 and is looking to do well
when Two Oceans rolls around. “I am happy with my life – because you may never
have everything in life, but you must be satisfied with what you have
achieved.”

At the beginning of 2011, Liz heard about a woman who
decided to change her life by losing weight and training to climb Chile’s
dormant volcanoes. “I thought to myself ‘I could do this,’ and my daughter Lisa
told me I should find my own adventure,” says Liz. “I heard about the Camino ten
years previously from a lady who had done it and I just Googled from there!” Thus
the plan was set, to walk from Roncesvalles, near the Pyrenees Mountains on the
Spain-France border, to the Cathedral of Santiago
de Compostela, near Cape Finisterre on Spain’s Atlantic coast, where
St James is reportedly buried. Liz wasn’t even daunted by the prospect of
walking 800km, not having done anything so active in her life before.

STEP BY STEP

Liz started by asking her boss for seven weeks’ leave
for the historic walk. “I felt so strong about it and my boss knew it. I even
found someone else to stand in for me while I was away.” However, training for
the walk was a difficult proposition for Liz. Initially, she walked around her
neighbourhood block a little hopelessly, but after a week it got a little
easier. “I built up to walking for an hour-and-a-half during the week and every
Saturday or Sunday I would walk for two hours,” says Liz, “and when I got my
fitness, I started walking with a 10kg backpack for the preparation.”

In the process, Liz lost 10kg and was looking forward
to testing her limits, but just before she left for Spain, a close friend
offered a warning: “She said, ‘You’re going to wonder what the hell you’re
doing when you start.’ And it happened,” says Liz. “The first few days were
torture! The route was rocky and by the end of the day your feet are sore, but
eventually I got used to it.”

WALKING HISTORY

With two changes of clothes in her backpack, along
with her passport and local money, Liz followed the Camino’s iconic scallop
shell route markers. Her calves were soon tanned and she says she got a little
help with directions on route. “I was hopeless with direction. Someone just
told me that the sun should be behind me and the mountains should be on my
right! It was absolutely beautiful!

“Also, in every village you stop over, you can explore
the town before sleeping at a hostel or convent at night,” she says. In some
cases, the stopovers were inexpensive, with some monasteries simply asking for
donations. Liz also lived on cheap ‘Pilgrim Meals’ that cost eight Euros and
would give her the energy for the next day’s 20 to 25km path. “They were pile
portions! A huge starter, main and pudding in a tub. You’d also get bread and
water and after the long walks I’d look forward to eating like a pig,” she
laughs.

Liz also enjoyed planning her route and meeting people
along the way. The night before a stage, she’d work out what villages and
tourist spots she would stop at the next day, and she relished the global coming
together of all shapes, sizes and ages on the way to Santiago. “I met people
from all over the world, and walking through 10^th century tunnels, I
realised that thousands had walked that way. But best of all, I didn’t have
that normal day-to-day baggage – there was no traffic, and no deadlines. Never
in my life was there so much freedom!”

DISCOVERING HERSELF

Two days before the finish in Santiago, Liz walked
into a small village pub at the end of her day and relaxed with a cold beer while
watching a Spanish quiz show, when suddenly she gave in to tears. “I was just
overwhelmed and sobbed right there. They say there’s three parts to the walk: The
first is the test of the body, then the mind, and then the soul.” Two days
later, Liz and the German friend she had met en route walked through the plaza
to the beautiful cathedral in Santiago, looking a bit bedraggled. “Everyone
looks shabby at the end, but what an amazing moment!”

Liz is already setting new goals, including a similar
pilgrimage route in Italy and hiking in Butong. Her inspiring new outlook on life is simple:
“We create our own obstacles in life. You must just choose what you want to do,
what challenges you, and what you enjoy!”

She remembers her very first run
clearly. It was early morning as she ventured out all by herself, armed with
nothing but a brand new pair of running shoes and a strong will to do something
healthy that would combat the osteoporosis she had been diagnosed with.
Initially, Deirdre walked three steps, then ran three steps, because running
for anything longer was simply an impossible ask! That was 2009. Barely three
years later, shoe not only runs much more than three steps at a time, she
regularly finishes on the podium in her age category in races and can also lay
claim to personal bests of 60 minutes for 10km and 2:15 for the half marathon.

