Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 110, September 2018 | Page 25

TRAIL RUNNING
was a bakkie in front of me, hooting and flashing
its lights, so I pulled over to let it go past. When I
parked, the same bakkie pulled up next to me, so I
pretended to scratch around in my car, because I was
so embarrassed, but then there was a knock on my
window, and the bakkie driver was Christiaan!”
“After that trail run, he asked me out for an ice-cream,
but I said let’s rather go for a run, because I told him I
was looking for somebody to train with. The next day
he phoned me to invite me to join his training group,
but I later found out he actually just got a bunch of
friends from his ‘koshuis’ to join him for a few early
morning runs. One by one they disappeared until it
was just us two!” Christiaan just smiles as he admits
that “it was the most running I had ever done in my
life.”
They’ve now been together for just over 10 years,
and in that time they’ve enjoyed many running highs
together, including winning the mixed pairs category
at events such as the AfricanX Trailrun, SOX, Dryland
Traverse Tankwa Trail and the Riano in Spain. They
also finished second in the eight-day TransAlps
between Germany and Italy in 2015, and Christiaan
says they have unfinished business there. “Finishing
second in a very strong field was incredible, but we
want to go back after our baby arrives, because the
couple that won in 2015 had a one-year-old!”
Another great double act was both being selected
for the SA Team to the World Ultra Running Champs
in Wales in 2013, where Landie was our first female
finisher in ninth place, while Christiaan was our first
man home in 32nd position. She had also been to the
World Short Distance Champs in Italy the previous
year, while he also made the SA Team for the World
Long Distance Mountain Champs in Slovenia in 2014,
but Landie says it was really special to represent SA
together in Wales. “It was a really proud moment for
both of us.”
Individually, they’ve also both racked up impressive
lists of wins, with both winning at the Skyrun and Ultra
Trail Cape Town events in SA, but when asked for their
standout run, both choose the Otter Marathon as their
highlight. “For me it was because I tried for so many
years to get that win under my belt,” says Christiaan,
while Landie adds, “I won it in 2014, but my 2013
run was better, even though I finished second. Being
the first South African woman to break that magical
five-hour barrier was huge, because nobody knew if it
could actually be done.”
BABYSITTING DUTY
Looking ahead, the couple are already thinking about
how to plan racing around the new arrival, but Landie
says they will simply take turns with babysitting
when necessary. “Luckily our families have been very
supportive through the years, attending many of our
races, so we should have somebody available to look
after the little one to allow us to keep racing.” At that
comment, Christiaan breaks out laughing, then says,
“Perhaps we should place an ad in Modern Athlete
for a babysitter at races. Ideally that person can do
sports massage as well… Not too much to ask!”
* Alpas is a Filipino word that means ‘to break free from the old into the new.’ You can find out more at www.alpasfit.com.
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