Go for your Run! Two Oceans Marathon 2011 is on!

Hopefully you’ve done all your training and are ready to do your best – Two Oceans Marathon in on! The excitement is there and the weather forecast for Cape Town looks like we’ll have perfect running weather with sunny and mild temperatures between 13-24 °C.

The expo hall where you went for registration was busy the last two days:

Have you picked up your Goodie bag? Did you find the same stuff as I did?

I wish all runners all the best!

Results for Lighthouse 10km 2011 run in Mouille Point, Cape Town

The Lighthouse 10km run 2011 in Mouille Point, Cape Town was another well organized event that I was lucky to run at. The picture above was shot by me after finishing the race in 49 minutes. The following table shows the official results as issued by the race organizers. To look for your result, just start typing your name into the search box of the respective distance you went for:

Lighthouse run 2011 results (10 km)

[table id=8 /]

Lighthouse 10km Night Race 2011 in Mouille Point, Cape Town

Running with gadgets – RunKeeper, iRun and more…

I did only start running when I realised that there are tech toys to help me doing so. I started in 2007 using Nike+iPod – but only started running more regular when I found out about the beauty of GPS based route trackers and installed RunKeeper on my iPhone in 2009 and now you can see most of my runs in public on their site. As there is a huge growth for these tools and many of my friends join the running sport and let me and the world know about it using RunKeeper aswell, I am sure there is more behind it and we’ll see a whole new generation of runners to join this sport, based on a paradigm shift that’s accelerating growth for social media tools that are surrounding us every day.

For every global trend there’s always at least one example of someone who overdoes it. For some million of runners who get hooked onto RunKeeper to keep track of their own performance there is one ‘crazy guy’ who puts it to extremes:

Enter Joseph Tame and his iRun. He makes his running success or failure 100% transparent to his internet followers with a setup that he describes himself:

“It features four iPhones on rotatable mounts, an iPad, an Android handset, three mobile wifi routers, a wind turbine (ok, so it’s a kid’s fan that turns around…), a 4-in-one atmospheric monitor, a heart monitor, a plastic doughnut and of course the very important satellite dish for high-speed data connectivity (cunningly crafted from a bird-feeding dish).

This technology will allow me to broadcast live video on two cameras (using either skype or FaceTime to a local studio for re-broadcast), send live location/pace/heart rate data via Runkeeper on the iPhone, transmit temperature, COx/humidity/noise levels via a custom-made Android app – and do all of this while looking incredibly cool.”

Peninsula Marathon 2011

Update: the 2011 race finished and we got all Peninsula Marathon 2011 results online – you can also read my personal race review from my first Peninsula Half-Marathon 2011! Read everything about the Cape Peninsula Marathon 2012 here!

The Peninsula Marathon will return to the faster traditional route in 2011 that runners have grown accustomed to over the years. Race organisers were forced to introduce a new route for 2009 and 2010 to avoid the construction around the stadium, where the race has started for the past 41 years.

The marathon will start on February 20th in Green Point, near the World Cup stadium, while the half marathon will start in Bergvliet.  Both routes take runners along the Main Road through to the finish at the Naval Sports Grounds in Simonstown.

The Peninsula is always a popular event with local runners, as it is an official qualifier for the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon and many use it both to qualify and as their long training run.

Start Times and Start Venues:

1: 42.2km    05h15 Main Road, Green Point (Opp Cape Town Soccer Stadium)

2: 21.1km    07h00 Bergvliet Sports Club, Childrens Way, Bergvliet (Off Lower Ladies Mile)

Cut Off Times:

1: 42.2km     11h15 (6 hours)

2: 21.1km     11h00 (4 hours)

Route Profile:

Course Records:
1: Men Ernest Tjela 2:11:47 (1987)
2: Women Monica Drogemoller 2:37:19 (1990)

Enter the Peninsula Marathon on topevents.co.za.

Comrades Marathon 2010 – all the facts!

The qualifying period for 2010 Comrades Marathon ended April 26th. For all other applicants it’s too late to sign up for the 85th comrades – the ultimate human race race in 2010.

The route distance for this years event is 89km. The 2010 Comrades Marathon is a “down run’, starting at the City Hall in Pietermaritzburg and finishing at the Sahara Stadium Kingsmead in Durban.

• Date: Sunday, 30 May 2010
• Start: 05h30 at the City Hall in Pietermaritzburg
• Finish: 17h30 at Sahara Stadium, Kingsmead in Durban
• Distance: 89km – 56 miles
• 23.656 people entered the race
• The number of international participants is higher than ever: 1084 runners from 76 countries
• Official Homepage

Comrades Route map

General rules and information on the CMA homepage

Running in cement shoes…

Running in cement shoes is not necessary the most comfortable thing to do. This is what I hat to experience today when I went past a warning sign onto a closed skywalk and had to run past a construction site where they just started plastering the exit of the bridge.

