Category: Racing

The Unlimited Dusi Canoe Marathon is a gruelling but awesome event held annually over three days in the Dusi Valley between Pietermaritzburg and Durban. The first day is 45km long, including roughly 15km of portaging with the canoe. Day two is also 45km, while day three is 35km, with shorter portaging sections on the last two days. Competitors have a choice to either compete in a single-seat K1 or two-seat K2 canoe.

KING OF THE DUSI
Mention the Dusi and the name Martin Dreyer springs to mind. He has won seven K2 Dusi titles and seven Non-Stop Dusi titles, as well as posted wins in the Vaal Canoe Marathon. And don’t think paddling is where his talents end: he also won the Land Rover G4 Challenge final in 2006 and other events such as the Bull of Africa and the Cape Point Challenge, and even ran the Old Mutual Two Oceans Half Marathon with his canoe on his shoulder!

Today, Martin lives just outside Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal, where he owns and runs the Change a Life (CAL) Academy, which he started in 2009. The academy not only aims to train talented paddlers, but also to provide them with invaluable entrepreneurial and life skills. The athletes are provided with everything they need to become the best.

PADDLING FITNESS
There is probably no one that knows more about paddling and the fitness it requires than Martin. “Competitive paddlers need to train at least three hours a day, which includes paddling and running,” says Martin. Specific paddling training can involve nine sessions a week and varies from long endurance paddling sessions and interval speed work to so-called ‘boat gym’ sessions, where a cord is tied around the boat to create resistance. This helps to keep the boat from gliding and slows down every stroke, making the paddler work much harder.

The many portaging sections in the Dusi require specific running training, says Martin. We all know that running in itself is hard work, but running with a canoe on your shoulder is ten times harder! Therefore paddlers need to specifically prepare for this. “You have to condition your body to carry the extra weight on your shoulders. Also, while running with the boat, your head is tilted to the one side. Therefore, running with a boat is very conducive to injuries, because of the uncomfortable body positioning. Over three days of the Dusi, one paddles about 80km and runs about 25km. The Non-Stop Dusi is even harder, because the distance gets covered in only one day.”

Martin, who is as experienced a runner as a paddler, says that running has improved his paddling fitness tremendously. “Running is the core of fitness. It is one of the hardest sports; with cycling you can freewheel at some stage, with paddling you can drift and move forward with momentum, but with running the only time you get a break is when you stop! And then you are not moving forward. Nothing can develop your fitness as efficiently as running.”

CHANGE A LIFE
In 2008 Martin won his seventh Dusi K2 title with KZN local Michael Mbanjwa. “His friends all trained with us and ran barefoot. I realised they can be excellent athletes but don’t have any support structures.” That’s when Martin started the academy. “I trained with a big group for a month and at the end chose the 10 best candidates and developed them further. In 2009, seven of them finished in the top 20 and this year nine finished in the top 24! Eric Zondi finished in an excellent fourth position.”

The success of the academy was further evident when Michael Mbanjwa and Eric Zondi came out front to win the 15th edition of The Unlimited Non-stop Dusi Canoe Race, a 120 kilometre one-day event through the Dusi Valley in KwaZulu-Natal. Mbanjwa and Zondi were in good company on the podium, accompanied by another two pairs from Martin the CAL academy to make it a triumphant one-two-three for the academy.

Martin’s title sponsors are Computershare, Hi-Tec and USN, and he believes in supplying his athletes with the same products. “I have aligned myself with these sponsors and believe in the products.”

The academy provides the athletes with so much more than just paddling skills, however. In winter they also mountain bike and run, and compete in many multisport events. From participating in so many different events, doors have opened for some of the athletes: some have received bursaries to study further, and others have found full-time jobs.

BRIGHT FUTURE
Martin is currently enjoying a break from competition and focussing all his energy on his academy. “It is rewarding seeing the guys achieve. Without sponsorship this would not have been possible.”

His advice to anyone thinking of starting to paddle is to remember that what you put in is what you get out. “Set a goal for yourself, but make sure it is realistic. Ultimately, you must do it because you want to have fun.”

Kenya claimed all 12 individual medals and added all four team prizes at the inaugural African Cross-country Champs in Cape Town, despite sending what was effectively a second team, since the first-choice runners were reportedly in the USA, training for the World Cross-Country Champs, due to take place two weeks later in Spain. Granted, the Kenyans didn’t have to contend with traditional rivals Ethiopia, who apparently left their visa applications a bit too late, leaving the Moroccan and South African teams to do most of the chasing. Still, the Kenyans were in a determined mood, with a World Champs spot up for grabs for the winner in each race in Cape Town.