EXER-WHAT?

For
many years the word exercise did not exist in Deirdre’s vocabulary, mainly due
to the fact that she was born with a missing vertebrae and believed that she
had to keep still. At the age of 38, after having children, she underwent a back
operation, but battled even to lift a teacup while recovering. “I eventually
got stronger, but always stayed careful of my back,” says Deirdre, a concert
pianist who moved from England to South Africa with her family in 1970. They
moved into a house in Randburg, where Deirdre still lives today, 42 years later.
Her husband, John, compiled crosswords for The Star for 20 years, but passed
away several years ago. Fortunately her four children and grandchildren all
live nearby.

Eleven years ago Deirdre was diagnosed
with osteoporosis and the medication she was put on made her ill. “I was going
to doctors to be cured of what other doctors gave me,” says the vegetarian, who
visited a dietician and was advised to cut all sugar, salt, white flour and
caffeine from her diet. She also did some strengthening exercises designed by a
biokineticist as well as yoga, Pilates and an urban fitness outdoors class, all
in an attempt to strengthen her bones. “But then one day I saw my son running
and I thought, now that is something I should try!” And Deirdre has never
looked back.

RUNNING
BUG BITES

Her first race in 2010 was the
Randburg Harriers Valentine’s 10km, which she finished in 1:25, and as her
running times gradually improved, so Deirdre’s passion for running grew. In her
first year in the sport she completed 36 races, then last year she set her
sighs on getting as many medals as possible, so she ran 58 races! Even better, 2012
has really been her year, with Deirdre regularly winning her age category. “I
try to do races on Saturdays and/or Sundays, and I drive myself to a race.”

She
enjoys 10km races most, as she feels the distance is just right, ‘not too short
and not too far.’ Though she did her first Old Mutual Two Oceans Half Marathon
this year, she feels 21km is a bit of a push, despite finishing second in the
70-plus category in a time of 2:25. “The last part of Two Oceans was the
hardest to finish and the weather was terrible, but I enjoyed getting a prize.”
And yes, she has already entered for next year’s race!

DEMANDING
SCHEDULE

Her training is consistent: Four days
a week, 7km a day, same route, same time, 5:30 every morning. “People are so
encouraging, when they see me run – they always tell me to keep going.” Then on
top of her running, she also attends a Fitness League class twice a week, where
she gets a complete gym-like workout without it being too demanding. She
usually takes a rest day before and after a race. “Considering my age, I think
two days’ rest is best,” says Deirdre, who does strength exercises and
stretching before every run. And don’t think this granny has days where she
does not feel like training. “I enjoy my rest days, but on other days I don’t
just want to lie in bed. There are things to be done!”

And busy she is indeed. Apart from running,
her days are filled with music, something that has been in her blood since the
age of five when she started playing the piano. “I played for the Rosebank
Choir for 12 years before teaching piano at Kingsmead College in Rosebank for
19 years.” Today she teaches at St Peters College in Sunninghill from 12 to 5.
After fighting the traffic, she arrives home at about 7pm and then still
dedicates an hour to practising the piano, as she is part of a musical group
called Festival Ensemble, periodically playing at weddings and cocktail
parties. “Music and running have so much in common, both are a discipline and
requires perseverance. It is a lonely pursuit, but both provide enormous
self-satisfaction,” says Deirdre.

AGE IS ONLY A NUMBER

Deirdre
firmly believes the older you get the more exercise you need and not the other
way around! “I played music at old age homes and retirement villages and some
of the people there just went to sleep while we were playing. The only thing
that sometimes kept them awake was the cake! People think when they hit 60 they
just have too sit and that they are too old to start exercising. I think they
should all start with gentle walking and then even some running, but if running
is too much they can stick to walking. As long as they do something! I once
read a letter of a woman saying she is so lonely over weekends. Then I thought
of how exciting weekends are for me. I get to go to races and meet so many
different people. I am in a happy atmosphere on weekends.”

