CONTENTS
In the Mag this Month
Welcome to our 174 th edition . You can click on the page numbers below to go straight to the article of your choice .
C o l u m n
WARMING UP ROAD RUNNING
The Ed ’ s Desk :
4 18 Motivational Note
6
RECORD RUNNING
Sitting down to write my Ed ’ s Letter for this edition , I am once again struck by just how many great stories there are out there , which is why I am still doing this job after 15 years . – BY SEAN FALCONER
Stats & Facts : Dream Miles in November
November has seen a remarkable number of ‘ milestone performances ’ in the mile by South Africans , including probably the most famous day in the sport ’ s history in SA . – BY RIËL HAUMAN
C o
l u m n
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Marathon Signed , Sealed & De ( liver ) ed
Having undergone a life-changing liver transplant in 2022 , Coreen Walstra has used running as part of her recovery process , building up to her marathon debut at the recent Sanlam Cape Town Marathon .
The Running Mann : Borderline Crazy
The inaugural Musina Marathon in the northern extremities of Limpopo was the only marathon in the whole of South Africa over the weekend of 7-8 September , so of course I was there . – BY STUART MANN
Xaba Dominates SPAR Joburg
Glenrose Xaba clinched the 2024 SPAR Grand Prix series title on 6 October with an emphatic fourth win in the series at the Johannesburg SPAR 10km Women ’ s Challenge .
On the cover
Henk Moen running the UAI 55km in Brazil Photograph courtesy UAI Trail Run
10 For the Record …
There ’ s quite a story behind Henk Moen setting a new Guinness World Record for ultra-marathons , including the fact that he actually never set out to beat this particular record . – BY SEAN FALCONER
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Watch This Space …
The remarkable performance by Aussie Jennifer Kellett in the 2024 Comrades Marathon record went largely unnoticed , but points to the record-books being rewritten in 2025 . – BY STUART MANN
Boxer Birthday Bonus
It was a double birthday celebration for Precious Mashele as he posted the fastest 5km time on SA soil to win the Boxer Super Run in Durban . – BY JACKY McCLEAN with SEAN FALCONER
ISSUE 174
TRAIL RUNNING
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Pg 48
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SA ’ s Biggest Running Publication www . modernathlete . co . za
Guinness World Record
Henk Moen ’ s New Mark for 7 Ultras on 7 Continents !
Samuel
Sepeng
Coaching Star of Famed Family
Marathon
On the Ice
The Incredible North Pole Run
November 2024
Simon Tshabalala
On the Trail of a Fifth Skyrun Win
Musina Mission
Running Mann Marathoning In the North
Debut 42K
De ( liver ) ed
Transplantee Coreen Walstra
Courtesy UAI Brazil 55km
Live Well : Cure Ankle Pain with 5 Strength Drills
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34 Beware the Polar Bears !
Mauritz Jansen van Rensburg tells all about running the North Pole Marathon on the ice of the Arctic Circle , including keeping an eye out ofr hungry polar bears ! – INTERVIEW BY SEAN FALCONER
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Give Me Five
This November , Simon Tshabalala is looking to further enhance his reputation as one of the leading SA ultra trail runners , with a fifth consecutive win at the K-way SkyRun ! – BY TATHE MSIMANGO
Outstanding Otter ‘ 24
Super-Scot Robbie Simpson and local hero Bianca Tarboton became just the fourth and fifth athletes to win back-to-back titles at the 16th edition of the Otter TERREX Trail . – BY STEPHEN GRANGER