The Champs were hosted by Athletics South Africa and Western Province Athletics at the Western Province Cricket Club’s sports grounds in Rondebosch, with a winding 2km loop course that featured some interesting embankments and even a quick dash through a cricket bowling net. A fair number of spectators turned out for the event, with all local eyes fixed on the South African contingent in each of the four races, but except for the senior men’s 12km, there was little to cheer about as the Kenyans dominated.

KENYA, KENYA, KENYA
The Kenyan procession began in the junior women’s 6km race, where they claimed the top six positions. Caroline Chepkoech won the sprint for the line over Mary Munanu, while the best South African was Sylvia Tshetlanyane in 12th. Kenya took gold in the team competition ahead of Morocco, with South Africa claiming the bronze medals.

The junior men’s 8km was virtually a carbon-copy of the junior women’s race, with Kenyans once again filling the top six positions and claiming the team prize, with Morocco second and South Africa third. Also, the top two Kenyans were only one second apart after a sprint finish that saw Japhet Korir narrowly beat Patrick Mwaka for line honours. Best amongst the local runners were Luyanda Qolo (14th).

Next up were the senior women, running 8km, and this time Kenya could ‘only’ claim the top five positions. Once again Morocco took silver in the team category and South Africa bronze. Yet again it was a sprint for the line as Mercy Cherono outkicked Viola Kibiwot by one second, while South Africa’s Annerien van Schalkwyk was first SA runner home in 11th. She said that the heat had taken its toll on her, and that she hoped it would be cooler in Spain. “I just ran full-blast the whole way. If it had been one metre longer I think I would have died,” she joked.

In the men’s senior 12km SA’s Stephen Mokoka and Kgosi Tsosane took the fight to the Kenyans in the first three laps, but then the strength of the East Africans showed as they claimed the top four positions, with John Mwangangi taking line honours. Nevertheless, Kgosi’s fifth position and Stephen’s sixth, with Lungisa Mdedelwa following in eighth, gave the local supporters something to cheer about, and saw South Africa take the silver medals in the team competition ahead of Morocco. “We wanted to try and dominate the race from the start, because we’re running on home soil, but these Kenyans are something else,” said Kgosi.

ON TO BIGGER THINGS
Speaking after the event, ASA Chairperson James Evans said he was pleased with how smoothly the meet had gone, despite visa problems “The Ethiopians didn’t get their visas on time, the Ugandans almost didn’t make it, and Kenya and Sudan also had problems, because most left it to the last minute. Still, the CAA thinks the meet was world class, and reckons we should now bid for the World Cross-country Champs. South Africa successfully hosted the Worlds in 1996, in Stellenbosch, so we have the track record to back our bid, and we need more events like this in South Africa.”

With the starter’s gun fired precisely at sunrise (06h03), the race started in clear and cool conditions from the Harlequin Club in Groenkloof, Pretoria. True to form, it was soon taking in a good few hills in the neighbourhood’s undulating suburbs. A total of over 5 000 participants, including numerous celebrities, competed in the three events, which had staggered race start times to overcome any early morning runner congestion.

This was the fourth consecutive year that Medihelp Medical Scheme has sponsored the event, and with this support the race has gone from strength to strength, with an annual increase in the number of participants over this period.

RECORD TIMES
The runners in the flagship 32km race started at a brisk pace and it was not long before the eventual winner, Shadrack Hoff of Toyota Running Club, broke away in the off-road section in the Groenkloof Nature Reserve. He built up a sizable lead in front of the bemused zebra and deer in the park to eventually break the tape in a course record time of 1:50:02. The women’s race was won by Irvette van Blerk of Nedbank Running Club, who showed the rest of the ladies the way over the hilly route before finishing in a record time of 2:12:28, some two minutes quicker than the previous best.

The men’s and women’s winners in the 10km Mini Monster were Transnet’s Benedict Moeng in a record 32:32, and Muchanetha Gwata of Mr Price in 39:45.

Unfortunately the cool weather conditions did not prevail throughout the morning, and the backmarkers had to deal with warmer conditions towards the end of the race. However, their thirst was quenched with an adequate supply of ice cold fluids along the route and at the finish at Harlequins. All finishers, including the 5km fun-runners, received commemorative medals for their respective events, as well as a quality goody-bag with the compliments of the sponsor, Medihelp.

