Category: Features

It is said that less than one percent of all athletes who participate in competitive sports ever reach an elite level. Being an elite depends on skill, natural ability and talent, but it takes years of hard work, discipline, focus and most importantly a lot of heart! One such athlete who knows all about hard work and never giving up is current SA marathon champion Charn? Bosman. She has been running competitively since the age of 15 and has achieved great heights, but also some disappointment in her career. But through it all she is still pushing ahead in order to reach her dream of competing at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. When chatting to Charn? one quickly realises that this petite Mr Price athlete from Pretoria definitely has a lot of heart.

“I know novices and other athletes often look at us elites and think running comes easy to us, but they don’t always realise that we suffer just as much as them – it’s just on another level. Every athlete has his or her own goals. It doesn’t mean if I run a 35min 10km and you run a slower 45min 10km, that you did not suffer as much as I did! We all go through hard times when running. I know it might seem easy when watching elites, but we put a lot of hours and hard work into our sport. We don’t just wake up one morning and run a 34min 10km,” says Charn?, who knows all about hard word, dedication and eventual success.

In 2002 and 2003 she won the Old Mutual Two Oceans Half Marathon, breaking the course record in 2002 (since then the record has been broken again). She followed that up with a win at the Old Mutual Soweto Marathon in 2003 and 2004, where she also placed fourth in 2009 and third last year. She was crowned 2008 SA marathon champ, a title she won again this year.

AN ELITE IN MAKING
Born in Malmesbury, Charn? was an active child, playing tennis and netball, but never ran. It was only at the age of 15 when the family moved to Pretoria that Charn? started running with her niece. “I remember running in my tennis shoes next to her. Without any training I could keep up and I think I then realised that I might have some talent.” Within six months she was awarded Northern Gauteng colours in cross-country, but it was only at the age of 19, soon after she she turned senior, that her big break came and she placed second at the SA Cross-Country Champs. “Gwen van Lingen won that day and I was the surprise package of the day!”

Her first trip overseas was in 1995 as part of a SA relay team. Back on home soil, her next big international event was the World Cross-Country Champs in Stellenbosch, where she learnt her first valuable lesson in competing at an elite level. “I listened to everyone around me. I had never run in spikes, but that day I did! Also, at that stage my fastest training kilometre was 3:09, but everyone said I must go out and stay with the front bunch. Well, I did. I ran my first kilometre in 2:57… and that was the end of my race! What a disappointment. But it taught me a lesson and I was determined to improve. I made the World Cross-Country team six times after that.”

TAKING ON THE DISTANCE
Charn? successfully moved up to half marathons before she decided to tackle her first marathon in 2003, which she managed to win despite terrible windy conditions on the day. “It was the Peninsuala Marathon in Cape Town and the wind was so strong that some of the elite guys pulled out. I just decided I won’t give up, because I have trained too hard, and I managed to win in 2:42.”

At the end of 2004 Charn? picked up a stress fracture and her Olympic dream was shattered. She quickly dusted herself off and ran her first international marathon in Amsterdam in 2005, where she finished in fourth position in a time of 2:39. “That was definitely one of the highlights of my career. I also qualified for the Commonwealth Games in 2006 in Australia.” However, disappointment was soon to follow.

The Commonwealth Games was one of the biggest disappointments of her career, but once again a valuable lesson learnt. “I decided to run in my old shoes, which had shoe patch on, but no one told me that shoe patch doesn’t roll effectively on racers. That meant blisters from the 5km mark. While running, I could see my feet bleeding, and reaching the finish, I pulled the skin off my soles. But I did not give up. I finished 15th in 2:48. And I learnt such a big lesson that no matter what, you do not change anything on race day!”

BOUNCING BACK
In 2007/8 Charn? battled with persistent injuries and could not figure out what caused them. Only last year she underwent a bone density test which showed her bone density to be at dangerously low levels. Since then she’s been on medication which has helped enormously. “For the first time since last year I am feeling stronger and like my old self again.”

Her renewed strength gave her a new lease on running and she is determined to make her Olympic Dream come true next year. In order to do this, Charn? has started training with her old coach, Gerrie Coetzee, who also coaches other elites such as Irvette van Blerk and Rene Kalmer. “I am so happy to be with a coach. It is very stressful to try and do your own thing, especially because you will never give yourself a chance to rest and you will keep on pushing harder. It is nice to have a coach you can trust.”

Shortly after she rejoined Gerrie, she won the 2011 SA Marathon Champs in a time of 2:44. “I know a lot of people are saying it is not a fast time and I agree, but that day I did not go for a fast time, I just wanted to take the title comfortably, which I did. My next goal is to run a marathon in sub-2:34 before April in order to qualify for the Olympics. I don’t think I have ever reached my full potential. I feel that only now am I in a position to do so. I have been invited to the Amsterdam Marathon in October and will try to go under 2:36 there.”

