THE RUNNING MANN
C o l u m n
Time for a Beer
The last section of the route is over a dirt track through a desolate corn field , and after making a sharp right turn , the finish line is in sight . I wondered why they didn ’ t erect a circus marquee and make us jump through a few fiery hoops before getting our medals – that would certainly make for an ‘ intense ’ finish . ( See what I did there ? Sorry , you know how much I love my dad jokes …)
After crossing the line , I was immediately greeted by the smiling face of Marius Potgieter from Green Mile AC , with a couple of green bottles of beer in hand . Marius and I had chatted several times over e-mail , but this was the first time we ’ d met in person . He is also on a journey to run 100 unique marathons – this was his 31st – and he seems to have something of a footwear fetish , as he has been closely monitoring the marathon world records in various items of footwear , like Crocs ( 2:51 ) and three-inch high heels ( 5:13 ). Marius told me he had found no documented cases of someone running a full marathon specifically in veldskoen shoes ,” so he was planning to set the benchmark for ‘ vellies ’ in the upcoming Jacaranda Marathon on 9 November , which he duly did in 4:15 .
Bring Out the Clowns
The Midvaal MadMac Marathon is definitely my favourite marathon in the Vaal Triangle Athletics zone , and I think it has the potential to be the best in Gauteng . This year , Meyerton AC picked a race date around other events in the province , but I expect from next year it will be the other way around , as I predict the MadMac will quickly become the drawcard running event in October . Ringmaster Roland has also promised , “ Next year will have lots more props along the road to keep it entertaining .”
Hands up if you enjoyed the MadMac Marathon
Potgieter ’ s Rus : Enjoying a postrace beer with Marius Potgieter
Officially Speaking …
The MadMac is the result of a successful partnership between the local municipality and Meyerton AC . After the race I was introduced to Peter Teixeira , the Mayor of Midvaal – unfortunately there is no Mayor of Meyerton itself , although Johannesburg has had a ‘ ton of mayors ’ coming in and out of office recently . ( Sorry , I simply couldn ’ t resist putting that one in !)
I remarked to the Mayor that it was great to see him taking a hands-on role in the day , and asked him what the marathon means for the municipality . His diplomatic reply was , “ As an institution , we understand that the significance of this event extends beyond the race itself ; it is an opportunity for athletes to experience all that Midvaal has to offer . They can explore the town ’ s stunning landscapes and enjoy our people ’ s warm , hospitable nature . We also recognise that when visitors come to our beautiful region , they boost local businesses , which benefit from increased revenue due to the higher foot traffic .”
Aside from shooting a clown out of a cannon at the start and jumping through fiery hoops in the Big Top for an ‘ intense finish ,’ here are some other impractical ideas for the Meyerton AC team to implement in future years :
• Have the lead bike ridden by a clown on a tiny bicycle .
• Have a cooling station where the water is delivered via water-squirting flowers .
• Have a banana peel slip and slide area .
• Train the finish line volunteers to hand over medals by pulling them out from behind each runner ’ s ear .
• Change the fun run distance to 3.14km , and give everyone a ‘ pie in the face ’ at the end .
• Give those who pull out at the halfway mark a rubber chicken .
• Have a clown perform tricks outside the Pendale Factory Shop , but instead of pulling out a never-ending rope of handkerchiefs , he produces a giant sausage .
• Have a ‘ slapstick ’ ( or giant rubber mallet ) to whack slow runners and walkers on the head if they insist on starting at the front of the field and slowing everyone else down .
• Have a prize ( I suggest beer ) for the runner with the most oversized shoe-toheight ratio . ( I think I would be in the running for this one , with US 12 shoes and not much stature .)
• Have a ‘ Miscommunication Water Stop ,’ where the clowns give you beer instead of water .
There were 529 finishers at the inaugural MadMac Marathon , and every one of them was treated like a VIP . Roland told me , “ It is extremely important for our club that the fastest runner and the slowest runner get equal opportunity , and both are just as important .” The race has a very generous 6:30 final cut-off , and extra special treatment was given to finisher number 529 . When word came in that the last runner was approaching the finish , all the remaining club members ran out 500m to go and fetch her and accompany her home . I expect that there ’ ll be a lot more than 529 finishers at the 2025 Midvaal MadMac Marathon , but whether you are first or last across the line , you can expect the same friendly reception .
The Running Mann signing out from the Midvaal
Images : Stuart Mann
The Mayor of Midvaal joined in on the fun
About the Author
The Running Mann has run over 260 marathons and ultras around the world , and his mission is to run every marathon in South Africa , while his dream is to get sponsorships from a shoe company ( to pay for his running shoes ), a travel company ( to pay for his race travels ), and a beer company , so he can toast all his marathon finishes in style . You can follow all his adventures on his popular Running Mann blog .
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