The Falconer Boys and Friend, from left, Dale, Sean and Wesley Falconer, with Ralph Shminke

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As the athletes arrived to rack their bikes in the transition zone on that Sunday morning, I was on the mic doing pre-race announcements when I spotted my cousins Wesley and Dale. I took the opportunity to give them a special welcome over the mic and wished them well for the race.( I may have also cracked a joke about the famous Falconer receding hairline … glad to report that our clan has no problems laughing at ourselves!)

The commentary team rotated during the day, so we took turns working in various transition areas, or at the finish line, and I just happened to be at the swim-to-bike transition as the boys came running up from the water, so I gave them another shout-out. A while later, I just happened to have moved to the bike-to-run transition when they arrived back, so I got to ask them how the race was going thus far, then send them on their way for the run leg.

As luck would have it, I rotated back to the finish line a while later and was on hand to bring them up the home straight, with the words,“ The Falconer Boys are here!” Johanna Ginsberg of Jetline Action Photo was on hand to snap a quick pic of the three cousins, along with their friend and fellow racer Ralph Shminke, and that’ s definitely one for the family album. Meanwhile, fellow commentator Paul Valstar quickly pointed out, over the mic, that my branch of the Falconer clan apparently missed out on the tall genes... No argument there!( See what I mean about us being able to laugh at ourselves?)

NEED TO RUN!

Returning to this edition of the mag, I was particularly inspired this month by my interview with Wendy Seller. I bumped into her at the end of December at the Dangerpoint race in Gansbaai, when she was down in the Cape on holiday. Her coach, Paul Kelly, told me that she had an incredible near-death story for the magazine, and when I saw him again a few weeks later at the Hohenort 15km race, he reminded me to follow up on it.

Well, now that I’ ve written the piece, all I can say is“ Wow!” As a journalist, I try to stay away from sensational headlines or statements, but as the coverline says, running literally saved Wendy’ s life. And it’ s not just me saying that … her surgeon said it. And he’ s a runner himself! Wait, just go read the story on page 16 and you’ ll understand why it made me realise once again that we need to live in the moment, and focus on the important things in life. And why we need to run!

Follow me on Twitter: @ sean _ falconer | Follow the mag as well: @ modern _ athlete

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Regulars: Anel Oosthuizen, Blake Wilkins, Christine Peters, Derick Marcisz, Ernest Hobbs, Jeannie Jordaan, Lauren Smithers, Manfred Seidler, Norrie Williamson, PJ Moses, Ray Orchison, Reggie Hufkie, René Kalmer, Roxanne Martin, Sean Falconer, Tom Cottrell Guest Writers: Basil Smith, Bongani Mangena, Esmé Maré, Lionel & Marie Hill, Lizette Du Plessis, Muntonezwi Khanyile, Tumelo Mabua

COVER IMAGE Marathon-Photos. com

IMAGES Photo Agencies & Professional photographers: Chris Hitchcock, Christiaan Kotze / SASPA, Fotolia, iStock, Jetline Action Photo, Josh Reid, Kevin Sawyer / Gameplan Media, Photo. sdpo. com, Reg Caldecott, Roger Sedres / ImageSA, Roy Esterhuysen, Tobia Ginsberg, Zoon Cronje Non-professional photographers: Carmen Botha, Keith Linderoth Courtesy: Andiswa Mzinyati, Anel Oosthuizen, Balega, Belinda Putter, Carl Potgieter, Central Gauteng Athletics, Christo Lourens, Dawie Aucamp, Gde-fon. com, FuelBelt, Hannover Marathon, Lusapho April, Marisa Calvert, René Kalmer, SABC News, Warda Moola, Wendy Seller and various Race Organisers

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