THE RUNNING MANN
C o l u m n
The out-and-back route includes a few speed bumps …
Male only toilet on route ( I was pleased to find that the seat had been left up )
I tried in vain to pick up fresh takkies at the Gateway City Church support table with 9km to go
This is a bona fide country marathon and it was great to escape the sights and smells of the city for a morning of running . This is good , because the all the buildings in the industrial part of town are painted a sickly , sallow off-white that I could call Ermelo-yellow .* I don ’ t think Dulux carries that colour code though . (* Yes , I do expect that Scottish 60 ’ s singer-songwriter Donovan is turning in his grave right now at this misuse of his famous ‘ Mellow Yellow ’ song title !)
PS : With the race finishing outside the Body Strong Fitness Gym , after giving your legs a good workout over Ermelo ’ s rolling hills ( while waiting for your slower running friend Julian to return ), a quick upper body workout can bring balance to one ’ s physique , if you can stomach , back and shoulders it .
Time for a quick upper body workout while I wait for Julian to finish
The few signs of civilisation along the route included strategically positioned portaloos . These blue bastions of bliss are to the marathon runner what the safety net is to the trapeze artist ! That said , I am not sure why this was for “ Men Only ,” but I was pleased to see that the seat had been left up .
Out to the Countryside
The route is simplicity itself , with most of the run being done in a south-westerly straight line along the R39 . You get to warm up over the first 6km with a climb to the highest point of the race ( 1760m ), and then enjoy a gentle drop to the lowest point at 18km ( 1600m ). After that you have a 6km ‘ speed bump ’ to and from the turnaround point . The gentle drop on the way out now turns into a harrowing and relentless climb back to the highest point and your last 6km are mainly downhill .
Ermelo Yellow ?
I had this song in my head while running in Ermelo in April , thanks to the colour of all the buildings in the industrial part of town , which I quickly dubbed ‘ Ermelo-yellow .’
A small field ( runners ) / big field ( agricultural ) marathon with plenty of old-country charm
Images : Stuart Mann
About the Author
The Running Mann has run over 250 marathons and ultras around the world , and his mission is to run every marathon in South Africa , while his dream is to get a sponsorship from a beer company , so he can toast all his marathon finishes in style . If you ’ d like him to run your race , or talk at your event or club , email therunningmann @ gmail . com . You can follow all his adventures on his popular Running Mann blog .
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