Here you can see the result. Running back to my starting point 3 km in cement shoes was hopefully a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me!

Adidas, Asics, Nike, Any shoe company here to trade a cemented pair against a new one? Shoe size UK 12 will do, message me for address

My first run – 2010 Lighthouse Run in Cape Town

After some not too serious training but a good amount of excitement today was finally the day. The Lighthouse Ten Run 2010 was happening and for me it meant that my random running was about to become somehow more serious, as I was now measured not against myself or some computer program on my Phone, but  ‘real’ people running next to me. Joining in was my ‘Sportsfreund’ Cecily, who followed my call for company on Facebook only a few days earlier.

Arriving early one hour prior to the scheduled start at 6.15pm was definitely a good idea, as it gave us great parking, no queues and time to chat to other fellow runners who told us about some of the processes with the archaic time measurement, though my only goal was to run the 10km in under one hour…

The run didn’t start on time, but was moved to the odd time of 6.22 to allow even the late birds to participate. Despite warnings from another friend to stand in front of the starterfield, we were just behind the middle of the field but everyone got moving quite quickly, so the delay for the last runners, before they could really start running shouldn’t be much more than two minutes, what I think is very reasonable for a run with much more than 1500 participants.

Race day was one of the hottest days and temperatures in Cape Town went up to 34°C I never found it to be a problem, as the sun was not burning too much anymore. The race itself was really beautiful and I could always manage my relaxed jogging speed of just under 6 minutes per km and did even manage a sprint for the last two kilometers, when I left Cecily behind. But see the Lighthouse run on Everytrail yourself that I recorded with my iPhone:

Only the last hundred-something meters were causing a big problem. Because so many runners arrived at the same time the congestion made people wait several minutes before they collected their finisher-number (mine was 932) and I’m interested to see how the organising club is going to tell us exactly what results we scored, as mine should’ve been somewhere between 56 and 57 minutes…

But this small problem that could be solved with a modern chip-based timing system and it did in no way destroy the beautiful experience that this run was for me – Thank you Atlantic Athletic Club Cape Town for organising such a wonderful event!

Men’s Health Lighthouse Ten Run 2010 in Mouille Point, Cape Town

I am very happy to find out that the Men’s Health Lighthouse Ten is going to happen again in 2010 as it was very difficult finding details on it.
The Men’s Health 10km Lighthouse run takes place on Wednesday, 3 March 2010 along the Sea Point promenade at 6:15pm.

The eight in a series of annual lighthouse races the 10km run starts at the Mouille Point Lighthouse in the direction of the V&A Waterfront. It then doubles back along the promenade toward Bantry Bay before returning to the finish at the Lighthouse.

Over 1800 runners are expected to complete the popular Men’s Health 10km run and collect this years “Hangklip 1960” medal. A refreshment tent and a live DJ will keep the spectators entertained as they cheer their loved ones along as the sun sets on the horizon.

Registration opens at 4:45pm on Wednesday, 3 March. Costs: licensed seniors (R25), licensed juniors (R15), unlicensed seniors (R40), unlicensed juniors (R25). The event is organised in conjunction with the Atlantic Athletic Club.

RULES AND INFORMATION for the 2010 Men’s Health Lighthouse Ten Run

1. Race starts and finishes at the Mouille Point Lighthouse, Beach Rd, between the V&A Waterfront and Sea Point.
2. Participants must be 15 years or older on race day.
3. Licensed club members must wear their 2010 licence numbers on the front and back of their vest.
4. Unlicensed participants must purchase a Temporary Licence at registration and wear this on the front of their upper garment.
5. In addition to overall (open) prizes, participants will only be eligible for an age category prize in the age category they enter. Corresponding numerical age category (J, 40, 50, 60) tags must be worn on the front and back of their club vest. Participants may enter the age category corresponding to their chronological age or any younger category down to senior.
6 Juniors (born 1991 or later) will count towards open team prizes, provided they wear club colours and J tags.
7 Club colours must be worn to qualify for team prizes.
8. Traffic officials and marshals must be obeyed at all times, failing which disqualification may follow.
9. There will be 3 water points on the course and Coke at the finish.
10. Race entry cards to be worn and be visible for the duration of the race.
11. Registration from 16h45 on day of race only.
12. Temporary licensed participants are eligible for age category prizes provided they enter the relevant age group, wear the appropriate age tags and provide proof of age.
13. Official cut off is 1 hour 30 minutes.
14. Prize giving will start at 19h45.
15. No seconding from a moving vehicle or bicycle will be permitted.
16. Each kilometre will be marked.
17. Results will be posted on the WPA website
18. Athletes enter entirely at their own risk. The organisers and sponsors are not responsible for any loss, damage or injury to participants.
19. Medals will be handed to the first 1800 finishers.
20. Tog bag facilities will be provided. Organisers will take reasonable care but will not be responsible for any loss. Do not leave valuables in your bag.