She
is a strong believer in healthy eating habits and makes sure her diet consists
of nothing but the best. Breakfast includes ground nuts, seeds and mixed
berries with soya milk, while lunch is always a peanut butter or cheese
sandwich. She makes sure dinner includes two vegetables. Her one indulgence is
decaffeinated cappuccinos. “I mark my races in a logbook with an A for good and
a B for not so good. The races where decaf cappuccinos are sold immediately get
an A, no matter how difficult the route was!” says Deirdre, who stands 1.58m in
her socks and weighs in at a feather-light 40kg.

She
reckons her running ability is partly down to good genes and partly her diet
and exercise regime, and it is all paying dividend for her health: “My
osteoporosis improved by 5% last year.” Now she would like to keep on running
for as long as she can. “I don’t feel 81 and would like to inspire other older
people to run. Every morning I get up and feel my legs, then I say: ‘Well, I
still have them,’ before I go run.”

My NYCM started with a casual comment by
my running friend, Marlene, that she wanted to run this iconic race in 2012, and
soon I found myself putting down a deposit. A series of small miracles happened
and the next thing I had enough money – the once in a lifetime event with two
of my friends was taking shape. Months raced by and soon it was time to pack. I
heard about the approaching hurricane before we left for the airport, but it
couldn’t dampen my spirits!

HELLO NEW YORK!

The three of us arrived at a very busy
JFK airport, eager to experience the Big Apple. Heavy clouds darkened the
world, news reports told us to expect the worst by Monday afternoon and some
areas close to the shoreline were evacuated, but it seemed to be dismissed by a
lot of the locals. The wind came up and the rain started, but in our district
it felt no worse than a Highveld storm. We walked the eerily empty streets and
saw sandbags in front of some doors and tape crossing big shop windows. Times
Square blinked as normal, but it seemed like a case of ‘the lights are on but
nobody’s home.’

Sheltered in our hotel, we watched the
destruction in disbelief, and by Tuesday most of the storm was spent. Then the
race organisers said: “This year’s marathon is dedicated to the City of New
York, the victims of the hurricane, and their families,” but soon runners were being
accused of selfishness and a lack of perspective. So, on the Friday evening, the race was called off
and it was announced, “While holding the race would not require diverting
resources from the recovery effort, it is clear that it has become the source
of disagreement and division. We cannot allow a controversy over an athletic
event – even one as meaningful as this – to distract attention from all the
critically important work that is being done to help New York City recover from
the storm…”

My heart sank as the realisation hit us.
Anger, guilt and disappointment rushed through me. I heard stories of runners
who had diverted cancelled flights in a desperate attempt to get to the city in
time. Others had arrived at powerless hotels and sought alternative accommodation
at huge expense. Some had taken money from pension plans to make their NYCM
dream come true. This was a once in a lifetime trip for many of us and the
timing of the cancellation is what angered most runners. If it had been
cancelled the day after the storm, it would have been understood, but to say it
was on and then cancel less than 36 hours before the start was a bitter pill to
swallow…

LET’S RUN

Some runners announced they would still
run the route as planned, but different runs in Central Park were also planned.
We decided to join some of the South Africans for a run in the park, and on
Sunday morning there were thousands of runners in the park! Some kind people
were handing out water and a great atmosphere gave me a taste of what the NYCM
would have been like. We did one lap of seven miles and then sat in the sun to cheer
on the athletes doing four laps to make up the marathon distance. I still don’t
know whether I should laugh or cry, but one thing I know for sure is that New
York always offers unforgettable experiences!

In July, Stephen Mokoka lined up in the London Olympic
Marathon aiming to run a 2:06 time, but he eventually limped home in a
disappointing 2:19:52. However, he quickly bounced back at the SA Half Marathon
Champs in Cape Town in August, running a blistering 1:00:57 to not only retain
his national title, but also take 30 seconds off his personal best and set the
fastest time ever run in South Africa on an unaided course. That saw Stephen
selected for the World Half Marathon Champs in Kavarna, Bulgaria in early
October, where he clocked 1:02:06 to finish eighth for the second time at these
Champs.

