Category: Racing

SPAR Women’s 10km & 5km, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 24 June

Ren? Kalmer galloped to an easy victory in the
third of the Spar Grand Prix Series of races for 2012 in Durban, crossing the
line in 33 minutes and 25 seconds, a full minute ahead of her second-placed Nedbank compatriot
Rutendo Nyahora of Zimbabwe (34:26), with another clubmate and defending race
champ Irvette van Blerk coming home third in 34:39. Having already won the
first two legs of the series – in Cape Town (32:50)
and Port Elizabeth (33:30) – Ren? is now well in control of the Spar Grand Prix,
and this win further extended her remarkable Spar record to 26 race wins, with
14 of them sub-34.

 

She was never under pressure in Durban and pulled
away from her rivals after 3km, but admitted after the race that it was still a
tough run, given that the race had moved back to the Sahara Stadium, Kingsmead, and the
route had been changed as a result. “I found
the route quite tough. I had hoped to beat last year’s winning time, Irvette’s 32:50,
but those last 5km were hard going. Last year I had to pull out with ITB problems,
so I was very happy to come back and achieve such a positive result. I am very
happy with the win.”

 

Besides the
new course and venue this year, the 2012 race also introduced the SPAR Women’s
Lifestyle Expo at Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World. A highlight of the
race was having all three women selected to run the London Olympic Marathon in
August in the field, and then to see all three come home in the top 10, with
Rene first, Irvette third, and local favourite Tanith Maxwell ninth in 35:42. Rene
said the Spar races were really helping with her London preparations,
especially to build speed: “I battled last year because I had just started my
marathon campaign, but this year I am really enjoying running the SPAR Grand
Prix as it helps with my focus for London.”

 

Tanith was also
first home in the 35-39 age group, and said “The atmosphere at the SPAR race in
Durban is
always amazing! I found the new course really tough, so maybe it was just a bad
day for me, but Durban SPAR always attracts the top athletes from around the
country, so it gave me a solid workout towards my marathon in London.”

 

The Durban race
attracts young and old alike, including regular entrant Bets Lubbe, 70, from
Amanzimtoti, who ran it for the 18^th time this year! Twenty years
ago, she says she realised she wanted to get healthy, so she stopped smoking
and entered the SPAR race, and it has been on her calendar ever since! She ran
her first back in 1993 and has only missed two races since. “It is such a fun
day and you enjoy every second of it. In the beginning I took it very seriously
and I was very competitive, but recently I’ve just been enjoying them. I used
to run them, but since 2000 I walk them,” she said.

 

Modern Athlete reader Desiree Casey
Jagarnath also enjoyed her SPAR race, finishing in 1:07. “I didn’t feel like it
the night before, as I felt that nasty feeling of a cold trying to take over my
body, but it was my first 10km race in about a year and a half, so I felt like
a winner and I admit I was a tad bit emotional! It was an awesome race!”

 

Upcoming SPAR Women’s 10km & 5km
races:

25 August:
Pretoria

9
September: Pietermaritzburg

14 October:
Johannesburg

 

2012 Durban Results:

1 Rene Kalmer (Nedbank CGA)           33:25

2 Rutendo Nyahora (Nedbank CGA)    34:26

3 Irvette van Blerk (Nedbank CGA)      34:39

4 Christine Kalmer (Nedbank CGA)      34:48

5 Portia Ngwenya (Transnet)                34:55

6 Zintle Xiniwe (Mr Price)                     35:23

7 Thabisa Sirayi (ATRA)                      35:35

8 Poppy Mlambo (Bidvest CGA)         35:40

9 Tanith Maxwell (Boxer)                     35:42

10 Tabitha Tsatsa (Mr Price)                35:51

40-49: 1 Janene Carey (Boxer)             37:47

50-59: 1 Grace de Oliveira (Boxer)       42:09

60+: 1 Lien Botha (Amanzimtoti)          46:56

Juniors: 1 Thabisa Sirayi (ATRA)        35:35

THE
NUM-NUM TRAIL CHALLENGE, MPUMALANGA, 7 JULY

Whether you take part in the 36.5km Challenge or the 15km Rough It, this
is a race that will test the physical and mental skills of even the most
hardened trail runner – which is why some of South Africa’s leading trail runners,
including Landie Visser, Jock Green, Mazu Ndandani, Graeme McCallum, Christiaan
Greyling and Dom Wills, lined up in July to be challenged by the Bankspruit Gorge,
Hells Kloof and Skurwerberg.