Runners wanted for WITS study on bone density

Runner.co.za was approached by Dr. Joanne McVeigh from Wits Medical School to call for South African runners to partake in a study looking at bone density in a variety of athletes. We hope that this call appeals to you and ask you to contact here if you’re interested in the study:

Are you training or straining?

Exercise, specifically the weight-bearing kind, is one of the best things we can do to help build and maintain healthy bones. Exercises, like running, walking and weight-lifting, put strain on the skeletal structure and our bones respond by supporting that stress.

Retired athletes have been shown to have an increased bone mass when compared to people who were not physically active in their youth. Recently, there has been evidence to show that competitive road cyclists are 7 times more likely to develop osteopenia of the spine when compared to runners. Osteopenia is the term indicating some bone loss. It is the precursor of osteoporosis, which is a high degree of bone loss.

Are you interested in finding out your bone mass?

We are running a research project which will assess the bone mineral density of male athletes participating in weight bearing (running and mountain biking) and non-weight bearing (swimming and road cycling) sports. We are researching whether the different types of physical activity have different effects on bone mineral density (bone strength).

We are looking for male athletes (runners, mountain bikers, road cyclists and swimmers), aged 18-29 and participating in their chosen sport for a minimum of 5 hours per week. If you choose to partake in our study, you will be asked to come into the Wits Medical School (Parktown, Johannesburg) for a visit lasting approximately one and a half hours. We will take some measurements and perform a Dual Energy X Ray Absorptiometry (DXA) scan on your bones where bone mineral density and body fat percentage will be measured. This scan provides valuable information regarding the status of your bone health and is worth over R2000. Your participation in this study will contribute to medical knowledge that may help us to establish whether athletes who participate in non-weight bearing sports are at risk for osteoporosis later on in life. You will not be paid to participate in this study but your transport costs will be reimbursed adequately. Our study has been approved by the board for Human Ethics at the University of the Witwatersrand.

For more information please contact Dr Joanne McVeigh: Jo-anne.McVeigh@wits.ac.za or 011 717 2154

Ryan Sandes reports from his Jungle Marathon 2009 victory

Ryan Sandes aka. the ‘desert runner‘, is currently not running in the hot dry deserts around the world, but has traded the deserts for the Amazon Jungle Stage Race. Ryan will be running the 2010 Comrades Marathon as a Celebrity entrant.

Here is a personal report by desert runner Ryan Sandes, how he’s doing in the Amazon! We will keep you informed as to his progress on this grueling race Jungle Update – Ryan’s Diary entries, in preparation for the start of the race.

I have been in Brazil (Alter do Chao) for a week now and I am slowly getting used to the heat and humidity. No one speaks English here and my Portuguese is non-existent. So I have had some interesting times, especially when it comes to eating out in restaurants. Basically I choose anything on the menu that is not too expensive and I hope for the best… Luckily I have not had to eat anything too dodgy yet! I took a bit of strain on my first few runs and I started to wonder if I had lost all my fitness on the two day journey to Brazil. It felt like running at high altitude and I could not get enough oxygen into my lungs. I seem to have adapted a bit better to the conditions now and I went on a run in the jungle two days ago which was awesome except for seeing one HUGE snake and getting bitten by a few hornets, Flip the hornet bites are sore…I thought I had been shot in the groin and butt! I very quickly thought to myself I would rather be running through the Amazon jungle counting hornet bites on my butt than sitting down at a desk counting how many toilets need to be ordered i.e. being a Quantity Surveyor. After my jungle run I did realize one thing and that is the Jungle Marathon is going to be probably the toughest race I have ever done. The accents are brutally steep with some really technical descents and you are continuously jumping and climbing over fallen trees. It is very humid under the jungle canopy and at times I felt claustrophobic. But I am really starting to get excited and apart from a bit of a glute / hamstring issue I am ampt to start the race now.

Jungle Marathon Day 1: WOW what an awesome run but probably the slowest and hardest 15km of my life. We started off and after 200m we already had a river crossing and straight after that it was into the jungle. I felt good and pushed the first leg and paid for it on the second and third legs… I bonked on the third leg and felt like I had no energy from the intense heat, but I pushed through to finish feeling good. The terrain consisted of hills, more hills and rivers and swamps. At one stage I was up to my chest in a swamp and the next minute I tripped and found myself fully submerged in black mud! I got over my fear of snakes very quickly and there were times when I would have been quite happy to be bitten and put out my misery :)! Otherwise all is good apart from a bit of a twisted ankle. Now for day 2 and more punishment but also more beauty. Our camps are in some of the most insane places I have ever seen in my life and the whole experience feels like a dream at times. The boat trip up the Amazon to the start of the race was awesome and waking up this morning was surreal except of course that I was about to start the hardest multi stage race of my life.

