Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 110, September 2018 | Page 13

The start of the Tembisa Mile junior race
we just did not have enough. So we thought, let’s do something unique, and in
2012 we introduced the mile, taking place after the 5km, because we want the
runners to see our best athletes competing in the streets of Soweto.”
PJ’S PIECE
By PJ Moses
HARD WORK PAYS OFF
Over the years Donald has attracted the who’s who of South African middle
distance running to his event. The first winner of the mile in 2012 was Dumisane
Hlaselo, who has represented South Africa on numerous occasions, and a big
breakthrough came in 2013. “Johan Cronje had just won the bronze medal in
the 1500m at the World Championships in Moscow that year, and we got him
to come and run in Tembisa. All of a sudden the media were interested and the
other top runners wanted to race in our mile. Since then the mile has become a
big event for us, and gives us good coverage.”
W
hen I first
started out in
the workforce
many years ago, I got
the worst advice ever. I
was told that you don’t
need to work hard if
you can work smart. In
other words, find the
easiest way to do things.
For years I heard that
sentiment repeated by
various people, but I
never really bought into
the concept… I just
wasn’t brave enough to
say what I really thought,
because I feared being
the one outlier who didn’t
fit with the narrative.
The mile was initially just run as a mass event; now there are categories for
both senior and junior men and women, and a big coup was having Caster
Semenya win in 2016. Meanwhile, the original 8km is now a 10km race and has
seen the likes of multiple SA Champions Stephen Mokoka and Elroy Gelant
race through the streets of Tembisa. It has been suggested to Donald that he
add a half marathon, to further grow numbers, but he is loath to do this. “Since
anyone can do the 10km race, that’s where we believe we can attract numbers.
Also, we simply do not have the logistics for a 21km, and a 10km means we
do not need to use the Metro for a longer period of time, nor inconvenience the
Tembisa residents’ daily routine.”
He explains that the 10km starts at 7am and the first mile starting straight after
the 8:45 cut-off, so they are finished by 10am. “The mile doesn’t impede traffic,
so we are in no way disrupting the day to day ‘running’ of Tembisa. We do not
want to be a nuisance to them, we want their support. The taxi associations
also help us and do not interfere. Yes, there is always that one driver, but
that happens everywhere. Local business helps with small things and the
community love the race, so it has been good for us.”
Many of the people I
meet today, even in the
running world, still dish
out this pearl of societal
wisdom, but they don’t
realise that they are
just perpetuating the
common lie. I’ve seen through the veil, and I’ve decided to call time on this notion.
I don’t know which fool first started this idea, but I believe that hard work does
indeed pay handsome dividends. I am not saying you should not be smart about
how you work, take note, I am saying do not be lazy.
The Challenge
Overall though, Donald says it is more than just about having a top notch e vent
in the township. Currently, the Tembisa Athletics Club members do their track
work on the clay track of the Tembisa High School. “One day we want to host
an athletics meeting there, but we need to upgrade a few things, like toilets,
parking, seating. We try set aside some of the money we raise from the race,
but we also need money to help our runners get to races, so if we can turn this
race into something bigger, then maybe we can achieve those objectives.”
True to his humble nature, Donald does not like the term Race Director. “No,
no, I am the team leader, not a race director.” But he deserves huge credit for
growing the race from a 400-entry fun run to a 2000-entry 10km race in seven
years. Entries are now open for the 2018 race on 28 October, and it is sure to be
another classic.
However, it is not all plain sailing. Race organising costs big money. Metro
services alone set the club back a whopping R45,000, and of course there is
prize money, too. Then there are those who volunteer their time and need to
be looked after. “Our volunteers are part of the community and we need to
put something back into the community, so we need to find a way to show
our appreciation. That can be money, T-shirts, food, or all of the above.” The
race has come with other challenges too... Donald laughingly recollects how a
resident forgot to close his gate on race day in 2013. “His dog came out and
chased the runners. Maybe that is why Johan Cronje set a course record!”
We’ve become lazy in the way we go about things. I see it in people’s everyday
lives – and in the way they approach their training – always looking for the most
comfortable and convenient solution to their problems. They want a quick fix for
this and a pill for that, but they do not want to sweat for it... unless it is in a nice
sauna at a luxurious spa, with a masseuse waiting to help relieve them of the
knots of daily stress in their bodies. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong
with spoiling yourself occasionally, but you must admit that we have become soft.
I should have listened to my grandmother instead, because to her generation
nothing worthwhile ever came easy. If you wanted something, you needed to put
in the hard work to attain it. No shortcuts in their book, the long road was where
it was at. You used pain and suffering as your teachers, and learnt from making
mistakes, not by avoiding them. So, you want a good mantra? Climb the mountain
to appreciate the view, don’t take the cable car unless you absolutely need to.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: PJ is a former Cape Flats gangster who took up
running, and writing about it, when he turned his back on that dangerous
lifestyle in order to set a better example for his two young sons.
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