“The Olympics was a great experience and learning
curve for me. We went through halfway on 63 minutes, which was the 2:06
pace I had trained for, so I was comfortable and had more in the tank,” says
Stephen. “But then things started getting hard at 30km. I was still supposed to
run at least 2:16, but had to stop for three minutes with just 500m to go due
to cramp. I gave it my best shot, and if I could race it
again I’d do it the same way. It showed that I have the speed, but I need to do
more endurance to stay with the top guys.”

“When I got back, I took a week off, then told my
coach Michael Seme that I want to make the SA team for the World Half Champs.
The pace in Cape Town was very quick right from the start, but I knew I had the
strength, endurance and speed to win. I used to be scared of pushing too hard,
but after breaking 28 minutes on the track for 10 000m in 2009, I felt
comfortable to run 28:30 in the SA 10km Champs in 2009, which allowed me to
clock 61 minutes in a few half marathons. Still, I didn’t expect a sub-61 and
was very happy with that!”

STAR QUALITY

Stephen
is undoubtedly one of SA’s top runners at the moment – and versatile – having
won multiple national titles at all distances from 10 000m on the track,
through cross-country to 10km and 21km on the road. He also boasts a marathon
PB of 2:08:33, and he has steadily climbed the ranks on the international
stage. In the World Half Champs he finished 67^th in 2008, then
popped into the top 10 in 2009 with an eighth position, while in the World
Cross Country Champs from 2008 to 2011, he moved up from 74^th to 32^nd,
then 22^nd and finally 15^th. He was also 13^th
in the 10 000m at the track & field World Champs in South Korea last
year.

The 27-year-old final year sports management student
at TUT in Pretoria says he hopes to open his own business someday, but for now
is still focussed on running, with his sights firmly set on the marathon at the
2016 Rio Games. “I will be 31 then and will focus on the marathon, but there is
still huge room for improvement in my endurance, so I still need to get my
speed up through track and cross country and I will focus on shorter distances
for now. The marathon is my long-term goal. I also want to get into the big
city marathons, and my ultimate goal is to win one of them and run one of the
fastest times.”

“Athletics has played a major role in my life, and the
hunger for success drives me on. I still want to make my mark in the world of
running, so people will talk about me like they do about Shadrack Hoff and
Hendrik Ramaala… I want to be on the same list as those great athletes, but
when I get there, I will still try to achieve still more, because I want to
keep the name of SA athletics on the map. It is always nice wearing the green
and gold. Out of nine provinces and so many people in South Africa, to be
selected to represent your country is a big honour. So even after that hard
Olympic run, I just had to go to the World Champs, because it means a lot to me
to try raise our flag high.”

STEPHEN’S PBS

* SA Record

Let your mind wander to the spectacular landscape of
Scotland’s western Highlands, where towering mountains, tranquil lochs and rushing rivers
combine to reward you with a unique and ever-changing landscape. Imagine walking
from Milngavie, near Glasgow, to Fort William, at the foot of Ben Nevis, the
highest mountain in Britain, passing through several national parks as you
cover the 95 miles (152km) of the West Highland Way and see some of Scotland’s
finest scenery. Doesn’t this sound like an
idyllic walking trip? Now imagine doing that while also raising funds for a
worthy cause…

That’s what South Africans Sharon Lotz and Chris
Jeeves of Durban plan to do next July. To celebrate her 50^th
birthday in 2013, Sharon decided to find a new challenge, and while looking
online for great walks around the world, came across the West Highland Way,
which she decided would make a great birthday celebration as well as a perfect
opportunity to raise awareness of the Restmount Children’s Holiday Home in the
Drakensberg. She and Chris are even going to climb the 1344m Ben Nevis at the
finish.

GIVING BACK

The charity is close to Sharon’s heart as the home
provides 30 school children at a time the opportunity to enjoy a sponsored
holiday. “Due to a variety of home circumstances, these children would really
benefit from a holiday. And where better to go than in the Berg with beautiful
scenery, crisp air and fun outdoor activities,” she says. The children that go
away come from circumstances where there is a loss of a parent, a divorced
parent not coping, living in an abusive environment, or living with a parent
who has gone into drug rehab. “I work at a
school with young children and every day I see the hardships some of these
children live with daily, and that is why I wanted to get involved here.”