HARD TRAINING
As we all know to run a sub-2:36 marathon does not happen on 100km a week. Charn? trains twice a day and runs between 150 and 170km a week. This include speed sessions of 10 to 15 1000m with a 2min rest (jog) in between, tempo runs on Saturdays of 10 to 16km run at about 3:45min/km, and long runs of between 28 and 40km on Sundays, run at 4:00 to 4:15min/km. “Sometimes during especially hard quality sessions, I do go through hard patches, but I motivate myself by keeping my eyes on the end goal. Also, I tell myself there are many other elites out there doing exactly what I am doing and suffering just as much!”

She describes her long runs as “food for the soul”. In both training and races she never focuses on the end distance, and only focuses on the kilometre she is running. “I run kilometre by kilometre and every time one is done, I tick it off. You have to have a strong head and you need to remember that the path to the top is by no means easy. If you can’t work through hard patches in training, you won’t be able to do it in a race either. So you really need to focus on your training and put effort into it.”

When not out running she loves spending relaxing home time with husband Carel, an avid cyclist who has completed the Absa Cape Epic three times. “It is important to be married to someone that understands your sport. We make sacrifices because of my running, like not being able to stay out late because of early training the next day.”

Charn? plans to compete at the upcoming SA Half Marathon Champs as well as the final legs of the Spar Women’s Series. “I need to bring my 10km and half marathon times down in order to run a fast marathon. The Russians are running consistent 2:30 marathons and that is exactly what we should be aiming for.”

LOOKING AHEAD
After the Olympics, Charn? aims to move into ultra-distance races and would like to focus on the 56km Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, but for now her heart is set on one thing, to make her Olympic dream come true. “One thing I know for sure is that one needs to know where your strength comes from. My strength comes from God. I also realise that one needs to be grateful each and every day for the fact that you are healthy and able to train. It can be taken away from you at any time. Athletes sometimes get so frustrated when they don’t run certain times, but one needs to take a step back and realise how fortunate we are just being able to do what we do!”

PERSONAL BESTS
10km 33:41
15km 52:03
21.1km 1:15:06
42.2km 2:39:26

The last day that Scott Ludwig didn’t run was 29 November 1978. He was still studying English at the University of Florida at the time and he went to a conference in Atlanta with one of his professors. The professor had been urging him for a long time to start running and on the trip, on 30 November 1978, Scott finally agreed to join him for a run. He still remembers every detail about that first run and says his professor ran a one-mile loop six times. Scott ran every other loop with him until he had done 3 miles. “I was pretty proud of myself after that first run, and my professor kept me at it, eventually talking me into running a marathon in March of 1979. I was hooked and haven’t stopped since.”

Scott can’t remember when he realised he was on a streak, but about three years later he consciously made a decision to keep the streak alive. He was in Pennsylvania in January 1982 and it was 11:30 at night, but he had not been for a run yet. “I looked out of the window and it was snowing, and I thought I can’t go out in that, but I did anyway and ran three miles before midnight. Now it’s second nature and I haven’t really thought about ending it since then. About every six months or so I have a day where I don’t feel like I want to run, but then I go anyway and I always feel better once I’m out there. The next day I’m better again and want to get out there.”

33 YEARS AND COUNTING
This means that for the last 33 years Scott has been getting up at 3:30 every morning to go for a run. He has never had any injury or illness that was serious enough to keep him from running and has notched up a staggering 196,800km on about 150 pairs of running shoes. He wants to keep running until he has the longest streak in the USA and hopefully until he has run 200,000 miles (320,000km) and 200 marathons. This will probably be when he is in his late seventies.

So why does he do it? Ask Scott and you don’t really get a concrete answer; he just loves running and wants his name next to the longest streak. “As long as I don’t die and I’m not in a coma, I figure I can keep going,” he explains. The United States Running Streak Association’s official list of active streak runners in the country places Scott at number 35, with the runner in first place on a streak of 43 years. However, Scott says most other streak runners won’t do ultra-marathons and jeopardise their streak, they mostly stick to their one mile per day run and average a little less than 3,000km per year.

That is what makes Scott a little different. He has run 180 marathons and 50 ultras, and likes to do at least 5km per day. In recent years he has averaged approximately 6,400km per year but he says he is trying to cut back. “I peaked at 5,400 miles (8,640km) in 1998. Back then I ran some really good times in the ultras and over long distances, but once I turned 50 my body said I should cut back. Five years later my brain caught up with my body and now I’m trying to be sensible. This year I might not even reach 4,000 miles (6,400km), which is probably a good thing, but it’s hard to let go.”

CROSSING OVER TO THE DARKSIDE
As Scott’s love for running grew he looked for people to join him on some crazy running adventures, but he couldn’t find what he was looking for at his local running club. So he decided to start his own running club with long-time friend and running partner, Al Barker. In 2002 they established the Darkside Running Club with six members. “Most people think we are called the Darkside because we always run in the dark, and though this is true to some extent, it was actually because we wanted to do something a bit more adventurous than 10km runs and therefore ventured onto the Dark Side.”

Today they have grown to about 200 members and the club is unique in that you only have to pay a once-off fee of $35 for lifetime membership. This fee gives you access to approximately 200 runners from all over the USA, Canada and the UK who have done almost any race you can think of. “Between our members you will find someone who has experience in just about any race in the world, and what’s more, you will probably have a place to stay in a city where you’ve never been before. I find that runners universally are very open about offering their home to another runner, even if they don’t know them from Adam.” Also covered by this membership fee is the club’s quarterly newsletter and three free marathon entries (all in the USA).