The 2011 running of the Tuks Half and its accompanying races was coupled with the launch of a new major three-year race sponsorship from Bestmed, and the attractive prize money that went hand-in-hand with the new sponsorship certainly helped to attract more elite runners. Added to this, the promise of doubled prize money for any new course records saw the top runners all going out to break those records – with great success. In the two main events, three out of four records were broken, thanks to some quality running.

In the women’s half marathon, Mamorolla Tjoka from Lesotho doubled her prize money of R5000 by breaking the course record, and beating the pre-race favourite Irvette van Blerk, in a time of 1:14:25. She smashed the previous record by a massive two minutes and 56 seconds. The men’s winner in the half was 2009 South African cross-country champion Sibusiso Nzima, who crossed the line in a time of 1:05:56, only missing out on the record and incentive by 49 seconds.

The 10km records had no chance of standing as Stephen Mokoka and Zimbabwean Rutendo Nyahora broke the men’s and woman’s records respectively. Stephen took five seconds off the previous record, clocking 29:32, while Rutendo finished in 35:02, going 37 seconds faster than the previous mark.

A FAST ROUTE
The 10km started at the sports grounds of the University of Pretoria, went out towards Loftus Versfeld and back, then featured a loop through the main campus before returning to the sports ground and finishing on the tartan track of the athletics stadium. The half marathon took in an extra loop through the the sports grounds and the university’s farming area before returning via the eastern suburbs to also finish on the track.

The 5km and 1km fun-run events also proved to be very popular, with loads of toddlers, children and adults taking part and earning themselves a T-shirt and medal, and ensuring everyone went home happy.

Chairperson of the Tuks Marathon Club, Prof Vollie Spies, said they are extremely happy with the outcome of race day and look forward to working with Bestmed in future and to making this the biggest half marathon in Northern Gauteng.

RESULTS
21.1km Men
1. Sibusiso Nzima 1:05.56
2. Lucky Mohale 1:07.37
3. Shadrack Hoff 1:08.24
21.1km Women
1. Mamorolla Tjoka 1:14.25 (CR)
2. Irvette van Blerk 1:15.04
3. Onile Dintwe 1:20.59
10km Men
1. Stephen Mokoka 29.32 (CR)
2. Frik Guys 30.34
3. Luwis Masunda 31.04
10km Women
1. Rutendo Nyahora 35.02 (CR)
2. Cathryn Skosana 37.11
3. Mpho Mabuza 37.32

There are many causes of exercise-associated amenorrhea (the absence of menstruation), but in athletes missing a period for a couple of months is a warning sign that your body is under too much stress and does not have enough energy stores to support the healthy functioning of your body.

Scientifically speaking, amenorrhea occurs when you do not have enough of the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone in your body. This hormonal balance is essential and is influenced by, amongst other things, the amount of energy available to your body. This energy availability is, in turn, determined by the amount of exercise you do (energy consumed) and your calorie intake (energy available).

WHO IS AT RISK?
The problem is more prevalent in women with a low body weight and subsequent low body fat percentage. As an active woman, your body fat percentage should ideally be 18% or more. Once it drops too low you will stop producing oestrogen and progesterone, essentially causing temporary infertility. This happens because your body realises you barely have enough energy available to sustain your own body and training schedule, and takes precautionary measures to avoid pregnancy.

Athletes who participate in sports that place more focus on a lean body, such as running, gymnastics or ballet, often suffer from amenorrhea. It is especially common amongst young girls who practise these sports at a high level, but it is definitely not limited to a certain age group. Anyone who trains too hard and does not pay enough attention to their nutrition can suffer from it, and it can have long-term effects on your health.

In elite athletes the presence of amenorrhea is often associated with the female athlete triad which combines the absence of periods with eating disorders and weak bones. Even though this condition involves physical symptoms, it is mostly a psychological condition that should be treated immediately.

SIDE EFFECTS AND TREATMENT
When suffering from amenorrhea, the most serious risk factor is the possibility of developing osteoporosis due to a lack of calcium in your bones. Oestrogen plays an important role in regulating the amount of calcium in your bones and a lack of this hormone could lead to a decrease in bone density and injuries such as stress fractures, and eventually osteoporosis.