It costs around R15 000 per group of kids and Sharon
is preparing to host fundraising events ahead of the Scotland trip. One of
these fundraisers is an evening live musical show featuring the Gee Jays on Friday 30 November at
Brighton Beach School. There will be 20 hosts, each hosting tables of 10 people
at R100 per head. Whether you want to host a table or make a direct donation to
Restmount, Sharon is hoping more people get behind her birthday walk for a cause.
You can also sponsor her and Chris per kilometre of the walk next July.

WALKING WAYS

Sharon and Chris started walking in 2007 when they
began taking part in the weekly 4.7km time trial at the Bluff Athletic Club,
which they later joined. “It was hard at first but over time we cut our time down
from 63 minutes to 40 minutes. Our success is in the continued support we offer
each other,” explains Sharon. “Chris and I are
not top athletes and will never win any accolades, but we have the passion to
keep challenging ourselves. My motto throughout this experience has become every
accomplishment starts with the decision to begin.”

To get behind the cause, contact
Sharon on 084 511 6516 or
[email protected]. You can also contact Restmount on 082 301 1197. For more info on The ‘West Highland Way’ Walk, go to www.macsadventure.com, and follow the walking
duo’s journey at www.scotlandwalk2013.wordpress.com.

Feige and
Zissy Lewin have an interesting sisterly bond when it comes to running. “There’s
a ying-yang in our partnership,” explains Feige, “and at Comrades this year,
we’ll bring different things on the day.” Born and raised in Johannesburg, the sisters were never sporty
as kids, but Zissy started running at 21 to get fit, while Feige prioritised
strength work in the gym. For Feige, running just didn’t cut it, and even
though her sister kept encouraging her, she couldn’t face a run without
struggling. However, two years ago she decided to give it a try.

“I started
running more because I had no strength in my legs,” says Feige, who entered her
first 5km at the Spar Ladies’ Race, then progressed to a 10km race in Soweto and joined the
Nedbank Running Club. Her love of running blossomed, all while Zissy was living
and running in New York,
and it was then that the sisters decided to take on Comrades 2013 together,
even though they were worlds apart. “We always say ‘We can do that!’ and now we
want to cross that finish! Once we had the Comrades idea, we couldn’t get rid
of it,” says Zissy, who has seen her 4:43 New York Marathon finish improve to
3:57 thanks to the focused training, while Feige’s debut 5:49 at the Soweto
Marathon has been cut to 4:28.

Also, after
discussing the idea of Comrades, the sisters were also planning to introduce the
Nutreats range of sporting nutrition goods to the SA market, and Zissy came
back to SA to help Feige launch the Nutreats brand in 2012. “We wanted to
educate people on what to put into their bodies,” says Feige, “as we have
learnt to use it as runners.”

PLANNING 101

The sisters
have planned their pre-Comrades protein intake and light carbs before race day
as well as their post-race recovery meals. On race day, they’re planning on an
oats, seeds and banana breakfast with orange juice, and have tried and tested
gels and 32GI chews to keep their momentum going during the race. With their
family going down to support them in Durban,
they’ll also receive encouragement on the road.

Having
trained to do an 11-hour Comrades, the sisters have outlined rules for
themselves on race day:

?              
Don’t
start too quickly!

?              
There
has to be one strong link at any given time.

?              
No
public urination – the sisters will plan their toilet stops.

?              
Drink
some water when eating on the route to help digestion and eat foods and bars
that are easy to chew and swallow.

?              
Never
chase the race gun.

?              
No
stopping!

?              
At
the finish, there will be no sad faces.

Zissy has also
organised their programme to do some light runs at the beginning of race week,
then three days’ rest before the race, while spending just day one at the Expo.
“We have planned everything, but we still know that anything can happen on the
day.”says Feige, adding that they attended numerous seminars for Comrades
novices and gathered advice from various runners. Zissy adds, “I don’t see us
crying at the finish, but who knows? We’re just ready for the vibe and creating
this memory together.” (And they’re already talking about joining the Unogwaja
Challenge in 2014, to cycle from Cape
Town to Pietermaritzburg in 10 days, then run the
Comrades on the 11^th day!)