Like most runners the sport has not only influenced Scott’s fitness and health, but also his life. It has influenced his choice of friends, given him the opportunity to travel, and even made him a writer. He’s written three books already and says he does most of his writing whilst running. The books are all about (you guessed it) running, and he writes his club’s quarterly newsletter, but Scott says there is one thing that stands out above all. “I’ve always thought runners are the best people in the world. It takes a special kind of discipline and dedication to run and it has made me disciplined in everything I do. That said, I think the biggest influence running has had on my life is that I don’t know what night time is anymore. Come 9:30pm my day is over, where most people get their second breath then. But I have the mornings when it’s quiet and you can think. I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”

A SPECIAL RACE
Scott travelled to South Africa this year with his friend and running partner Susan Lance to run the Comrades for the first time. They ran it together, finishing in 10:35 and enjoying every minute. Interviewed just before the race, they said they loved the atmosphere in Durban and felt like celebrities, but what amazed them most was the amount of people running an ultra-marathon. “In the USA, the ultra community is really small. You can run an ultra pretty much anywhere in the country and know almost everyone in the field – it’s like a little reunion every time. Here you have thousands of people running! I’ve heard running the Comrades is one of the greatest things in the world to do and a member of our club said it was the best thing he’s ever done. I don’t know what to expect in terms of crowd support or how bad the hills are, but I just want to finish and enjoy the sights and the experience,” said Scott.

So why do the Comrades now, after 33 years of running? Scott said he always knew about the Comrades and wanted to do it since forever, but he saved it for a special occasion: His 50th and most probably last ultra-marathon. “The Comrades may not be the longest or the hardest ultra in the world, but it has a reputation in the USA for being the most prestigious. I’ve done much harder races, like the Western States 100 miler and the Badwater Marathon, but this was the last thing on my bucket list. I wish I ran it in the late 90s when I was running really well and fast, because then I would have aimed for a seven or eight-hour finish, but I just want to finish it now. All the other goals, like reaching 200,000 miles and getting the longest streak will be nice, but the Comrades I had to do.”

After the race, Scott sent an e-mail from the USA where he simply said the race was tough, but amazing, he loved meeting Zola Pieterse at the expo, and the Castle Light tasted really good afterwards. Seems like most runners’ feelings towards Comrades are pretty much universal.

For more information on the Darkside Running Club, or if you want to join the club, visit their website at www.darksiderunningclub.com.

A streak of what?
According to the United States Running Streak Association, the official definition of a running streak is “to run at least one continuous mile within each calendar day under one’s own body power (without the utilisation of any type of health or mechanical aid other than prosthetic devices).” That might sound complicated, but it simply means you have to run at least one mile (1.6km) every day between midnight and midnight.

The top streak runner in the USA is Mark Covert, who has been running every day since 1968, ten years more than Scott, who is currently placed 35th on the list. Streaks are measured by days and not distance and the runners don’t get any special prizes or medals, only the accolade and satisfaction of saying they have one of the longest running streaks in the USA.

From his earliest memories, radio DJ and local celebrity Brad Brown was a “big kid”. He has tried every diet under the sun and says he has probably lost about three times his body weight and put it all back on again in his lifetime. One of the reasons for this is the relationship he had with food where it became an addiction similar to drug or alcohol addiction. “I remember when I was about nine years old, I was on Weigh-Less and was told if I’m good during the week, I could have a hot dog on the weekend. That’s ridiculous, it teaches you to starve yourself for the week and reward yourself with junk. What kind of a relationship does that create with food?”

“With diets, you tell yourself if you eat like this now, you can go back to eating ‘normally’ and that’s not the way it works. You have to change the way you live and know it’s about balance. To this day I still have to watch what I eat and I still slide off the back of the wagon sometimes. It’s like being a drug addict or an alcoholic and you have to manage that addiction every single day. As much as people want you to stop, you’ve got to hit rock bottom before you can turn things around and make that decision for yourself.”

For Brad this moment came when one of his colleagues, Mark Pilgrim, had a heart attack in 2008. “Back then Mark was one of the fittest guys I knew and I was grossly overweight, so I thought I’d better get to a doctor to see what the damage is.” His fears were confirmed when he was told his blood pressure and cholesterol were out of control. The scale used to weigh patients only went up to 150kg and simply said “Error” when Brad stepped on it, incapable of registering his 165kg. He was placed on medication to improve his blood pressure and cholesterol and his doctor told him to start exercising, or else. Things went well for about a month before it started fizzling out and Brad had once again put on more weight.

Then, in 2009, just after the Comrades, he had a meeting with a client who was wearing a Comrades T-shirt and limping a little, so naturally Brad thought the limp was from Comrades stiffness and blisters. He was blown away when his client told him the limp was from a stroke he had seven years earlier and that he only decided to do the Comrades while he was stuck in a wheelchair after the stroke. “I went home and thought to myself, if someone who was in a wheelchair can do the Comrades, surely I can do it in my condition. I knew if I didn’t do something I wasn’t going to make 40, so I went home, found my local Run/Walk for Life, called them up and joined. You can imagine how they looked at me when I arrived the next day, weighing 165kg and telling them I want to do Comrades the following year. That day I walked around the hockey field three times. I made 900 metres and that was it, I was knackered.”