Jungle Marathon Day 2: The start this morning was delayed by two hours as the medic evacuation boats were not back from Santarem yet… Four people had to be evacuated yesterday from the heat and the harsh conditions took it toll on most competitors. Yesterday afternoon was like a scene out of a horror movie and people were dropping like flies…but the Jungle Marathon medics did a great job making sure everyone was looked after. We started off along the beach and then after a few hundred meters it was up into the jungle for the ‘swamp’ stage. It was not long before I was chest high in black mud, fending off ticks and human eating ants! I took it a lot easier today to start off with and felt good and then pushed the last stage a bit to open up a few minute gap on the second athlete. So all in all it was a good day at the office apart from two swollen ankles. Keeping it short and sweet so I can get back in my hammock.

Ryan completed the 24.5km stage in a record time of 2hours and 41 minutes. Ryan Won stages 1 and 2, and currently has a 10 minute lead over the second placed runner.

The third day (14th October 2009) was the longest stage so far: almost 38 km. The course combined the concentrated elevations of stage one with the swamp crossings of stage two. Although overcast early in the morning the sun soon came out and the humidity was so high that there some light rain in the afternoon. Before the competitors set off there was a reminder of the signs of dehydration and how to manage salt levels from the medical team. They then set off straight into the jungle The magic sandman has done it again – Ryan Sandes has won stage 3 of the 2009 Jungle Marathon. Ryan has built up his lead over 2nd place runner, Fredson de Silva Sousa Raimundo, of more than 24 minutes and has just under an hour lead over his arch rival Salvador Calvo Redondo. Ryan completed the 37km stage in 4hours and 57minutes. The Race Director’s assistant says that Ryan is in incredible spirits and feeling great

Jungle Marathon Day 3: I woke up this morning with sore ankles and thought OH NO, but today was the opposite of that. I started off today quite easy and then at the second check point I decided to push on a bit… it was a risky move as it is so hot and humid here that if you bomb out in the jungle you do so in style. It is really hard to pick yourself up again and it feels as if all your energy has been sucked out by a vacuum cleaner. The risk paid off and I finished the stage strong (37min ahead of second athlete) but a little tired and shaken from seeing three snakes. I remember climbing up a hill on all fours and seeing a set of eyes looking at me from a large hole in the ground. I would like to think it was a large lizard but I did not hang around to get a closer look. Thanks to everyone for the messages of support, they help me keep going when everything says stop! Off to the hammock…

On Day 4 (15th October 2009) is Ryan Sandes still in the lead after stage 4 of the 2009 Jungle Marathon with his arch nemesis Salvador Calvo Redondo still in 3rd place. He is getting mentally prepared for the long stage of 89km tomorrow.

Jungle Marathon Day 4 We started off today with a 200m swim across a river… faaak swimming with a pack is not so easy!! My heart-rate went through the roof from the swim and only 20min into the run did it get back to normal – respect to the ironmen. Today was quite a flat course and it was nice to be able to run at a constant pace the whole way. I ran most of the way with Mike Wolf of the North Face and we crossed the line together. It was a relief to get the stage out the way with no set backs and now for the long stage tomorrow – its going to be brutal! I am hoping to run the long stage with someone, maybe Mike as he has been ripping up the 50 and 100 milers in the States. It going to be a long slog but I will be taking it slow and steady and taking no chances… We start of the stage with another 250m swim and then 49km of jungle and 43km of trails! 49 competitors have dropped out of the race so far mainly to heat issues… so the rumble in the jungle has been hectic. My feet do not have any blisters (must be my shoes – Salomon S Labs!) except for a bust toe nail from kicking a few roots. My ankles have had a break the last two days and my legs feel good so I am ampt for one last big push tomorrow! Thanks to everyone for the messages – they are a huge boost! FINISHED THE JUNGLE MARATHON

Ryan Sandes has done the super impossible YET again and has won the 2009 Jungle Marathon – proving he has what it takes in the deserts and the jungles. Ryan’s overall time was 26 hrs 33 min with second place going to his nemesis Salvador Calvo Redondo – who was almost 2 hours behind Ryan in a total time of 28 hrs 49 min.