 

In the men’s 36.5km, Christiaan
Greyling powered through for the win with a quad-breaking 4:53, while Landie Visser was crowned the ‘Trail
Klipspringer’ after covering 36.5km of sandstone and forest twisters in 5:08. Num-Num staff member Sijila Msitini is
one to watch. In his very first race ever, he came third, thanks in part to
trail shoes bought with contributions from other runners on top of a massive
discount from Sportsmans Warehouse. Afterwards he said he loved the shoes, but
reckoned he would have done better if he ran in his overalls and not trail
running pants!

 

Graeme McCallum took a
wrong turn and did the Bermanzi Loop twice, which is only the toughest part of
the trail. Think rock climbing for 1.5km and 2km downhill on loose stone…and
then doing it again! 40km in 5:31 guaranteed him a good night’s sleep. Still
further back, the last runners made it in just after dark in 11 hours.

 

The 15km runners took on some of the
technically trickiest parts of the Num-Num Trail, limbering over old boulder
falls, in and out of forested areas, through sandstone rock formations, and the
route was a bit tougher than last year. Jonathan
Beattie took first place in 2:52, but Roelof Nel (2:53) and Deborah
Leat (2:55) were hot on his heels. Unfortunately, Riaan van der Vyver
took an emergency exit and had to be DNFed, but he set a blistering speed. The
last runners did the 15km in over five hours.

 

Francis Darvall, co-owner of The
Num-Num Trail, said “We were blown
away by the runners on the Challenge. This sport requires individual to reach into
the depths of their endurance, and yet everyone still acts with impeccable
integrity and team spirit. We are determined to grow this event and make it
even more efficient, challenging and enjoyable for trail snakes and
klipspringers.”

To
get onto the VIP list and stand a chance of securing an entry for the 2013
Num-Num, e-mail: [email protected].

 

Said the Num-Nummers

“Cape Town Trail runners supporting a Mpumalanga jewel, definitely worth the
travel! Lung burning technical trail with unforgettable scenery!” – Christiaan Greyling

 

“The variety of terrain is
probably the most enjoyable part of the race. Easy escarpment running, great
views, steep climbs, quad-busting technical descents, twisty forest sections,
ladders, bridges, waterfalls, rock pools – Num-Num has everything.” – Neill Leith

 

“Congratulations on an awesome race. A real trail race – and you can quote me! This is the way
it should be, thank you very much. I had a wonderful time out there!” – Bani Erasmu

 

36.5KM MEN

1 Christiaan Greyling         4:53:30

2 Dom Wills                     4:57:42

3 Sijila Msitni                    5:27:48

36.5KM WOMEN

1 Landie Visser                5:08:38

2 Nathalie Romeo             6:11:57

3 Chani Mare                    7:15:59

 

15KM MEN

1 Jonathan Beattie            2:52:21

2 Roelof Nel                     2:53:43

3 Ian Jones                      2:59:45

15KM WOMEN

1 Deborah Leat                2:55:37

2 Jo Jones                       2:59:42

3 Marilize Steenkamp        3:02:32

TOTALSPORTS XTERRA KNYSNA PRESENTED BY REHIDRAT? SPORT, 12 JULY

Stuart Marais took line honours in the individual men’s category
of the XTERRA Full (3km trail run, 22km mountain bike and 7km trail run), but
the win did not come easy as he went up against multiple SA mountain biking
champion and 2010 XTERRA Knysna winner Kevin Evans. “The race was really hard,”
said Stuart. “I had to build a lead on Kevin and Nico Pfitzenmaier, which meant
that I had to go out really hard on the first run. Kevin caught me quickly on
the bike leg, and it felt like I was standing still. At transition I heard he
had a two-minute lead on me, so I put my head down and just tried to find my
rhythm.” Stuart caught Kevin again and opened up his own two-minute lead to win
in an impressive 1:39:32, as Kevin took second in 1:41:44, with Nico third in
1:42:07.