For more info on
Nutreats products and to create your own goal profile, visit www.nutreats.co.za
or find @Nutreats on Twitter.

In 2003 he
made history by becoming the first black African climber to stand on top of the
world, and he followed that up by becoming the first black African to complete
the Seven Summits Challenge, to climb the highest peak on each continent, as
well the Three Poles Challenge, to climb Everest as well as trek on foot to the
North and South Poles. And he did it all to raise funds for various charities,
as well as to prove a point: “I wanted to tell the world that we Africans have
got what it takes to achieve greatness, regardless of colour.”

It was in
Sibusiso’s second Everest climb in 2005, on the more technical north face, that
he came close to death. “On the way down on summit day, I found myself alone,
without food, water or oxygen. I was seeing death in my face, but I didn’t want
to die, so I started crawling on all fours and struggled on for about three
hours until I made it to camp.”

RUNNING MAN

That’s the
same irrepressible spirit that Sibusiso takes into his running. He has finished
four Comrades Marathons and will be running his fifth in 2013, aiming to break
nine hours for a first Bill Rowan medal. He also recently did his first trail
stage race at the Pronutro AfricanX Trail Run, partnering Comrades legend Bruce
Fordyce in an unforgettable experience. “I have always used running in my
training regime for expeditions. I love running, and that’s why I started my
own running club near Nelspruit, called Born To Win, to help instil the belief
in young stars that they are born to win, whatever their circumstances.”

Sibusiso is
married to Nomsa and is the proud father of four, and today is self-employed as
a sought-after motivational speaker. “I look back and say, my goodness, it’s
amazing I have done so much, but my bucket list just gets fuller. I realise that
people look up to me for inspiration, and my message is simple: Every person
has their own Everest to climb, challenging you to reach the top, and if you
set yourself goals and work hard for it, you will get there.”

Comrades 2013 will be a very special, but also highly
emotional journey for running legend Alan Robb. Special as this will be his 40^th
journey, and emotional, as he will be running it entirely in memory of his late
wife, Merle, who passed away a few days before last year’s race. “I am nervous
that something could go wrong, because I have 39 hassle-free years behind me,
and excited because it is a big milestone in my Comrades career. There will
certainly be a lot of sadness on the day, because Merle will not be there. She
was always on the finish line waiting for me. This year will really be in her
memory. I will probably be running with her wedding ring,” says Alan.

At the finish line a special group of family members
will await him: Alan’s daughter Staci, who ran with her dad last year, decided
to not run this year, but rather wait for her running hero at the finish line.
She will be joined by Alan’s mom as well as both Merle’s sisters, to welcome
him home as he joins the select group of runners who have achieved the
magnificent feat of finishing 40 Comrades Marathons. Currently just six runners
have done so, and this year three more, including Alan, look set to be added to
the list.

A LEGEND IS
BORN

Alan was a good swimmer at school, but discovered his
running genes and love of the sport when the headmaster made the whole school
run a cross-country race. “I won it and enjoyed it, so I continued running. It
was much better than swimming two hours a day just seeing the same black lines
at the bottom of the pool! Then in 1970 I bet my scoutmaster R10 that I could
run to Pretoria. I couldn’t walk for a few days, but I won the bet!”

It is hard to believe that this talented runner
“chickened out” of his very first race. “In June 1973 there was a 10-mile race
which I decided to run. There were about 50 runners and they all looked very
good, so I chickened out and went home!” Fortunately, Alan kept on running and
in the first race he ran, he won and set a course record. “I then joined
Germiston Callies Harriers (GCH) and here I am, 40 years later! When I first
ran Comrades we used to hero-worship the guys who had run 10 Comrades, so
running 40 was never in my mind. I certainly never thought I would still be
running now!”

He says that Merle was his biggest supporter, right
from his early running days. “Fortunately, she loved sport, otherwise I don’t
think I would have run for so long. She encouraged me, motivated me and came to
all the races to second me. She always said that Comrades day was my Christmas
day and that January to June belonged to me. The rest of the year was Merle’s.”