I have just crossed the finish line of the Jungle Marathon. I survived the Jungle!! It is an awesome feeling to win again and I am super stoked. The 2nd competitor (Salvador of Spain) was just under two and a half hours behind me and Mike from the States behind him. I ran the whole stage today with Mike and we took it quite easy, not that I could have gone any faster. My legs felt TIRED!!… and had no gas in them. Salvador passed us about half way and stormed on to finish about two minutes ahead of us. Running into Alter Do Chao was and insane and the town square was packed with people, journalists etc. I was handed an SA Flag a few hundred meters from the finish line and got instant goose bumps. I had trained really hard for this race and bust my balls in a few training session but I could finally see the rewards as the finish line was approaching. Crossing the finish line I felt my dream come true of winning the Jungle Marathon! So proud to be South African!!! I am off to drink some beer now – its been a month since I last had a beer:) Thanks to all for the message of support – I could have not done it without you! Thanks to my dream givers Salomon and ProNutro! And thanks to Hammer Nutrition and Oakley for their awesome product.

Day 6 Update – Rest Day I woke up this morning with competitors still crossing the finish line and felt really relived to have finished the long stage. The number of hammock’s in the camp are less than half from the start of the race and the number of casualties has reached more than 50%. Competitor’s feet are starting to look really sore and manky covered in a mass of blisters and most of the athletes in camp are hobbling around. Looking back it has been an awesome week, one of the hardest and most exciting of my life. I am super stoked with the way it has gone and my more focused training sessions since Namibia seem to have paid off. The bitter taste of Namibia is slowly starting to leave my mouth and my smash and a stock cube this morning tasted like ice cream and chocolate sauce. It is one last push tomorrow along the beach for 32km and then real food and lots of beer. I do not want to count my chickens before they hatch but it looks like I have this one in the bag. I have more than a 2 hour lead on my category (international) and a 45 min plus lead on the local guys from the Para region in a separate category. The Para guys are some great athletes but I think they may be a bit pissed off that an international guy is leading going into the last stage. My legs have felt great the whole race thanks to the help of Chris (Physio), Sally (Biokineticists) and Ian (Coach). A huge thanks to Salomon and ProNutro for making the race possible. My feet have not got one blister thanks to my Salomon S LABS!! Thanks to Hammer Nutrition for the fuel and Oakley for the eye wear. I lost my eye wear in a swamp on the second day so there must be a super cool anaconda floating around the jungle with a pair of Radars on! Thanks to Kelly for doing an awesome job at getting my results out there and updating my blog – I hope the spelling was not too bad. To everyone a huge thank you for all your support and messages, I have said it before but they kept me going for 7km with no water and feeling totally out of it. Back to the hammock now to rest up for tomorrow.

Thanks to Ryan Sandes for this awesome report from Brazil!

Bennie Badenhorst wins Mont-aux-Sources Ultra Marathon Challenge in 5:37 hours

SA’s Foremost Ultra-Marathon Swells Conservation Coffers
First Lady Places Third Overall In Full Field, Ideal Conditions

The seventeenth annual running of South Africa’s foremost ultra-marathon, the Mont-aux-Sources Challenge, took place in ideal conditions at Royal Natal National Park in the northern Drakensberg on September 12, 2009. Bennie Badenhorst of Hartebeespoort Marathon Club emerged as the victor in a time of 05hrs 37min 57sec. Filippo Faralla from Savages Athletic Club in Durban placed second in a time of 05hrs 37min 11sec while the first lady, Kerry Koen of Collegians Harriers in Pietermaritzburg, managed a very impressive third overall in a time of 05hrs 40min 39sec.

The race is organised through the Wild Series a partnership between the Wildlands Conservation Trust and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. Wildlands CEO, Andrew Venter, said that the 2009 event was possibly one of the most successful in its history. “We had a full field of runners, and once again managed to raise several hundred thousand Rand towards conservation, adding to the more than R3 million that the race has raised in its history.”

While the Challenge is certainly not South Africa’s longest run, it is possibly its toughest, with runners having to climb, and then descend, some 1500m during the 50km course. Venter said the race is also arguably South Africa’s most picturesque, set in the backdrop of the spectacular Drakensberg Amphitheatre, part of the Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site.

According to Race Chairman Eduard Goosen of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, the race’s success was due, once again, to main sponsors Bonitas Medical Aid and Powerade, a large contingent of volunteers and an enthusiastic field of athletes. “The race doesn’t offer the richest purse, but year after year we experience demand from a higher number of runners than we can accommodate in an environmentally protected area.” Interested parties can email montauxsources@yahoo.com for entry details.