 

Women’s winner Susan Sloan also said she had to work for her
win, which she took in 2:01:58: “I had some technical trouble with my mountain
bike today, forcing me to work even harder, but the runs were good. I had to
push hard throughout, as I knew that Alae Brand and Fienie Barnard were right
behind be, and both of them are really strong runners.” Alae finished second in
2:03:31, followed by Fienie in 2:05:15. Team Perde was the first men’s team
home in 1:58:24, while Team Giant Mavic was the first women’s team in 2:15:30. Team
Fun Freaks was first mixed team in 2:18:28.

 

Dan Howitz
took honours in the individual men’s category of the XTERRA Lite (3km/12.5km/3km)
with a winning time of 1:02:43. Matthew Lombardi came in second, while Philip
Van Niekerk finished third. Heleen Rossouw took the women’s category, winning
in 1:18:40, with Marguerite Van Niekerk second and Jade Hooke third. Team Pa en
Seun was the first men’s team home with a time of 1:06:39, while Team Lombardi
Salomon took the women’s team competition in 1:17:47 and Team Cyclerun was the
first mixed team in 1:07:42.

 

 

Sidebar, with MY EXPERIENCE
icon

 

(Header) Fun in the Mud

(Race
name) TOTALSPORTS XTERRA KNYSNA PRESENTED
BY REHIDRAT? SPORT, 12 JULY

 

(Intro) It didn’t take long for this leg of the Totalsports XTERRA series to
become one of my favourite events of the Knysna Oyster Festival. – BY KEVIN EVANS

 

I was
back for my third year, and the event definitely keeps me motivated to cross-train
and keep up the running… but to give you an idea of my priorities, in three
years I’m on my sixth mountain bike, but still the same pair of running shoes! The
first 3km trail run is always intense, and I could not believe the speed at
which pre-race favourite Stuart Marais took off. I could only run as fast as my
legs would take me, and had to settle for around 10^th position,
about two minutes down heading into the first transition.

 

Once
onto my bike, with mudguard firmly in place, I could use all my experience of
racing in muddy conditions to gain as much time as possible. Although my bike
form is not where it usually is for this time of year, I started to catch guys
quickly, and after about 12km I passed Stuart. I had a small mental battle with
myself to slow down, as I knew he would out-run me on the final run, but
decided to push on and get as much of a head-start as possible.

 

I
always enjoy coming into the second transition after making up so much time, as
commentator Paul Valstar really gets the support behind you. I shoed up as
quickly and set off for the 7km trail run, with a slender two-minute lead over
Stuart and Nico Pfitzenmeier. I knew Stuart would catch me, but I wanted to try
stay ahead of Nico. The second trail is pretty hard by my standards, so the
legs were starting to tire and my back was beginning to fatigue, but with the
finish line just ahead, I pushed on and maintained a gap over Nico to take
second place again. As always, I thoroughly enjoyed the event, and at least
Stuart said I made him work for it!

-End-

 

 

 

(Sidebar2)

(Header) MARAIS WINS AT
FEATHERBED

(Race
Name) Salomon Featherbed Trail Run, presented by GU performance
energy products, 10 July

 

(Intro) With two races distances through a gorgeously scenic
nature reserve on offer and three different time slots in the day to run them,
the Featherbed Trail Run really gave runners a great day out in Knysna.

 

Elite multisport athlete Stuart Marais won the fourth annual Salomon
Featherbed Trail Run at the Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival. Competing in
this event for the first time, he posted an impressive time of 55:50 on the
15km Coelacanth Route in the early morning running of the race. Afterwards, he
described the run as a “proper hard route, but definitely one for the bucket
list!”

 

Starting with a ferry trip across the Knysna estuary, the route takes
runners through the well-known Featherbed Nature Reserve and Brenton on Lake,
then back to town via the railway bridge over the lagoon. Knysna local
Melikhaya Msizi, who competed in the afternoon, also made it in under the hour-mark,
coming in second with a time of 59:36. Third place went to Nicholas Rupanga,
who finished exactly on the hour, second in the morning slot, and then won evening
run of the 11km Seahorse Route and took second overall in the shorter race.