LIVING
LEGEND

In his typically humble, understated way, Alan says he
is not so sure about being called a living legend, but it’s nice to know that
some people still remember his performances. And great performance they were
indeed! Alan is the all-time leading Comrades gold medallist with 12 golds, and
has four Comrades wins under his belt. In 1978 he became the first person to
break the sub-5:30 barrier, winning in 5:29:14, and says this run was by far
his best and most memorable. “I trained really hard and was very fit. It was
one of those races when everything went perfectly and I felt so good at the end
that I could probably have turned around and run back! I ran the entire second
half by myself and won by 20 minutes. I sometimes wonder if I could have run
faster if there was someone to push me.”

Alan’s training used to include a lot of long runs,
speed work and hill training, but this year has seen none of that. “This year’s
mileage has been the least I have ever done. In fact, I have only run the
Ottosdal Marathon and Two Oceans!” Nevertheless, he says he will be giving the
‘Up Run’ a good go, although he believes he has never been a good hill runner
and doesn’t enjoy the Up as much. “There are no easy sections on the Up Run, as
you are climbing all the way from the start to the top of Inchanga. Then in
those last 30km you are getting tired and it’s hot, so you have to have a
strong head to get you to the finish. I have finished in about 8:30 for the
last three years and I think I can still run that time, but I am also thinking
of having a really social run this year. I’ll see how I feel on the day.”

Alan is well known for his support of Liverpool
Football Club and is often seen running with his red Liverpool cap and red
socks. “Red has always been my favourite colour. Like everybody else in the
60’s, I loved the Beatles and they were from Liverpool, so that’s how it
started. One race day in 1974 I couldn’t find my socks so I went into my dad’s
cupboard and saw these red socks. I wore them, everybody chirped about them, so
I’ve worn red socks ever since… but only at races. I cannot find red socks
anywhere these days. About five years ago I bought 15 pairs, so I hope they
last!”

FUTURE GOALS

Alan has completed four Dusi Canoe Marathons, but gave
it a break after he contracted hepatitis. “I will be back next year. It’s far
more exciting than pounding the roads and there are plenty of war stories,”
says Alan, who also enjoys trail running and mountain biking. He would like to
carry on running Comrades for as long as his body allows him, but says he just
takes it one year at a time these days. “I’m not getting any younger and maybe
I might get to 50 Comrades Marathons.”

This year Alan is back in the colours of his first
club, GCH, of which he was made an honorary life member in 1980. After leaving
the club in 1992, he kept in touch and decided to return this year. “It is
great being back and they presented me with a great new vest and T-shirt
specially printed with my 40 years of running.”

ADVICE FROM
A LEGEND

Alan advises all Comrades runners to run their own
race! “Don’t listen to anyone who hasn’t run the race. Remember, there are
plenty of 42km and 21km races during the year, but there is only one Comrades.”
He takes his best advice from a poem with the final two lines, which read as
follow: “Think that you can and you will. It’s all in the state of the mind.”

We flew into O.R. Tambo Airport
around 5pm on the Wednesday with about five hours to go before our flight to
Perth, but when we arrived at check-in, we were told that we couldn’t board due
to some totally unforeseen problems with Alexis’ passport. The SAA staff were
extremely helpful and courteous, but alas, nothing could be done, so we
resigned ourselves to several drinks and a missed opportunity… However, with
the help of everyone involved, we formulated a plan of action and we awoke with
renewed vigour to get the paperwork in place for us to make the next flight
that evening, and thanks to the incredible heroics of Jenny Kearney of Modern Athlete, as well as SAA and
Quantas, we were able to head ‘Down Under.’

THE BIG DAY

Having
arrived in Sydney, we woke up mega-early in anticipation of our trip to the
race. We stayed in a beautiful area called Manly Beach, which north of Sydney, across
the river and along the coast. The race organisers anticipated runners relying
on public transport to travel to and from the race, so our race entries
included multiple day-passes for the bus, ferry and train – all we had to do
was show our race bibs to the drivers. It was incredibly well organised, and we
also knew exactly which buses to catch because we met a bunch of Aussie runners
huddled under the bus stop, chatting excitedly about the race.