COMRADES COMMITMENT
But this time Brad stuck to his guns and decided he needed to commit publicly to running the Comrades in order to actually do it. “I’m one of those guys where if I don’t tell people I’m going to do something, I’ll chicken out. So I told everyone I was doing Comrades and committed. My mom was fighting breast cancer at the time, and I knew Pink Drive was one of the five official charities, so I went to Comrades and said I want to do the race as part of their celebrity challenge, but I want to run for Pink Drive. We started raising money and then it was even harder for me to chicken out. If I hadn’t done that, I don’t think I would have started Comrades in 2010.”

Unfortunately Brad’s mother passed away just two weeks before last year’s Comrades and he was unable to finish. “After the race I was gutted, my feet were bleeding and I was sore. That’s when I met John Hamlett and he told me if I committed right then to doing the Comrades again he would help me. I’d rather not say what I told him at that moment, but after I thought about it for a while, I agreed. He put me on a strict diet and gave me a training programme, and after picking the brains of a few friends who’ve done Comrades, I started again.”

Brad says it was a long 365 days knowing he hadn’t done what he set out to do at last year’s Comrades, but that made this year’s race so much more rewarding. “I never once felt I wasn’t going to finish or found myself looking for a bailer’s bus. But it was tougher than I thought it would be. I thought with my experience from last year it would be better, but the race only starts at 70 to 75km. The best thing about the race was the finish. I was sore coming onto the grass, but then all the pain just disappeared. That feeling was awesome, I can’t really put it into words. For the moment things have gone full circle, but I will be back next year to finish the ‘down’ race, because I have unfinished business there.”

BECOMING AN IRONMAN
Comrades wasn’t Brad’s only achievement in 2011, however. He also became an Ironman in April, something that was never part of the plan. “My brother did Ironman in 2010 and he was the one who got me fired up on that side of things. After last year’s Comrades I wanted to do some cross training to lose more weight and improve my strength, so he suggested I do some Olympic distance triathlons with him.” Brad did his first triathlon in November and kept graduating to longer distances until he attempted the full Ironman. “I had an awesome Ironman and think the fact that I was more focussed on Ironman this year helped me at Comrades.”

Brad enjoyed the Ironman experience so much that he says he will probably go back and do many more of them. “Training for Ironman is way tougher than training for Comrades, but on race day, compared to the Comrades, Ironman is a doddle. Comrades is in a class of its own in terms of toughness. I have to go back and finish the ‘down’ race because I messed it up last year, but I can’t see myself doing 10 of them. It’s sore and I don’t think it’s healthy. I can see myself doing lots of Ironman races, though. It’s not as taxing on your body.”

INSPIRING OTHERS
While travelling with the Comrades road show earlier this year, Brad realised he can be an inspiration to other people and get them moving. “I’m very grateful that I managed to turn things around before I had a heart attack or damaged my body permanently, but I’ve been lucky to be able to inspire a few people because they can relate to my story. The most important thing that people should realise is that anyone can turn their life around. You don’t have to run the Comrades to reap the benefits of running. Just walking briskly four times a week for 30 minutes will already make a difference. The first step, getting out there and doing it, is the hardest, but I think I’ve proven that anyone can do it, because if I can do it, anyone can! I want to help people get started with their training and at the same time create a culture of doing a race for charity. When you look at the London and New York Marathons, the amount of money those people raise is massive and I would love to instil that kind of culture in South Africa.”

He’s already well on his way to doing this and was the brains behind the CC seeding batch where runners could start the Comrades in a special seeding batch toward the front of the field if they raised R5000 for one of the official charities. “I think we raised about R700 000 this year and laid the foundation to do it even better next year. There were about 100 people in that batch, which I think was pretty good for a first time. I have a few good ideas for the future and the CMA can expect my call soon.”

As for the immediate future, Brad’s next big project will probably be at the 94.7 Cycle Challenge, where he is thinking of attempting a triple challenge, something that has never been done before. This means he would have to do the route twice by the time the last batch of cyclists start their race and then do his third loop with the last batch. More Ironman races are also on the cards, and he wants to lose another 20kg before next year’s Comrades, to avoid serious blisters on the ‘down’ run.

Brad is the first to admit he doesn’t know everything about training and losing weight, but he knows what has worked for him and is sticking to it. “Running has made me mentally stronger, especially the long races. I used to get overwhelmed by a big challenge, but I’ve learnt to break things down into manageable bits. If you take care of the little bits, the big bits take care of themselves.”

Comrades Marathon, Durban to Pietermaritzburg, Sunday 29 May

THE TOP WOMEN
The top ten finishers in last year’s men’s and women’s races will all be lining up again this year, looking to defend their titles and improving their placement at last year’s race. In the women’s race the Russian Nurgalieva twins, Elena and Olesya will look to rack up another one-two finish for Mr Price International, but you can bet the rest of the field will be giving their all to topple them from the top of the podium.