5 Tips to Get You Up and Running When You Just Don’t Feel Like It

Some days you just can’t wait to get up and go running, especially if the sun is out, it’s a beautiful day and you got plenty of sleep. But what about those days when you’re tired, it’s cold out and you just don’t want to get out of bed period, let alone get out of bed to run? While there is no surefire cure for getting up (or failing to) on the wrong side of the bed, there are some ways that you can boost your motivation and get yourself up and moving even when you sure don’t feel like doing anything. Here are a few you can try:

1. Give yourself a light day. Just because you don’t feel like running 5 miles doesn’t mean you shouldn’t run at all. If you really aren’t up to going the distance, give yourself a half day or run a little slower than your normal pace. That way you’ll still be getting your workout in but you’ll also be giving yourself a little break. Knowing you don’t have to go as far can be a little incentive to get you up and dressed as well and may even let you sleep in a few extra minutes.
2. Find a buddy. Not running by yourself makes you accountable to more than just you when it comes to getting up and working out. If you plan on meeting a friend, neighbor or just a running buddy you’re more likely to feel guilty about bailing on your plans and will drag yourself out of bed and find the motivation to go out no matter what.
3. Supercharge your music. If you run with music, consider listening to your iPod or MP3 player before you even hit the track or road to run. Hearing those songs you associate with working out may help change your mindset and get you in the mood to work out. Keep in mind that your music choices are also important so create a playlist that makes you want to kick butt rather than sit on it.
4. Make a deal with yourself. Some days we all just need a little extra motivation and bargaining with yourself can be one way to do it. Tell yourself you’ll get up and run now, but that later you’ll enjoy some kind of indulgence, whether it’s a massage, a long hot bath or that slice of cheesecake you’ve been craving. The idea of an immediate reward may be just what you need to get moving.
5. Blaze a new trail. If you run the same way every single day it may be putting a serious damper on your motivation. Maybe all you need to get motivated about running is to take off to a different destination, perhaps one you’ve had in mind for some time but just never went out to do. The thought of new scenery and something more exciting than the usual may make running seem enticing enough to get you out of bed.

This post was contributed by Kelsey Allen, who writes about the nursing schools online. She welcomes your feedback at KelseyAllen1010 yahoo.com

The Table Mountain Challenge 2009

The Crazy Store Table Mountain Challenge 2009, a 35km trail run around Cape Town’s world-famous mountain, has been firmly established as one of South Africa’s premier off-road running events.

Both professional athletes and novice runners can enjoy the off-road course traversing the fynbos slopes of the Cape’s mythical mountain.

Either take on the full circumnavigation as a solo athlete, or enter a team of three for the individual legs of between 8 – 17km.

Along the way, competitors will run through indigenous forest, cross mountain streams and pass through the pristine Orange Kloof area, so don’t miss out!

The Table Mountain Challenge 2009 will kick off at 07h00 on September 12th, so make a note in your calendar right now. Competitors may either enter via email or can call +27 (0)21 424 4760 for more information. More news about the Table Mountain Challenge to follow soon here on runner.co.za

The Crazy Store Table Mountain Challenge:

Date: Saturday, 12 September 2008
Venue: Table Mountain
Location: Cape Town

Nutrition Tips for race day by Dietician Rowena Curr

Your main nutrition goals for raceday, are to maintain your carbohydrate and fluid stores. This is vital if you would like to optimize your performance, or you just want to avoid “hitting the wall” (i.e. feeling of extreme fatigue, legs of lead, dizziness and confusion – obviously not ideal for any runner hoping to finish).

Dietician Rowena Curr RD (SA) compiled these following helpful tips:

• The most important thing for raceday, is never to do something for the first time. Make sure that you have your nutrition strategies worked out, and have practiced them as part of your longer training runs or races leading up to Comrades.
• Unless you have a second that will be providing you with everything you need on the day – practice with the drinks and food that will be available on raceday at the seconding tables.
• Ideally your pre-race meal should be eaten about 3 hours before the start. However, if this is not possible you can eat a smaller meal 1-2 hours before (this just depends on your usual rate of digestion – make sure you practice, practice, practice!). Whatever you choose to eat must be high in carbohydrate, low in fat, low or moderate in protein, and low in fibre (this is to prevent any discomfort – fat and protein take longer to leave the stomach than carbohydrate). Suitable foods include breakfast cereals or porridge with low-fat milk or yoghurt, toast with jam/syrup/peanut butter, or banana and peanut butter sandwiches.
• If you struggle to eat solids before a race, it is a good idea to take in something liquid (e.g. liquid meal replacement, fruit smoothie or just an energy drink). Just ensure that you have a substantial meal the night before.
• Sip on a sports drink in the 2 hours leading up to the start (just allow time to go to the toilet!)
• Make use of sports drinks during the race – they are very useful to meet both carbohydrate and fluid needs at the same time. Diluted coke also works well.
• Start drinking early on in the race (within the first 30 minutes). Avoid waiting until later in the race, as you will be more likely to “hit the wall”, and it will be difficult for you to recover.
• Fluid requirements differ from runner to runner, and are determined by sweat rate, exercise intensity, environmental temperature, humidity, body surface area, gender, and genetics. For this reason, it is important to experiment in training, in order to work out your own fluid requirements, and to prevent both dehydration and overhydration.
• General hydration advice is to drink little and often. You should aim to drink ad libitum between 400-800ml per hour, with the higher rates for the faster, heavier runners and the lower rates for the slower runners/walkers. If conditions are warm, you will need more fluid as opposed to running in cooler conditions.
• Aim to take in 30-60g of carbohydrate per hour. Most sports drinks will provide 30-60g in 500-1000ml. Gels contain approximately 30g per gel (make sure you drink 250-350ml water per gel). Most sports or cereal bars contain 20g, 3 baby potatoes contain 15g, 5 jelly babies contain 15g, 1 large banana contains 20g, ½ jam/marmite sandwich contains 15g, and 4 dried apricots contain 15g.