 

The hotly contested women’s 15km saw Alae Brand (1:08:54) pull away from Susan
Sloan (1:09:44) and Landie Greyling (1:09:52). The winners of the shorter race
were Ross Lahana (48:19), followed by Nicholas Rupanga (48:37) and Eddie Mouton
(50:12), while the women’s title went to Kristen Heath (51:58), with Jacoline
Haasbroek (52:24) and Dawn Springer (59:30) rounding out the podium.

 

“The Featherbed Trail Run has grown from one to three race slots since
its inception in 2008. The event’s two routes offer a unique opportunity to run
across the western Head of Knysna and is the best combination of challenge and
spectacular scenery,” said race director Mark Collins of Knysna-based event organising
company Magnetic South. “This is also the first year ever that the race was not
contested in pouring rain, and it proved to be even better when conditions are
good!”

-End-

Picture
this: A South African race has grown so popular that the organisers announce a
25 000 cap on entries in order for the venue and route to handle so many
athletes. Chances are you’d probably assume we are talking about the Comrades
or Two Oceans, but we’re actually talking about a Spar Ladies 10/5km event! And
that is because the various women’s races on our calendar, notably the Spar
Series races that have been going for around 20 years and the slightly younger
Totalsports Ladies’ races, are attracting an ever-growing number of women (and
quite a few cross-dressing men) to the roads.

 

SPAR LEADS THE WAY

It
all started in 1991 when the first Spar race was held in Durban, as Spar looked
for a way to give back to its customers, says original race co-ordinator Ian
Laxton: “Ladies only, no time pressure, fun, entertaining, and all lady athletes
get their value for money with a big goody bag! This formula has kept the
series going successfully and made the numbers grow dramatically.” That first
race had less than 500 participants, but by 2000 it had grown to 25 000! And
seeing how much fun was being had at the coast, Johannesburg got in on the act
in 1992, followed shortly by Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria and
Pietermaritzburg. Today the series boasts a collective 85 000 entries per
year, and also features the Spar Grand Prix, where top runners across all age
categories can earn points towards cash incentive prizes and a new Nissan Micra
for the overall winner this year.

 

Understandably,
the folks at Spar are proud of what they have achieved. “The Races are growing
each year, which is testimony that we are doing something good,” says Spar
Sponsorships Manager Belinda Nel. Echoing these words is Rob Philipson, Managing Director
of SPAR: “We are very proud of the enormous impact the series has on thousands
of women across the country, and are pleased to see that they are in turn
supported by a host of family and friends, in the build-up to the race and on
the route.”

 

TOTALSPORTS ON BOARD

The
TotalSports Ladies’ Series was launched in 2001 in Cape Town, but it was
originally called the Avon Ladies Race, with TotalSports as the presenting
sponsor. That first race brought 400 women to the roads of Bellville, and by
the next year the field had grown to over 4000! Then in 2003, with TotalSports
now the title sponsor, the race moved to picturesque Stellenbosch, and it’s
still growing in size today.

 

“Johannesburg
also needed a taste of TotalSports energy and therefore our second race was
launched in 2007, and in 2011 we added a third race in Durban,” says Jacky
McClean, head of PR and Communications at Stillwater Sport & Entertainment,
which co-organises the series in conjunction with another pre-eminent SA race
management company, Top Events. “Now the series boasts a combined turn-out of
15 000 lovely ladies each year, with the Stellenbosch and Johannesburg races
both on National Women’s Day. We always had it in mind to celebrate this day
with our races, and to focus on ensuring a super experience for runners, walkers,
sponsors and spectators.”