Between the two sisters they’ve taken home the winner’s trophy six out of seven times since 2003, and after their continued dominance at the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon in April, it seems they are untouchable at the moment. However, don’t think the rest of the women’s field will simply be fighting for third position! Russians Marina Myshlyanova, Anna Pichtova (both Mr Price International) and Irina Vishnevskaya (Nedbank) will be hot on their heels, while the American Kami Semick and Brit Lizzy Hawker (Bluff Meats AC) will also hope to impress.

South Africa’s hopes will be placed firmly on Farwa Mentoor (Bonitas), who has been the first South African home eight times in the last nine years, as well as Lindsay van Aswegen (Toyota), Adinda Kruger and Lesley Train (both from Nedbank), who were next over the line after Farwa in 2010. Farwa has also been the leading South African woman five times in nine years in the Two Oceans, and has said that the Comrades is once again her big focus this year. Adinda will have to improve her PB of 6:36 considerably to reach the podium, but she gave the twins a run for their money at last year’s Two Oceans with a late surge. She was not in top form at last year’s Comrades after only recovering from the flu a few weeks before the race. This year she didn’t compete at Two Oceans to focus her energy on the Comrades, so hopefully it will pay off!

Other names to look out for include Kerry Koen (Nedbank), Riana van Niekerk (Mr Price), and the Scot Ellie Greenwood (Nedbank), who will be running her first Comrades.

THE TOP MEN
The men’s race may be a more open affair, with all eyes on Zimbabwean Stephen Muzhingi (Bluff Meats AC), who will be under pressure to claim a third consecutive title, but for the first time on the more challenging ‘Up Run.’ He was fifth in therecent Two Oceans, showing that his form and speed are looking good ahead of Comrades.

A strong South African contingent will be hoping to bring the trophy back home, with last year’s podium finishers Ludwick Mamabola and Bongmusa Mthembu (both Mr Price) leading the charge. Ludwick was arguably the find of last year’s race and will hope to improve on his second place in 2010 with the change of direction, while Bongmusa will hope the home crowd will help him improve on last year’s third place. But don’t write off Fanie Matshipa (Toyota), Fusi Nhlapo, Leboka Noto (both Mr Price), Claude Moshiywa, Petros Sosibo, Peter Molapo and Peter Muthubi (all Nedbank). A lot can happen over 89km!

An exciting addition to the field is a team of Ethopians that will be hoping to show they are also a force to be reckoned with in the ultra marathon scene, while regulars Jaroslaw Janicki (Mr Price International) and Oleg Kharitonov will hope to emulate their female compatriots and make it an all Russian affair.

COMRADES 2011 HEADCOUNT
• Official number of entrants: 19 523.
• Male (15 161), female (4 362), a ratio of 78% to 22%.
• South African (18 255), international (1 268), a ratio of 94/6%.
• Novices (4 822) of which 3 543 are male and 1 279 are female.
• 526 runners will be going for their green numbers, 98 for double green and 11 for triple green.
• The most common age will be 38 years old (822), followed by 40-year-olds (817) and 39-year-olds (790).
• The oldest runner will be 81-year-old Des Robins.
• The runner with the highest number of Comrades this year is Dave Rogers from Westville AC who will be running his 45th. Louis Massyn (Riebeeckstad Harriers) and Barry Holland (Jeppe Quondam) are joint second as they both attempt their 39th.
• Of all the entries, 43 indicated they are diabetic, three are blind, and 26 have had open heart surgery.

When Jannie Van Deventer wakes up every single morning, there is one thing he has to do: Run! It is in his blood, and one of his greatest passions in life. This is a man who has crossed the finish line of Comrades a remarkable 30 times. On top of that, he has completed numerous (former) Leppan Ironman races, duathlons, triathlons, often winning many of these in his age category.

As an ex-rugby player, he only started running in his late 30s after he saw a group of sweaty guys finishing their run at the local gym. Before long he was hooked on running and finished his first marathon in a remarkable time of 3:09. He kept on running and soon found himself running the one Comrades after the other. He received his green number (10 Comrades) from the legendary Wally Hayward, who also awarded him his double green number for 20 Comrades. And when Jannie crossed the Comrades finish line for the 30th time, it was Bruce Fordyce who awarded him his triple green number.

SOME MUCH-NEEDED INSPIRATION
You won’t find many runners who are as passionate about Comrades as Jannie, who despite this passion, doesn’t even know where most of his medals are! For him the Comrades Marathon is so much more than just race day, and he advises runners to remember all the sights and the smells on the day, but to not forget to enjoy the whole experience.

“Comrades is about the build-up, the months and weeks of training, socialising with mates, walking around at the expo, and then eventually waking up on the morning of your big day. When you close that door behind you to walk or drive to the start, your fear starts, because there is no race such as Comrades anywhere in the world! It is tough and it is gruelling.”

