Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 107, June 2018 | Page 21

ROAD RUNNING
“To date, he has walked or run at least a kilometre
every day since that December morning first walk.
That’s over 1600 consecutive days now”
and then the distance grew by a block at a time until
he was walking the Johnson Crane Half Marathon
soon thereafter. That also started a streak that Shawn
has kept going: To date, he has walked or run at least
a kilometre every day since that December morning
first walk. That’s over 1600 consecutive days now,
and he says, “It’s something everyone can do with a
bit of effort. There are always excuses, but you can’t
just give up.”
If it’s raining hard, he has been known to go out late
at night, once the rain has stopped, and he even
does his kay when travelling abroad, but jokes that
he hasn’t yet been brave enough to actually run in
an international airport building, as he fears he might
be shot at. Still, to get in his daily kay, he has walked
from terminal to terminal during lay-over stops.
Collecting parkruns
During his rehabilitation, Shawn discovered the
parkrun concept and began joining the then small
groups of people who would run on Saturday
mornings at nearby Delta Park. Since then, he
has completed a parkrun at 68 different venues,
including two international parkruns. “At the heart
of my passion for running, and what has made the
journey back to completing marathons all the more
enjoyable, is my desire to travel and experience all
that is beautiful in the world, so parkrun has been just
another great way to combine my two great loves.”
One of the international parkruns he and Paula
did was in Waterford, Ireland, and says they were
astounded to see that the whole thing was over and
packed up in 45 minutes. “Their emphasis is very
much on the ‘run’ in parkrun there. On the opposite
side of the spectrum was the fun and sense of
community we enjoyed after the Treviso parkrun just
outside of Venice, in Italy – once we finally found the
venue. We then ran through the most beautiful forest,
and suddenly a man with a guitar appeared out of
nowhere at the finish to serenade us all while we
enjoyed what seemed to be warmed ice tea.”
Shawn’s whole face actually smiles when he tells
of the places he and Paula have discovered and
the people they have met along the way, thanks to
running. They scour the race calendar to find different,
new races or parkruns to do while they explore the
country, and they have been everywhere, from running
The impromptu concert at the Treviso parkrun in Italy
majestic Cannibal’s Cave parkrun in the Drakensburg,
to the Screaming Monster race that takes you into the
Sudwala Caves in Mpumalanga.
They have also stumbled upon some real running
gems, says Shawn. “En route to Phalaborwa for
a race and getaway, we escaped the frustration
of a stop/go delay on the Magoebaskloof Pass
by stopping for a cold one in a little town called
Haenertsburg. While chatting to the locals in the pub,
we learnt about the Iron Crown Trail Run organised
by the Haenertsburg Rotary Club, which takes
participants to the highest point in Limpopo, where a
man hands out shots of OB’s to ease the cold. We just
had to come back to do that!”
Next Round
Added to travel and running on Shawn’s list of
interests is craft beer. When he injured his back, Paula
bought him a beer brewing kit for Christmas, and
spurred on by a friend who is a craft beer connoisseur,
Shawn’s curiosity began to grow. With the help of
Paula’s skilful researching, the couple have now
discovered craft beer breweries in the most interesting
p laces, including the Kebenja Brewery in an old car
dealership workshop in Welkom. They now often
combine a running trip with a visit to a new brewery,
and Shawn says, “It’s all about embracing the local
culture and community. Cheers!”
Another goal is to run 100 different marathons
worldwide – at the time of writing he had done 84,
including 15 international races – before he takes it
a step further to completing 100 different standard
South African marathons. For that reason, top of his
current bucket list is the Swakopmund to Walvis Bay
Marathon in Namibia, which is run at the same time as
the Oktober Beer Fest, so it will be perfect timing for
some post-run beer tasting!
Looking ahead, Shawn says he wants to continue
his streak of walking or running at least a kilometre a
day, wherever he is, while another goal is to add the
Boston and Tokyo Marathons to his done list, to round
off his collection of Major Marathons medals. “Paula
really has her eye on the special medal you get for
completing all six,” he adds. “But my ultimate goal is
to run until I die, and to continue exploring the world,
completing races and parkruns, finding breweries, and
making memories.”
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