 

So this August, celebrate
Women’s Day (and month) with your feet by being part of one of the many
wonderful women’s races on the calendar:

Thursday 9 August

?        
Totalsports Ladies’ 10km & 5km Johannesburg, Central
Gauteng

?        
Totalsports Ladies’ 10km & 5km Stellenbosch, Boland

?        
Women’s Day Challenge 10km & 4.2km, Western Province

?        
Sanet Wentzel Memorial Women’s Day Challenge 10km & 5km,
South Western Districts

?        
Leading Edge Women’s Day 5km & 2km, South Western
Districts

?        
Women’s Day Ladies’ 10km & 5km Challenge, KwaZulu-Natal

?        
Setsing SuperSpar Women’s 10km, PLUS 5km Walk, Free State

Friday 17 August

?                    
Welkom Medi-Clinic Nite Women’s 5km, Free State

Saturday 25 August

?                    
Spar Ladies’ 10km & 5km Centurion, Gauteng North

(Turn
to our Race Calendar on page 36 for more details.)

For
most of us who take a sabbatical during the winter months, the motivation to start
training again comes when we wake up one morning and suddenly realise our
favourite outfit no longer fits, or our family and friends start remarking
about our “late growth spurt.” So we decide to start training again the next
day, carefully select our kit and put our shoes out, and set the alarm with
every intention of waking up and teaching the tar a lesson in the morning. But
something changes during the night…

 

The
alarm buzzes and as you slowly open your eyes, all snug in your warm, toasty
bed, feeling energised by a good night’s sleep, but then you recall the promise
you made to yourself only a few hours back. It’s amazing how many excuses suddenly
come to mind as to why it’s not a good idea to head out for a run. With that,
it’s a done deal: The alarm is reset for another hour, maybe even two, the
duvet is pulled all the way up and it’s back the beauty sleep that was so
rudely interrupted. The problem arises when you eventually do get out of bed
and walk past your kit and shoes, which seem to be sitting there with that
mournful look that says, “Why don’t you want to play with us?”

 

JUST DO IT

As
you go to bed tonight, put your alarm out of arm’s reach, so that you can’t
simply lean over and hit snooze. When it goes off, you’ll have to get up to
switch it off, and once you’re up, there’s less chance that you’re going to
climb back into bed and carry on where you left off. The toughest part of
training in winter is getting out of bed, but once you’re up and out on the
road, you soon realise that actually it’s not as bad, or as cold, as you
thought.

 

Suddenly
you’re feeling good and energised, and as you walk into the office, you hold
your head high, knowing that you did something hundreds of others were unable
to do today: You defeated yourself! But if you really can’t bear the thought of
heading out the door into the icy cold dark of the early mornings, don’t worry,
because there are other ways to keep your fitness levels ticking over in
winter.

 

1 Hit the gym: Do a
10-15min easy warm-up on a spinning bike, the Stair Master or the elliptical
trainer, all with low resistance gradually building up to a higher RPM. Next,
head to the treadmill, set the elevation to 1.5% (to offset the fact that
treadmill training is easier due to no wind resistance), and play around with
various 10-20min sessions of quality, for example:

?        
Run easy for 90 seconds, then hard for 60 seconds,
repeating 6-10 times.

?        
Increase the pace and elevation to 4-5% for 60 seconds
and then easy for 120 seconds, repeating 5-6 times to give you a great hill
session.

?        
Do a tempo session of 5min easy and then increase the
pace until you’re hitting your 5 or 10k race pace and hold that for 10-15min,
then easy for another 5min.

Be
creative and use your imagination. Once you’re done with your quality session
on the treadmill, hit the spinning bike once more for a 5-10 minute easy cool-down.

 

2 Join the class: Sign up for
one of the group classes for a spinning, aerobics or yoga class. It’s far
easier getting back to training when you know others will be slogging it out
next to you.

 

3 Hit the indoor pool: Do a few
swimming sessions, which are great for core muscle strength and builds your
cardiovascular system. The water temperature at most gyms is normally around 25
degrees – warmer than outside!

 

4 Skip the morning gloom: There is no
rule stating that to be a runner one has to train in the morning or evening.
Why not slip out for a quick 20-30min run during your lunch break? If that
doesn’t work for you, head out in the afternoon after work, when temperatures
tend to be around the high teens – ideal for running.

 

5 Give yourself a goal: Get out the
race calendar and identify a race to do in the next month or two, write it on a
piece of paper and put it up on the fridge, next to your bed, or some place
where you’ll see it often. Make it your goal and you’ll find all the motivation
you need!