Author Dietician Rowena Curr RD (SA) is a private practicing dietician at the Kings Park Sports Medicine Centre in Durban and at the Victoria road medical centre in Pietermaritzburg. She has a postgraduate degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from UCT as well as an honours degree in Sports Science from the University of Stellenbosch. She has represented South Africa as a junior and elite triathlete and currently competes in various triathlons and multisport events. Rowena Curr can be contacted via 082 4257234 or via e-mail.

Travel and run

Running as part of a vacation has seen strong growth in recent years. Individuals wanting to complete marathons in different cities, states, or countries can do so with the numerous marathons offered all over the world. Companies operate tours that take traveling marathoners around the globe.

Marathons are not the only option for running on a vacation – both endurance races and shorter distance runs are also possible. Run the World operates interesting culture/running tours to international destinations, and allows a traveller to run, but still soak in a large part of culture, which is often missed on a marathon trip.

What are the running habits? Do you run your home track or do you enjoy more running and getting to know new areas? What are your plans for the months coming up? Please comment. We will shortly start to profile the best runs around the world and specially here in South Africa

The Paul Selby Fit 2000 12/24 hour Circuit Race challenge

Fit 2000 Athletic Club Central Gauteng, Bedfordview will be staging a unique 50km Comrades qualifying race. The inaugural event in 2004 was so popular that Champion Chip timing has this year been introduced and has opened the door to what must surely be the most unique Comrades qualifier or opportunity to test performance and supplements in a secure environment with ample seconding and camaraderie from other athletes.

Runners may start the race at any time from 19h00 on Friday the 25th of February until 12h00 on Saturday the 26th of February and will then have exactly six hours to complete the 50km`s to qualify for Comrades. In fact, this also represents the last date in Gauteng when athletes may qualify for the Two Oceans marathon by completing 50kms in 6 hours and 30 minutes.

The race is run on a flat 2km tar, paved and grass circuit through St. Benedicts College with seconding tables every kilometre and the opportunity for personal seconds to aid and assist their fellow runners throughout the day or night. The opportunity to run in the evening provides athletes with guaranteed cool conditions plus the camaraderie of having numerous other athletes on the track at all times to provide encouragement and support. With a copy of the final event results, all competitors will receive a schedule of their own 2km splits throughout the race to assist in providing invaluable information on performance.

The Comrades Marathon Association has given their approval of this race. Race Director, Robin Jelley, predicts that the concept will become extremely popular in years to come when athletes use this exciting opportunity to qualify for the world”s greatest ultra marathon in such style!

The race is staged by Fit 2000 Athletic club in recognition of Paul Selby”s achievements and contribution to road running in South Africa and abroad. Paul completed a double Comrades marathon in 1999 to raise two hundred thousand rands for cancer. In 2003 he ran 1000 miles in 1000 hours in London also for charity. (The equivalent of a marathon every day for no less than 6 weeks!)

Paul invites athletes to run with him during the 24 hour period. Entries for the 12 our day and separate 12 hour night events plus 24 hour race will be taken up until Monday the 14th of February. The closing date for entries of the 50km event will be kept open until the maximum race entry has been received so you are encouraged to enter early to avoid disappointment.

• Date: Friday 25th & Saturday 26th February 2005
• Venue: St Benedicts College – Bedfordview
• Distances: 50km Flexi Challenge and 12/24Hr Race
• Start Time: See Entry Form for all details
• Timed By: ChampionChip

Results with ongoing Lap count and Lap times will be available during the event and final results will be available on the ChampionChip Internet site www.championchip.co.za

We look forward to welcoming you to our race for an enjoyable day with the family and friends.

South African team gearing up for Red Bull Giants of Rio de Janeiro 2004

South African team gearing up for world’s first urban extreme relay race

Red Bull Giants of Rio – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 5 December 2004

Four top athletes, including Olympic gold medallist Ryk Neethling, have just been announced as the South African team who will compete in the Red Bull Giants of Rio in Brazil, on Sunday 5 December 2004.

The Red Bull Giants of Rio is an urban extreme relay race and first of its kind in the world. Bringing together four very different disciplines – swimming, mountain biking, hang-gliding and beach running – top athletes will combine their skill and strength to battle it out in this extraordinary race. The course encompasses ocean, beach and mountain in the steamy city of Rio de Janeiro .