THINGS TO REMEMBER
• There is no such atmosphere as at the start of the Comrades Marathon. Expect to feel emotional.
• Make peace with the fact that you have no idea what is going to happen to you on the day. You might have trained for a silver medal, but you might end up finishing in 11 hours!
• Know that there will be some very tough Comrades Marathons, and others that you experience as “slightly easier,” but there is NO such thing as an easy Comrades.
• Comrades is not your friend! Never ever lose respect for this race.
• If you are a novice, never predict your finishing time. Rather just go back home with the medal around your neck as proof.
• There will be some very dark moments on race day, but remember to have fun and enjoy the day!
• Start slowly.
• Remember, when you cross that finish line you are part of an elite group of runners who have conquered the Ultimate Human Race.

LONGEVITY
For Jannie, longevity lies in the fact that no one should ever stop exercising. Yes, over time you do slow down, but one should never ever become a couch potato. “So many people stop training and it is only after their first heart attack that they return to sport.”

Jannie, who recently emigrated to America to be closer to his children, takes pride in the fact that at the age of 67 he can still run marathons and half marathons with his children and grandchildren. In fact, he plans to return to South Africa in three years, when he is 70 years old, to tackle his 31st Comrades with his son! And who knows, says Jannie, he might just take on the mighty Big C when he is 80 years old…

If there is one man that can advise you wisely on the Comrades Marathon, it has to be Denis Kennedy. He has run 21 Comrades Marathons, 21 Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathons and over 150 standard marathons, to name but a few. And on top of that, he is a remarkable athlete in many other sporting disciplines, including recently winning his age group at Ironman 2011 and Ironman 70.3. For the last couple of years, Denis has sent out an e-mail with advice and tips on how to tackle the Ultimate Human Race. This e-mail has become so popular that each year runners look forward to his advice and take his tips to heart.

Denis agreed to share some of this experience picked up over 21 years on the long road between Durban and Pietermaritzburg. Before you even start the big day, he says you must remember the following:
• About 400 000 athletes have successfully run Comrades over the years, but of these less than 200 have won and less than 2 000 have achieved gold. About 7 to 8% of the field achieve silver, while 50% finish in the last hour, but keep in mind that in 2009 about 25% of the starters did not make the 12-hour cut-off. So approach this race with caution and show it respect.
• The average healthy person who has trained for about four months and covered about 1000km in training should finish within the cut-off time. You cannot wake up one morning in May and decide to run Comrades. It won’t happen.
• Always have a plan B and sometimes a plan C!
• There is no such thing as an easy Comrades – it is tough and it hurts.
• No-one apart from you actually cares about your finish time.
• Don’t take yourself too serious!

THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT THE ‘UP RUN’
• The ‘Up Run’ is about 2km shorter than the ‘Down Run.’
• The start is usually warm.
• The first half is a very tough uphill marathon, but the second half is considerably kinder.
• Despite the relentless climbs, the ‘Up’ is less painful than the ‘Down.’
• The last plus-minus 8km have lots of supporters and the winding roads disguise the distance, as opposed to the ‘Down,’ which ends on a motorway and then city streets.

THE START
• The start is a very stressful time for first-timers or inexperienced athletes. Being stressed out or cold simply wastes energy. Keep calm and warm, take deep breaths, and chat to fellow runners.
• Get into your pen about 25 to 30 minutes before the gun.
• Check your watch after the first kay or so as it is often bumped off in the crush and you will need to re-start your time.
• Weaving in and out the crowded field wastes energy – but having said, that do not dawdle!
• Get into your rhythm as soon as possible and keep an eye on your pace/time. If you are planning a steady 6min/km, you should do the first 10km in about 65 minutes. This will easily be caught up later, so not to worry.

HANDY TIPS
• If you are looking for a silver medal, you should pass through the halfway mark at Drummond in around 3:40, for a Bill Rowan about 4:15, and for a bronze around 5:00.
• Do not take painkillers if you can avoid doing so. Your body is stressed enough without adding to the kidney’s task of dealing with more chemicals.
• You will have one or more bad patches. Accept that this happens, but know also that you will recover, so just keep moving forward.
• You will seriously consider giving up somewhere along the route. Be strong, dig deep, the feeling will pass.
• Walk briskly if you need to.
• Make friends and chat to the spectators.

THE FINISH
• In the final stretch, don’t relax too much – you are not finished until you cross the line!
• Smile for your finish photo’s and try to look like you just had a quick walk.
• Cry if you want.
• Enjoy every second of it, but never ever say you have conquered Comrades, because it will come back and bite you when you feel a bit too confident on your next run.
• Take the medal and hang it round your neck, as it is too hard to carry. Say thank you, because you have just run Comrades, something very few in the world will do. It is a personal achievement that can never be taken away.
• Remember, the recovery drink of choice post-Comrades comes in a can or bottle and is amber in colour!

The story of Tuks athletics goes back nearly a century after the club was founded in 1918. The university produced its first Springbok sprinter, Werner Gerhardt, in 1930, and their first Olympian sprinter, Abraham van Heerden, in 1948. Since then, numerous Springboks, national champions and two world champions have hailed from the University of Pretoria. Olympic medallists from Tuks include 800m athlete Mbulaeni Mulaudzi, 400m hurdler Llewelyn Herbert and long-jumper Khotso Mokoena.