When
Team SA was announced in June for the London Olympics, four badminton players
had cracked the nod, a men’s doubles pairing of Dorian James and Wiaan Viljoen,
and a women’s pairing of Michelle Edwards and Annari Viljoen. Dorian played in
the 2004 Athens Games, while Michelle went to Athens as well as Beijing 2008,
but for the Viljoen siblings, it will be a first taste of Olympic action, and
Annari is naturally even more excited to be going with her older brother: “Very few
people can say they went to the Olympics, even less with a sibling and both
competed.”

 

Both pairs won their African continental preliminaries
at the Thomas Cup (men) and Uber Cup (women) and played in the finals in China
earlier this year, having already won the All African Champs in Morocco last
year, and that saw them included in the SA team for London. “The day I heard I
had qualified was the best day of my life,” says Annari. “I started playing
with Michelle in 2009 and the last few years have been hectic as we’ve played
as many tournaments as possible to get a higher world ranking, because we had
to be continental champs with a world ranking in the top 50 to qualify.
Michelle has loads of experience, and I’m still learning from her each time we
play together.”

 

NEED FOR SPEED

Annari,
who is the current SA singles champion as well, works as a fitness manager at
the N1 City Virgin Active gym in Cape Town. She says her working environment
makes it a bit easier to build and maintain the running fitness that is an essential
part of her training, as she can easily training on the treadmills in the gym,
although she prefers getting outside in the fresh air. “In singles you need
more endurance, as you have to cover the whole court, but in doubles it is more
about explosive speed, so I need a combination of endurance and speed work.”

 

“Michelle
and I do long runs of 5-10km each Sunday in the off-season break in
December/January, to build base fitness, but then we focus on sprint and
interval work the rest of the year. A typical interval session is a hard run at 95%
intensity for 45 seconds, then slower for 15 seconds, and repeated 20 times.
That is like a badminton rally with a short breather between points to fetch
the shuttle. We normally do speed sessions twice each per week, plus we follow a gym
programme, and we train every weekday from 9am to 11am on the court to work on
our shots and combinations, as well as ‘sparring’ against other players.” This often
sees them playing against men in order to raise the intensity and speed of
their practice matches.

 

When
asked if she enjoys all this running, Annari quickly nods her head. “I do enjoy
it, but it is hard, because every time I run I put in 100% intensity. It is
always about pushing myself harder in order to help my badminton. If I can say
after a run, ‘well, that wasn’t too bad,’ then I obviously haven’t pushed
myself hard enough. One day I would actually love to just jog for a change!”

The MERRELL
Xtreme, Eastern Cape, 28-30 April

I
took part in the first running of the three-day MERRELL Xtreme trail run, slickly
organised by Liam Victor of Katliesure and Craig Muller of Backyard Adventures.
It took us 146km eastwards along the unspoilt Eastern Cape shoreline from the
East Pier in Port Alfred to Nahoon Beach in East London, stopping overnight at
Mpekweni and Kidd’s Beach. Our group of 12 full-distance runners was
supplemented by five “day trippers”, who each ran a stage or two. With
refreshment stations every 10 to 15km and carrying only what we wanted for the
day, the emphasis was on fun and finishing, rather than on racing, and with
Liam’s obvious delight in coming up with more goodies and surprises every day,
we ended up feeling like a bunch of spoilt kids out on the best seaside trip
ever.

 

The
run started literally with a bang in the teeth of a thunderstorm, with teeming
rain and a fierce westerly keeping us huddled in our cars until the very last
minute before the first 43km stage to Mpekweni Beach Resort. Fortunately, within
an hour the sky cleared, the rain stopped, the waves were sparkling and the
strong tail wind added an exhilarating touch to a beautiful day. Rising trail
star Hylton Dunn arrived first at Mpekweni in a blistering time of 3:36, with
the rest of us finishing within six hours. After an afternoon of rest and
recuperation, we came together again in the evening for a briefing of the next day’s
56km stage, dinner, lucky draws, and forfeits for “crimes” such as
lack of height, extreme youth, excessive speed, prolific chattering, even use
of hiking poles in a thunderstorm!