The most important thing to remember when dealing with amenorrhea is that the absence of your period is a serious condition and not a normal part of training! It is dangerous and unhealthy, and you should pay attention to it timeously. The first steps to take are decreasing your training volume, increasing your calorie intake, increasing your calcium intake by taking calcium supplements, and seeing a doctor. By addressing and treating amenorrhea early, you may prevent bone loss and avoid long-term side effects such as osteoporosis.
(Sources: The eMedicine Journal, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism)

THIS MONTH WE TRIED: SPEED PLAY
By Michelle Pieters
This month I decided to go back to pure running roots and try some good old-fashioned speed play. We all get so caught up in logging distance and running times that we often neglect having some fun with faster runs. And while having fun we are actually also improving our running.

So I decided to keep it simple: no heart rate monitors, no exact running splits and no intricate calculations of lactate turnover point. No way! I donned my shoes, got out and did this: warmed up for 15 minutes and then started running at varying speeds for varying periods of time. Sometimes I sprinted for a couple of hundred metres, sometimes I kept race pace for 2km and sometimes I just jogged very slowly for a couple of minutes. Before I knew it, 45 minutes was done! I finished up with an easy-paced cooling down and by the time I got home I felt revived. Most of all I had fun!

Try it next time you feel like fun and games! Leave your watch at home and make up your training session as you go along! I bet you won’t only have fun, but without even realising it you will most certainly be improving your running.

GREAT GEAR FOR GIRLS:
PUMA NIGHTFOX TRAIL SHOE
Are you looking for a trail shoe that not only gives you excellent traction but also looks super cool? Then the Complete Nightfox is the shoe for you! Not only is it one of the coolest-looking shoes on the market, it also provides excellent traction, protection and support on uneven terrain, while offering superb comfort and durability. The water-repellent performance upper also keeps your feet dry during your trail runs.

The Complete Nightfox is available at PUMA, Totalsports, Edgars and other selected retailers nationwide. For more information, visit www.pumarunning.com or www.facebook.com/pumarunning.
Suggested Retail Price: R1199

Five weeks of training done. Five to go! How are you feeling? Strong and relaxed? You should be! The next four weeks is when you need to FOCUS on your training. Rest and recovery is as important as training. Focus on the weekend training – these are the key sessions – rest or go very easy on Fridays to ensure you can do the weekend training without strain!

During this KEY training period I hope that you have found a group of athletes with similar ability to train with. Training will be hard but should be fun with like-minded athletes, whereas chasing some lean, mean racing ‘snakes’ on the weekend is not fun!

IT’S ALL IN THE MIND
Your frame of mind is very important during this phase of hard training. Keep this in mind to stay motivated: it is a fantastic feeling when the race announcer shouts out ‘YOU ARE AN IRONMAN’ as you cross the finish line in PE before 12 midnight on 10 April! This is reinforced by the presence of the Ironman Champion of the day being present at the finish to hand the last athlete who crosses the line his or her medal. This does not happen in Comrades or any other major marathon. No matter what your finish time, YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!

Hours and hours have been dedicated to training just to get you to the start of the race! And everybody respects that commitment – ask anyone who has finished their first IM! Use this as motivation when the training gets tough and you will get through it.

THE TRAINING PLAN
The training plan for the KEY five weeks ahead is as follows:

SWIM
Your pool sessions should be 2.5 to 3km and should include some longer intervals. One open water swim per week of 3km is essential.
• Work on your technique.
• Get used to swimming close to other swimmers and try to find a pace that is relaxed, which you can comfortably maintain.
• Always do this session with other swimmers.

BIKE
The bike rides increase in distance and a good part of each long ride should be done without drafting. It is very important to get used to this aspect of the bike leg – 180km riding on your own without drafting is a long way!
• By now you should have got your nutrition right in terms of what food/drinks/energy bars and gels you want to use on race day. Ironman is a long day out and it is impossible to get through the day without proper nutrition. The bike leg takes up about 50% of your race time and it is therefore during the bike leg that you need to take in the major part of the days’ energy requirements.

RUN
The weekend runs will be between 24km and 28km
• Do these at a slow steady pace.
• One of the major issues with the Ironman marathon is that the pace at which most athletes run/jog/walk the marathon is much slower than what they do in training. Often the body finds it difficult to adapt to this during the event. It might sound strange, but I recommend that all Ironman training include some very slow running to get used to this!
• The weekday runs will include some faster running.

