Images: Marathon Photos & Courtesy Luq Quevauvilliers |
it would go, and relied on blind confidence that I would be able to run in it,” recalls Luc.
This is probably a good point in the article to establish why, when someone needs to find a replacement to run the Ultimate Human Race dressed up as a can of deodorant, they immediately think of Luc... at the time, apart from his previous five Comrades finishes, Luc had completed a 24- Hour charity run to raise funds for a friend’ s cancer bills, had several Backyard Ultras on his running CV, and had run every single metre of every single street in Durban over a six-month period. That’ s over 1500km, and required some serious planning and dedication). Luc had also been telling anyone who would listen about his plan to run the 183km stretch between Richards Bay and Durban in one go, with his friend Darius.
Shield were keen to test their claims of“ You bring the heat; Shield brings the freshness,” and showcase their motionactivated technology under the most extreme conditions possible. Luc’ s armpits, cultivated on the mean streets of Queensburgh, provided a fertile laboratory for a stringent pressure test!
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him for a post-box or portaloo along the route,“ Thankfully not, but being constantly in motion definitely helped people realise I was a deodorant can, although I did not like people thinking I was a roll on. I was clearly a spray can, running, not rolling down the road!”
I was once invited to a masked ball, so I went as Batman. I had a great time, except that toilet breaks were a two-person job. I was therefore intrigued as to how Luc handled his own toilet breaks during the race,“ Quite easily, you instinctively learn these things when you really need to. Portaloos were out of the question( due to height restrictions), so it was bushes only and involved a quick lift and twist of the outfit so my head was looking out of the armhole.”
Plan for the Can On a related note, Luc did take a fartlek approach to running Comrades. He ran to Umlaas Road in the suit, took it off for a breather and to make up some time before donning it again at Botha’ s Hill. He then took it off at Pinetown for another breather, before putting it back on again once he got a whiff of the finish line, to trot home over the last few kilometres. Asked how he found the whole experience of carrying an extra 13kg around the Comrades course, Luc’ s simple response was,“ No sweat!”
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Smelling that finish line … |
Toiletries Humour Shield did send out a press release about this after the race, but to be honest, I completely ignored most of their‘ technical content’ because I was interested in much more important details … like how much deodorant he put on before the race.“ Just the usual amount of Shield deodorant, which for me involves some roll on as well as a spray, to double up my freshness and confidence before hitting the humid streets of KZN!” was the answer. I also wanted to know whether Luc’ s armpits were au natural, manicured or clean shaven. According to close personal friends, Luc is so‘ old school’ that he still thinks that‘ Sorbet man’ is a type of testosteroneflavoured ice-cream – therefore, it was no surprise when he confirmed,“ Au natural all the way!”
Other factors I was interested in was whether anyone mistook
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I managed to get an eyewitness account of Luc’ s passing through Gillitts from a Comrades supporter who calls himself CTG:“ I was busy braaiing at the side of the road and telling people about my Green Number, when suddenly the odour of burnt boerewors and sweaty runners was replaced by a magnificent manly aroma that filled the air and completely hijacked my olfactory system. It was a complete and utter sensory overload, and the graceful sight of Luc Quevauvilliers in the can is forever imprinted into my dreams, while his scent still lingers in my nostrils.”
According to bystanders, his finish was equally impressive. After crossing the finish line in 11:30:03, there was an audible gasp when Luc raised his arms in triumph and revealed two resplendent‘ man-gardens’ of exquisite dryness. Whilst competitors smelt old and spicy, playboys had fallen by the roadside, axes had been run into the ground, most said‘ nivea again’ and long after the doves had finished crying, Luc was still a breath of fresh air.
However, I reckon Shield missed a marketing trick along the way, and should have armed Luc with a couple of deodorant cans. As he explains,“ A lot of people were asking me for free deodorant, thinking I was also somehow carrying a supply of cans while running in the outfit, and so many people showed me their armpits while requesting this!”
This article was originally published on The Running Mann’ s blog and is adapted and republished here with his permission. You can find more of his blogs at https:// runningmann. co. za
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