 

Day
two dawned fine and clear, and we set off towards Palm Springs Resort at Kidd’s
Beach. There was plenty to keep us interested between checkpoints: Wrecked
fishing boats, a couple of rivers to cross by jet-ski, one to swim, a massive
decomposing whale, seabirds, some intriguing mammoth winding gear rusting away
on the beach, and plenty of amazed holiday-makers asking us what on earth we
were doing. Hylton again showed a complete lack of respect for the distance, bounding
to the finish in 5:09, followed by the rest of us. Supper, prize giving and
forfeits took place this time at the vibey Beach House restaurant.

 

SURPRISE
PACKAGE

Day
three was full of surprises, starting with a full breakfast at the Beach House.
Obviously it was never going to be a racing day… except, of course, for
Hylton, who somehow missed that memo. Just outside East London we morphed from
a straggle of strandlopers to a platoon of urban warriors, running in a group
through the suburbs to the rowing club, where surprise number two awaited in
the shape of a luxury catamaran waited to take us down-river, where we invaded
East London in fine style, disembarking and jogging up the pier with Hylton
Dunn as our standard bearer, waving the MERRELL flag aloft. (He, just by the
way, had already run to the finish at Nahoon, and returned to the harbour to
fetch the rest of us.)

 

Surprise
number three was ice-creams at the beachfront Steers, owned by one of the
runners. As may be imagined, we were all feeling quite chipper by this time,
and the fun wasn’t over yet. Leaving the Esplanade and crossing the beach, the
MERRELL platoon trotted through the maze of cliff trails, along the tracks, up
and down steps, through the caves and coves and between the rocks and ridges
around Pinnacle Point to finally emerge onto the last stretch of golden beach
at Nahoon where a line of orange flags guided us to the finish and surprise
number four: Fresh, juicy Steers cheeseburgers, a cooler-box full of cold
drinks, and the presentation of our finisher’s jackets.

 

Hylton dominated the run whilst keeping himself
tightly reined in – it was, after all, a Comrades training run for him, and not
to be over-cooked! The rest of us were all winners. We left with our bags stuffed
with awesome goodies. We also left with our heads stuffed with wonderful
memories of a unique and Xtreme experience.

Race Walking
World Cup 50km, Saransk, Russia, 13 May

I
had pre-qualified for the World Cup after winning the South African 50km
Championships in Cape Town in October 2011, clocking 4:22:12. I set about my
training with a ferocious intensity, building up my strength and core stability
through a vigorous gym and cybex programme, coupled with core stability classes
and regular sports massages. I managed to clock over 2500km in 23 weeks from 5
December (averaging 110km/week), and in the final four weeks before the race, I
had recorded personal best times over 10km on road (43:14) and track (43:45) in
addition to 20km road (1:26:35). My training sessions were regularly at the
necessary race pace (4:46/km) required to achieve the IAAF A standard of 3:59:00,
as required by both ASA and SASCOC, so I was really confident going into the
race.

 

RUSSIAN
HEAT

I started off conservatively,
walking within myself and in a group that I felt was on course for the A
standard. We started increasing the pace from 10km in the warm conditions on a
challenging course in downtown Saransk, situated approximately 700km south-east
of Moscow. Our group of three went through halfway in 1:57:30 and I was on course
for a 3:55:00. We increased the pace slightly, going through 30km in 2:20:43,
which was also a personal best. The heat throughout the race was a constant
concern, though, and I regularly sponged my body, pouring bottles of water over
my head at each of the water tables. I owe a great deal of gratitude to my
experienced seconding team that supported me throughout the race, team coach
Carl Meyer and team manager Oliver Mundell, representatives of the SA Race
Walking Committee and veterans themselves of the 1993 Race Walking World Cup in
Mexico.

 

I suffered muscle cramps from 33km
and my pace slowed, so at 38km I had exactly one hour and five seconds in which
to complete the final 12km. I was encouraged by my team mates that were strewn
around the course in addition to my international race walking friends, and I
had to dig really deep for the final 4km after the leaders had lapped me for
the second time. This was my only chance for Olympic qualification and I had to
trust in my training and my mental willingness to embrace the pain and to take
my body to a new level of discomfort, whilst many athletes were suffering
around me.