BRICKS
Brick training (bike to run) will continue, but make sure you keep the runs quite short, especially after the long bikes.
• These brick runs are just to get your legs accustomed to the change from biking to running.
• There is no real benefit for the average Ironman competitor to do longer brick runs, as the risk of injury or overtraining is high.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
We continue to use the same basic plan as for all triathlon training: the aim is to do a minimum of two sessions each week of each sport, with a maximum of three sessions. We will also do something a little different in that this five-week plan will include a ‘running block’ and a ‘bike block’. This is where we will run consecutively for a few days and cut down on the bike training for one week, and do the reverse the following week. The ‘bike block’ will be over the March public holiday. The training taper will start on 1 April for 10 days.

Click here for the training programme.

Look out for my article in next month’s edition which will give you some final advice for RACE DAY!

TRAIN WELL! THE REWARD IS WORTH THE EFFORT!

Modern Athlete Expert
DERICK MARCISZ
Derick has 41 years’ experience as a runner, cyclist and triathlete. He is the current 2010 SA Triathlon Champ in the Olympic distance for the age group 55-59 years.

Put Aimee Faulmann and Ryle De Morny next to each other and you have quite some contrast. Aimee is a petite 17-year-old currently busy with Grade 12 at Muizenburg High School, and who would like to study veterinary science after school. Ryle, by contrast, is a tall, strapping 22-year-old business science student at UCT. But physical appearance aside, the two share a number of sporting traits. Both are members of the False Bay Surf Lifesaving Club, based at Muizenberg Beach, and both started the sport at a young age. Another trait they share is a talent for the sprint events.

WIDE CHOICE OF EVENTS
The sport of surf lifesaving consists of “loads of events”, says Aimee. “Basically, you get the ‘Beachies’ and the ‘Sea People.’ In the water there’s a run-swim-run, surf swim, kneeboard, surfksi, reel alarm rescue, torpedo rescue, board rescue, taplin relay, and the Ironman. The torpedo rescue is with the hand-held flotation device that the Baywatch lifesavers always carried, the taplin relay comprises all the events, while the Ironman is for individuals who do all the events in one competition.”

“Then there are the beach events: flags, sprints, beach relay and long run. Flags is where we lie on our stomachs, chin on hands, then jump up, turn and sprint 20 metres to grab small pieces of hosepipe in an elimination event. The sprints are straight sprinting, the beach relay is four in a team, either gender-specific or mixed, and the long run varies in distance for the age groups, 1km to 2km.”

FLAGS SPECIALISTS
Both Aimee and Ryle are specialists in flags – and it’s not just a race about speed and reaction time, says Ryle. “There’s a big psychological and tactical aspect to it. You have to find the weakness in your opponents, and you can work together with teammates to eliminate opponents, or make sure your teammates stay in the event.”

“Flags is amazing, I love it,” adds Aimee. “The best part is winning, and when it comes to flags I’m really competitive. I fractured my thumb at the Western Province Champs a few years back, but only realised it after the event. The sand at Blouberg is like cement!”
 
Aimee also participates in athletics at school, where she has earned provincial colours for the 100m. She also races cross-country, where she normally finishes in the top five, but prefers sprinting. “I don’t enjoy long distance, but once I’m in the race I just go for it.” Ryle has a similar outlook to Aimee, preferring sprints and shorter distances: “Two kays is fine for competition, but five is pushing it. I just don’t enjoy training that long.”

As lifesavers, it’s not just about running around on the beach, though. These athletes have to earn the right to compete by working on the beaches, keeping an eye on the swimmers. “You have do a certain number of duty hours if you want to do competitions for your club and your province,” explains Ryle. “But once you’ve qualified as a lifesaver, you can also do pro work and get paid for it.”

SUMMER SPORT
The surf lifesaving season runs from October till April, with the National Champss this year on 30 March at Camps Bay in Cape Town. “We also have the Hansgrohe Masters of Water Lifesaving Series, where basically a national squad gets picked each season, based on the previous year’s results, and we then compete against local or provincial teams,” says Aimee. Both are currently in the squad, which is also the essential stepping stone to making the national teams that regularly compete overseas.

“The biggest reason I do this sport is the opportunity to travel and experience different countries,” says Ryle. “I’ve been to Germany, Egypt, Japan and Australia, plus stopovers along the way, so I’ve seen some incredible places, and it’s an honour to represent your country.”