They
were so excited that we had won a trip to Australia, and that the focal point
of the prize was the race! We were introduced to everyone as “the South
Africans who came to run the race,” and everyone wanted a photograph with us! Interestingly,
it does not matter where you go, runners talk about the same things: Training
stories, previous times, predicted times, diet the night before, diet on the
day, stretching, clothing, hydration, and so forth. It sounded just like the
typical pre-race banter in South Africa.

We arrived at the start with thousands of runners
streaming in. The sun had started to rise over the city and the view was
absolutely spectacular from under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, with the Opera
House and end point of the half marathon clearly visible across the river. We
were ready to run!

ALICIA: GREAT RUN!

On
our way to the start, we met up with a young student who had entered the Sydney
Half Marathon as her first half. She and I were starting in the same pen and we
decided to run together, because she also wanted to run a sub-2:00 time. The
climb at the beginning was quick and easy – all I could think about was how
most South Africans would laugh at that ‘hill,’ because if you have run
Southern Cross, or ‘Moerse Bult’ at Niel Joubert, then you would hop and skip
over this – and suddenly we were on the bridge. They had closed the bridge for
us, and it was quite an experience to run under the steel lattice with the
river beneath you. This was what
running was about!

We
ran through a number of districts, and at one of the hairpin turns, the winner
came flying past us like a bat out of hell, but much more
graceful. I saw Alexis twice during the race. The first time, he looked quite
cheerful, and he smiled while he waved at me. But the second time, he did not
look pleased, and he waved his hand like a guillotine across his neck,
indicating that he was kaput.

There
were so many supporters lining the final stretch along the waterfront and I
heard someone yell, “Go Celtics,” but judging by their accent, I suspect that
they thought I was running for some Irish club. Then came the memorable finish
at the foot of the Opera House steps, across the river from the Harbour Bridge,
which we had crossed only two hours earlier, and next to the Opera House sprawled
the Royal Botanical Gardens, where our medals were handed out. Running this
race was definitely the best way to tour the city!

ALEXIS: TOUGH DAY

I
started off running at a relaxed pace, enjoying the sunrise over Sydney Harbour,
listening to the runners breathing heavily around me as we went over the first
hill and headed for the Harbour Bridge section. I felt the jetlag setting in
and immediately knew that it was going to be a long morning (and mourning) for
my legs. Soon, we had crossed the bridge and were heading down the highway
towards the city. Beautiful skyscrapers all around us provided some much-needed
shelter from the sun, which had begun to bake.

As
we made our way through the Financial District, the wheels came off and as much
as I struggled, I just couldn’t find a rhythm. I resigned myself to
power-walking and taking as many photos as my battery would allow while
chatting to the other ‘stragglers’ around me, but as we entered the final 2km,
my spirits were lifted and I started to make a run for the finish. With the
Opera House in sight and the hordes of supporters cheering us on, it was
impossible to not feel a sense of elation.

As
we were making our way along the promenade, my calf decided it was time to spaz
out and I was forced to stop and stretch it out every few metres. A mere 400m
from the finish the other calf joined the party, and I was in pretty bad shape.
With thousands of onlookers and a pained grimace on my face, I tried to get my
mutinous calves to play along. I started walking to test them out and as I
broke into a run, the crowd of supporters in the coffee shops and cafes of the
waterfront cheered. I felt like Rocky Balboa at the end of a movie montage –
nothing was going to stop me now! My calves cramped all the way to the finish,
but what an incredible ending to an incredible race.

TOURIST MODE

Sydney’s
beautiful skyscrapers intermingle gracefully with centurion buildings, heritage
sites and parks – imagine New York City mixed with Cape Town, but minus the
rubbish and car guards – and the people are so friendly. During our stay, it
seemed like the city never really slept. Whether we were wandering around at
10am in the morning or 10pm at night, there were always hordes of people moving
through the streets, and it was interesting to experience the multi-cultural
mix of English, Japanese, Korean, Tamil and many other languages.

We
crammed in as many tourist activities as we could, but there is so much to do
in Sydney! We visited the museums, Opera House, parks, markets and aquarium,
and we even managed to slip away to the beautiful Blue Mountain Reserve for a
day. It was an exciting journey to a beautiful city. Thank you so much, Modern Athlete, for affording us this
opportunity of a lifetime!