The South African team boasts:

* Swimming – Ryk Neethling – one of SA’s most successful swimmers and gold medal winner at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Born and bred in Bloemfontein , Ryk has just returned to live in SA, having lived in the USA for the past eight years.
* Mountain Biking – Johann Potgieter – up and coming mountain biking champion and 2004 winner of the Urban Assault Downhill race. At just 17 years old Johann attends Bellville High School , Cape Town but originally flew in from East London.
* Hang Gliding – Anton Brown – extreme sports fanatic and one of SA’s top hang gliders. Capetonian Anton’s ability and speed freak tendencies made him a natural choice for the SA team.
* Running – Leeds Mthangayi – current Western Province 10km and cross-country champion Leeds is one of the stronger runners in the country. Originally from Umtata , Leeds is now based in Cape Town where he runs for Mr Price Athletics Club.

The SA team will compete with 80 teams from more than 30 countries at the Red Bull Giants of Rio. With Olympic gold medallists and several world champions taking part the competition will be tough.

“Our team is strong and we’ve got as good a chance as any,” says hang glider Anton Brown. “Some teams have one or two really top athletes but no one has four of the best, so it really is anyone’s race. We are going there to make South African Airlines proud,” he adds.

Ryk Neethling will be first off at Copacabana Beach for a 4km open water Atlantic Ocean swim with a cliff jump thrown in for fun. Next up Johann Potgieter will tackle the 45 km mountain bike route, racing through the narrow streets of inner city Rio, up Corcovado to the world-famous Christ statue, down through the rainforest jungle of Tijuca National Park and up Pedra Bonita. Then Anton Brown will take over, speed flying from Pedra da Gavea to Ipanema Beach , or first catching a thermal around the Christ Statue (depending on weather conditions). Last, but definitely not least, Leeds Mthangayi will run the 15 km sand and city route for a spectacular finish on Copacabana.

The South African team is currently training and will leave Cape Town for Rio on 1 December.

Dis-Chem Half-Marathon 2004

Sunday 11th January 2004 – Another year – another Dischem 21

This one didn’t really go plan – although after the festive season and a lay-off from races since March 2003, I shouldn’t have expected anything less.

The first 10km’s were a nightmare. It was one of those days when everything was wrong. The shoes were too tight, my calf was cramping, the right hamstring started up once again, my shin was going into some form of spasm etc etc.

I was battling to keep a 7 m/km pace and it wasn’t looking any better, THEN I had a Enervit Sports Gel at 9km’s or 1 hour.

1. The easiest gel to open,
2. The easiest gel to get all the liquid out
3. The easiest gel to drink – no chewing or water required

It took around 5 minutes for the gel to take effect but when it did:

I ran a 5:13km, then 5:20 etc. Never have a taken any supplement that has had such an effect on my performance.

I finished in 2h:14m when I thought that a 2h40m was on the cards.

One thing, the start again !! The gun went off 2 minutes early and the start was a nightmare again on the narrow road – it just cannot handle 4,500 runners. As for the walkers, which have a place on the road, but create havoc when they start with the front pack.

See you again next year …

An Unofficial Comrades Training Program

Training tips: How to ensure a great Comrades
My opinion on the cut-off extension at Comrades Marathon 2004

A Unofficial TRAINING PROGRAM
DATE 16 June 2004
TIME 05:30
DISTANCE 87.3 km’s
START – Durban
FINISH – Pietermaritzburg

There are many different ideas on training for a ultra marathon such as Comrades and there are always people who argue that they have the best training program. I submit, mine isn’t the best but then again, I don’t know who’s is or what the “best” is for that matter. This training program is based on my planning logbook for the 2000 Comrades Marathon. Use it as a guide as that was a training program is all about. If you miss a day, forget it – it’s gone. It cannot be made up.

The reason for placing this training program here is the fact that, to my knowledge, nobody has made their training program available on the net. This is a disgrace as the spirit of Comrades is to help each-other through one of the toughest ultra’s. On the forum when a runner in the USA asked for training tips, the reference was not to a South African site, but one in the States based on running an ultra. I hope that this changes in the future and all recognised coaches have their programs available for all – for free.

The program is for a 10:00 – 12:00 hour cut-off.

Again, I stress, this is a guideline. Go to time trials at the club and chat to experienced Comrades runners but leave the silver medallists alone for now, subscribe to Runners World, attend the panel talks. The program worked will for me and guided me to an “easy” Comrades and what a party throughout and after. The Paulshof Plodders have a saying, “if someone says they enjoyed Comrades, they lie about everything else as well”. There is one thing for sure, it’s a life changing experience and you will cry when you finish your first.

Comrades marathon 2004 Up-Run Pacing Chart