Aimee was a non-travelling reserve for the trip to Egypt last year, and was then selected as travelling reserve this year for the annual TriNations event in February. “We were both supposed to go to New Zealand, but they couldn’t get enough sponsorship. It would have been my first overseas trip with the national team, and one of the girls got injured recently, which means I would have been competing, so I’m very disappointed. Hopefully next time…”

SA MARATHON CHAMPIONSHIPS, GEORGE, 13 FEBRUARY 2011

Cool, cloudy and wind-still conditions paired with a flat course (3 laps of 14km) brought with it expectations of fast times, but it was not to be. In the men’s race, things were pretty much even as the front group clocked the first lap in a time of 45:42, a fairly pedestrian 2:17 pace. However Lusapho April and Coolboy Ngamole pulled away from the group in the second lap, clocking 43:21. Starting the third and final lap Lusapho was only four seconds ahead of Coolboy, but he soon increased the gap to more than a minute and finished his race without too much pressure from Coolboy, although slowing a bit to clock a last lap of 44:18.

Though it is heartening that Lusapho’s time of 2:13:21 was three minutes faster than Coolboy’s winning time at last year’s championships, he was still unable to break through the 2:12 barrier, most likely as he did not have strong competition in the last lap. Coolboy’s time of 2:14:29 is a personal best and hopefully he will be able to carry on with the steady progress he has shown since last year.

After winning the 2010 SA Marathion Champs race in Durban, Coolboy once again did not receive a championship medal, because he was competing as an individual and not representing a province. The silver and bronze medals respectively went to 2010 SA Champion Benedict Moeng (AGN) with his time of 2:16:10 and Othanial Phalane (AGN) in 2:17:29.

TOP WOMEN ABSENT
In the women’s race Charn? Bosman (AGN) was crowned as champion though her time was a disappointing 2:44:44 – although it was still faster than last year’s winning time in Durban, the 2:48:56 posted by Zimbabwean Samukeliso Moyo, and considerably faster than the 3:00:30 that gave last year’s second-placed finisher, Lindsay van Aswegen, the national title. In George, Tshifhiwa Mundalamo finished second in a time of 2:47:44, but also did not receive a medal because she was running as an individual entry. Catherine Skosana (AGN) therefore received the silver medal for her time of 2:48:06, while Mpho Mabuza (CGA) claimed the bronze in 2:48:09.

It is unfortunate that the top women did not run, because they would have probably been able to run a sub-2:30 on the route and in the perfect weather conditions, says Nick Bester, National Manager of the Nedbank Running Club. He cited a misunderstanding between the provinces and the participants as the reason for their absence. “Women’s running in South Africa is experiencing a massive revival and for the first time in years we have four women capable of running under 2:35. Unfortunately we do not have enough depth in our male runners and that’s why the winning time was not very good,” says Nick.

Results
MEN
1 Lusapho April (BORA)  2:13:21
2 Coolboy Ngamole (Ind) 2:14:29
3 Benedict Moeng (AGN)  2:16:10
4 Othaniel Phahlane (AGN) 2:17:29
5 Johannes Kekana (CGA) 2:17:31
6 Raphael Segodi (CGA)   2:17:38
7 Charles Tjiane (CGA)   2:17:55
8 Doctor Mtsweni (AMPU) 2:18:50
9 Mzwanele Maphekula (EPA) 2:20:16
10 Vusi Malobola (CGA)  2:20:16

WOMEN
1 Charn? Bosman (AGN) 2:44:44
2 Tshifhiwa Mundalamo (Ind) 2:47:44
3 Catherine Skosana (AGN) 2:48:06
4 Mpho Mabuza (CGA)  2:48:09
5 Riana Van Niekerk (AGN) 2:48:22
6 Azwindini Lukhwareni (AGN) 2:49:42
7 Melanie Van Rooyen (KZNA) 2:52:33
8 Bulelwa Mtshagi (WPA) 2:54:37
9 Farwa Mentoor (Ind)  2:54:50
10 Joanna Thomas (WPA) 2:54:53

We Want More
Donald Mathipa (CGA) competed at the event and finished in 2:24:27. This is his take on the event.

“I believe the SA Championships should receive priority on our athletics calendar and be given the same publicity as the Comrades and Two Oceans Marathons. Also, it is unfortunate that when enquiring about the event you end up being sent from pillar to post and given wrong information. How can we be compared to the power houses of distance running such as Kenya and Ethiopia?” says Donald.