Other big names include hurdler LJ van Zyl, who broke the 11-year-old national record in the 400m hurdles earlier this year and is on track for a medal at the World Champs in August, while Caster Semenya is slowly regaining the form that saw her crowned World Champion in the women’s 800m in 2009. Sprinter Oscar Pistorius and discuss thrower Elizna Naude are two other athletes carrying high hopes for the World Championships later this year and Olympic Games next year.

YOUNG FACES
The university’s current crop of top athletes oozes class and confidence, with many new names strutting their stuff at the LC de Villiers athletics track.

Since the turn of the century Tuks has featured in the top three of the South African Student Athletic Championships (USSA’s) every year and 2011 was no different. The university finished second overall in the team competition at the recent champs meet in Stellenbosch.

Club manager Hennie Kriel says one of the reasons the university continues to attract top athletes and perform so well is because of the quality of its coaches. “Everyday we have between 10 and 15 top coaches on our track, which includes six coaches for sprints and hurdles alone. The opportunity to train with athletes such as Morn? Nagel and Geraldine Pillay is reason enough for any prospective champion to join our club.”

Add to this a new synthetic track, a close working relationship with the High Performance Centre and the newly established Tuks Sports School, and it is a promising prospect for many young and upcoming athletes such as long-jumper Mpho Maphuta, national junior champion Rikenette Steenkamp (sprint hurdles) and Jacques de Swart (400m).

Tuks boasts a proud tradition of being an athletic powerhouse in South Africa, as indicated by their tally of medals at the national senior championships earlier this year. Out of a possible 44 gold medals that were up for grabs, Northern Gauteng took 20, and 18 of these went to Tuks athletes, which means that almost half of all the golds went to one club! That’s a feat that will be hard to match by any other club.

When I was a child our community of Riverlea was ridden with alcoholism, drug abuse, gangsters and poverty. We had a lot of fun playing street games and chipping golf balls in our backyard, but growing up we were threatened by the malfunction of society. It was then, as a little boy, that I prayed to God to keep my brothers safely together.

I enjoyed sport at school and during my teens I decided to make my life meaningful and be a good example to the community. I knew this would not change the entire neighbourhood, but in later years it would rub off on others. I was introduced to the running scene by Frank and Tony Richardson from the Rand Athletic Club and for the first time I was educated on all things running. I loved it!

In the heydays of Apartheid, it was a struggle getting to road races, as most transport was for whites only. I didn’t know about a road atlas and there was no such thing as GPS, so I always asked for directions from people at my workplace, often getting lost on my way to a race and even missing a few. My first Comrades in 1981 was riddled with transport and accommodation problems, but I managed to get to Durban and back to Johannesburg in one piece after finishing.

BROTHERS IN ARMS
As my collection of medals grew, my brothers became interested in the sport and eventually we were all running! In 1995 and 1997 all six of us finished the Comrades Marathon and as far as I know we are still the largest group of family members to finish the race in one year. We were close throughout our lives and I was thankful to God that he had answered my childhood prayer and we were safely together.

Today four of the six brothers have received their green Comrades numbers. Between myself (19), Lennie (13), Tony (15), Paul (12), Wayne (9) and Derrick (7), the combined tally of Comrades medals stands at 65. My brothers are planning on increasing this number even more.

A RACE OF A DIFFERENT KIND
I stopped running in 2002 after several bike and motor accidents, but last year I decided to attempt my 20th Comrades. Unfortunately, this was not to be, as I was diagnosed with cancer in late April. Since then I have been involved in a race of a different kind.

In May and June last year I received radium treatment, but it was unsuccessful and I had to undergo chemotherapy. The radiation was exhausting, but after being on chemo for three months I can say it is the worst medical treatment one can experience. It has been physically exhausting, financially costly and spiritually draining. It is also trying being terminally ill, bed-ridden and unemployed while everyone around you is still in good health.

Despite this suffering, I see this experience as a blessing. I’ve learnt to love my family, and people in general, with the love of God, appreciating them more than ever. My family and the community have all been wonderful in their love and support. Through all of them, I am able to encourage others to believe and fight cancer. Stand and fight!

FIGHTING CANCER
Running has strengthened me considerably over the years, both physically and mentally, and today I can say I am a fighter against cancer in the same way that we have to fight to conquer the valleys and hills of the Comrades Marathon.

Through my fight against cancer, I have come to realise that life is a cycle where you’re at the top one second and the bottom the next, but ultimately you keep moving forwards towards the finish line, just as in Comrades. If you have a crisis at work, home or in your sport, you should not be afraid. Run your life race well and the Almighty will give you a crown of glory and scoop you up and carry you to the finish line when you cannot finish. Don’t be downcast by obstacles, but overcome them!

This year three of Alvin’s brothers will be running the Comrades Marathon once again. Derrick, Wayne and Paul, together with Paul’s wife Faith and their nephew Neilan (Tony’s son) will be lining up in Durban on 29 May, once again dedicating their run to Alvin. Wayne will be going for his green number and his first silver medal this year, but ultimately the entire family wants to keep on paying tribute to Alvin for uniting them in running.