 

MISSION
ACCOMPLISHED

I finished in 3:57:57 and 26th
place, recording 10km splits of 47:15; 46:50; 46:38; 48:09 and 49:03. I had
recorded a new personal best time, national record and African record, and in
so doing, achieved my first IAAF A standard, thus meeting the ASA and SASCOC
Olympic criteria! I also became only the second athlete from the continent to
break the four-hour barrier, and the first ever to record an IAAF A standard
over 50km. I was completely elated and tearful after the race, knowing that I
had just qualified. The realisation of a childhood dream is without description
and it is a moment in your life that you can never really prepare for.

 

It was surreal to arrive back in Johannesburg
to TV crews from the SABC and SuperSport, and then to be contacted by
journalists and radio presenters the entire week. I have never experienced this,
and it was truly fantastic. I am so looking forward to representing not only
myself but South Africa in London, and want to thank everybody that made it
possible for me to get there, my family, girlfriend, friends, training
partners, coaches, sponsors, employers and more. I think I’ll only believe it
fully when I am standing on the start line in London on Saturday 11 August.

 

FOLLOWING
IN FOOTSTEPS

Fifty-two years ago George Hazel
represented South Africa in both the 20km and 50km race walking events at the
1960 Rome Olympics. I hope that my participation in 2012 will kindle a new
generation of young South African race walkers that will aspire to compete on
the international stage. I later learnt that my performance in Russia could also
qualify me for the 2013 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Moscow, so I am looking
forward to the coming years!

In 2008, while
out on a run with friends, Retha Schutte mentioned that she’d like to run for a
charity. The idea was left there, until last year. “In August, I knew I needed
to start the Lighthouse Run. Often, abuse is an issue left in the dark. We’ll
shed light on the issue, council women, men and children, and make abuse an
issue that is not hidden away,” she says.

 

Retha spent
most of her childhood witnessing her alcoholic father beat up her mother,
brother and sister, and says she now has the opportunity to speak out and help
turn the tide. “Now I have a voice. Now I can stand up. Every 17 seconds in
this country, someone is abused – whether physically, sexually or mentally. We
want to tell people its okay to speak out and get help. And we want to show them
that there is life after abuse.”

 

TOUCHING THE COASTLINE

Retha
shares not only this cause, but also a love of running long distances with her
friends Machelle Bremer and Sorita van der Walt. For six weeks, these three
intrepid women are planning to run a marathon a day, starting in Umhlanga, just
north of Durban, and following the coastline and
its lighthouses to finish at Cape Columbine in the Western Cape. The journey will cover roughly
2 000km and the team will reach communities along the way, spreading the word
and launching workshops en route. The Lighthouse team will also be accompanied
by a community service team in clinical psychologist Eugene Viljoen, life coach
Kudzai Shoko, and Herman Schutte, who will facilitate emotional intelligence
and conflict management.

 

Retha
explains why they chose to focus on lighthouses: “Every lighthouse has a unique
signal and rotation pattern every few seconds. Like abuse, the rotation happens
quickly. Now we want to fight against the issue so people can act against the
situation before violence spreads. We want to get the word out there because
little is done about abuse. We aim to council victims on recovery as well as
men who want to be rehabilitated. We will also give children a chance to speak
and give anyone legal advice when it comes to abuse.”

 

RUNNING IN HOPE

Retha and
her running team are ready to conquer the coastline, as they have a rich
history of running marathons and ultras. Retha has clocked four Comrades
finishes, with a PB of 9:38, as well as five Loskop Marathons. Some of Machelle’s
running highlights include six Comrades finishes, including a best time of 7:25
and 24^th position in the women’s race, as well as seven Loskop runs.
Back-up runner Sorita has been running since 2008 and has a number of half
marathons under her belt.

 

The Lighthouse
Run is set to start on November 19 and run through to December 27, which will
coincide with the government’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence
campaign. So far, South African celebs have taken to the project with musician
Elvis Blue and Comrades gold medallist Lindsay Van Aswegen already on board to
run some legs. Chevrolet South Africa has also
promised the Lighthouse Run transport to get the word out there and spread
light on the evil that is abuse.