“The lack of publicity is one of the main reasons why athletes who emerge victorious from these events remain without sponsors. The event should be publicised at least six weeks beforehand with at least the basic information such as the venue, prize money, registration fees and contact details for the organisers. Not only will this help ASA to get sponsors for the event, it will also help athletes who perform well at this event to find sponsors.”

More than 1000 athletes from 70 countries headed to Christchurch for the IPC World Athletics Champs, which is the last major international gathering of athletes before the London 2012 Olympics kick off. A massive number of 57 world and 173 championship records were broken during the meet, across the many classes and categories that disabled athletes compete in, showing how high the standards of competition were.

China, who had the biggest team at the championships, went home with the biggest medal tally, a healthy 58 medals made up of 21 gold, 22 silver and 15 bronze. Russia finished second on the medal table, with Great Britain third. The Brits did not win as many gold medals as the Russians, hence finishing third, but their overall medal tally of 38 had them second only to China. The South African team’s haul of 25 medals, including nine golds, put them seventh on the table, out of 45 countries that medalled.

IPC World Athletics Champs Top 10 Medal Standings
Country               Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 China                 21    22      15        58
2 Russia                18    11       6         35
3 Great Britain       12     9      17        38
4 Brazil                  12     9       7         28
5 Poland                12     7       6         25
6 USA                    9     10     14        33
7 South Africa         9      7       9         25
8 Ukraine                8     10      9         27
9 Germany              8      8        8        24
10 Algeria               8      6        7        21

BLADE RUNNER LEADS THE WAY
Leading the South African charge was Oscar ‘Blade Runner’ Pistorius, with three gold medals and a silver. He claimed his first gold in the Men’s 200m T44, leading from start to finish to clock 21.80 seconds and beat archrival Jerome Singleton of the USA by nearly a full second. South Africa’s Arnu Fourie claimed bronze in this final, coming home in 22.82, taking more than half a second off his previous best time and only just missing out on silver by 0.05 seconds.

Singleton then reversed roles in the 100m final, diving for the line to beat Oscar in a photo finish as they both recorded relatively slow times of 11.34. The South African got back to winning ways in the 400m, clocking a championship record time of 48.37 despite blustery conditions, but all he could talk about was the cherished T42-46 4x100m relay later that afternoon. “We have four runners under 11 seconds, and despite a bad draw, I am confident for South Africa.”

Well, Oscar needed every metre of the track to run down Singleton as the rivals anchored their teams home, the Americans in the inside lane and the South Africans in lane eight. The Americans gave Singleton a slight advantage at the final change and with 40m to run he still held the advantage, but Oscar’s famous kick saw him win by a head in another photo finish. The South African team of Samkelo Radebe, Henry Roos, Arnu and Oscar also set a championship record of 42.80, just 0.5 seconds outside the world record held by the Americans, and their wild celebrations after winning showed how much this one meant to them.

MATIES-HELDERBERG CLUB EXCELS
Eleven athletes from the Maties-Helderberg Sport Club for Persons with Disabilities, at the University of Stellenbosch were in the SA team, and they brought home 11 of the team’s 25 medals, says Wentzel Barnard, Sport Manager of the club and himself a well-known disabled sportsman. This included double gold for Ilse Hayes in the 100m and the long jump, gold for Hilton Langenhoven in the pentathlon, and a gold for Arnu Fourie as part of the victorious 4x100m team.

Ilse’s win in the 100m was particularly sweet, as she not only set a new championship record of 12.49 in her T13 class, but also moved to the top step of the podium after winning silver in this event at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games. She also took bronze in the 200m final, while Hilton added a long jump silver to the haul. Also amongst the medals were Fanie van der Merwe, who claimed two silvers and a bronze over 100m, 200m and 400m respectively, Jonathan Ntutu, who won silver in the 100m, Arun? Liebenberg with silver in the 400m and Zanele Situ with bronze in the javelin.

Another notable performance from a Maties-Helderberg athlete came from blind runner Jan Nero. He is well known on the road running front in the Western Cape, but only recently turned to the track. After two years of hard work, he was selected to compete in the 5000m in New Zealand, where he finished a commendable sixth in his first international final in 16:11.66, being led by his guide runner Duane Fortuin. Earlier he had finished second in his qualifying heat.