Reiner Stuckey 34616
Age: 51 Club: Volksrust
Comrades run: 14 (plus 1 DNF)
2010 time: 10:53:44
My 2011 Goal: I want to run a sub-10:30 for another bronze. I’m a bit old school, so if you don’t finish within 11 hours, you haven’t done it, and that’s why I loathe the copper medal. I have two of them, but usually hide them away! I’m very much a social runner, so for me it’s all about the spirit of the Comrades. It’s one of the most beautiful races in the world, and you just don’t get that same camaraderie anywhere else – that’s what makes it special and what keeps me coming back year after year.

Donna Lee Meyerson 31014
Age: 38 Club: Run/Walk for Life CG
Comrades run: 0
2010 time: N/A
My 2011 Goal: All I want is to finish. I’ll take any medal, even a Vic Clapham. I actually bought an Ipod the same colour as a Vic Clapham, and when I registered it with Apple, I called it the Vic Clapham! I’m so excited about running, because it’s been such a mission to get there. I ran a PB in Maritzburg but didn’t make the qualifying time, then another PB at Cosmos but still didn’t qualify. I almost gave up, but then it was third time lucky at Elands Valley! After all that, even if I only get to halfway, I’ll look at it as experience for next year.

Nikki Campbell 18595
Age: 48 Club: Fish Hoek
Comrades run: 13
2010 time: 10:25:21
My 2011 Goal: My aim is to run under 11 hours, and to have a comfortable day out on the road. I’m addicted to the Comrades. Since I ran it the first time, I haven’t missed a year – there is no other place I would want to be other than the road on Comrades day. I want to keep running the race until I can no longer run. It’s a journey, not a race. It’s one day a year that I can be a hero for a day, not because I’m going to win it, but because the supporters on the side of the road that see this ordinary person doing this want to be me.

Daryl Heffer 22141
Age: 34 Club: Westville
Comrades run: 1
2010 time: 8:49:44
My 2011 Goal: My training has gone alright, but we’ve got one-year-old twin boys, which means that I couldn’t always go train as planned. With it being an ‘Up run,’ it’s like doing a new race again this year, so I don’t really know what to expect. I’d like another Bill Rowan, but I haven’t set my heart on it, and I’ll be happy with anything under 10 hours. I had a terrible run at Two Oceans was just a few weeks ago, cramping at the marathon mark, just like I cramped last year in Comrades, and I think I have this barrier in my mind to get over around 50km.

Go to our Facebook page www.facebook.com/modernathletemag and catch up on more Comrades goals of Modern Athletes countrywide.

When Ludwick Mamabolo lined up in Pietermaritzburg last year he was a Comrades novice, yet he still came close to dethroning Stephen Muzinghi as he finished in second place, a mere six minutes behind the winner. This year he will be back with more experience and more confidence, and with the change of direction it could just be Ludwick who crosses the finish line first and takes the title for Mr Price. He ran 5:35 last year and his preparation for this year has gone smoothly, so he is definitely someone to look out for.

His teammate Bongmusa Mthembu was third at last year’s Comrades with a personal best time of 5:37. On top of this, he had a strong showing at Two Oceans in April. He’s only run the Big C twice but has improved every year and will be another big threat at this year’s race, even though he hasn’t run the ‘Up Run’ yet. A more experienced teammate is 39-year-old Fusi Nhlapo, the 2003 winner of the race who now has nine gold medals under his belt. Fusi will not only be looking for that 10th gold, but will be very eager to show everyone that he still has plenty of running in his legs.

The most experienced of all the Mr Price runners will be Poland’s Jaroslaw Janicki, who will be looking for his 13th medal. He already has five golds, finishing second in 2008, and although this was the last year he was able to finish, his participation in the race is sure to make things interesting.

The rest of the Mr Price team includes 2005 winner Sipho Ngomane, Mncedisi Mkhize (3rd in 2007), Charles Tijane (3rd in 2009), Leboka Noto (9th in 2010, Lesotho), Prodigal Khumalo (11th in 2010), Butiki Jantjies (13th in 2007), Eric Ngubane (19th in 2009), Sandile Makhaye (16th in 2010) and Godfrey Sesenyamotse (10th in 2007). New kids on the block Marko Mambo (three-time Two Oceans winner) and Wellington Chidodo of Zimbabwe, and Teboho Sello and Mpesela Ntlosoeu from Lesotho, will hope to get their Comrades careers off to a good start and will be aiming for at least for top 10 positions.

FEMALE DOMINATION
The Russian Nurgalieva twins have dominated the South African ultra-marathon scene for the past eight years in much the same way that Bruce Fordyce dominated our roads in the eighties, and after another one-two finish at this year’s Two Oceans, it doesn’t look as though they will be dethroned anytime soon. If things follow the pattern that has developed between the two sisters over the past five years, it should be Olesya’s turn to take top spot this time around, but the big question will be whether one of them will be able to improve Elena’s record on the ‘Up Run’ after running downhill the past two years.

Their compatriot Marina Myshlianova took the last place on the podium last year, making it an exclusively Mr Price top three, and she will hope to stay close to the twins again. South African Riana van Niekerk (6th in 2008) and Zimbabwean Samukeliso Moyo (novice) complete women’s line-up and local supporters will hope they can add some African flavour to the podium.