Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 113, December 2018 | Page 16

THE RUNNING
MANN
By Stuart Mann
THE MUSINA HOTPOT
There are marathons that are tough to get to, and marathons that are tough to run. The Two Countries Marathon is
both. The race starts 10km inside Zimbabwe near Beitbridge Town and ends back across the SA border in the sweltering
furnace that is Musina. The marathon ingredients are a gruelling drive to the far northern boundary of South Africa,
an early morning border crossing on one of the busiest roads in Africa, and 42.2km over vast expanses of heinous
hills. Throw them together and cook for several hours in 35°C heat, and you have the recipe for a fantastic marathon
experience! (Marathon #194 / Unique marathon #106)
T
I was surprised when looking at the route profile
afterwards that we were running steadily downhill, as
I remember huffing and puffing all the way back to the
border. Fortunately, there were frequent water tables
filled with enthusiastic volunteers. The Spar table just
before the border was a particular highlight – and proved
that there is indeed a friendly Spar wherever you are.
Ten kilometres into the race and we were back at the
Zimbabwean border. This time there was no hanging
around. The queuing masses looked on enviously
as we trotted through unhindered and made our
way over the Limpopo River via the Beit Bridge.
Running marathons all around the country is the
best geography teacher and I took time to admire
the mighty Limpopo River (meaning “gushing strong
waterfalls” from the original Sepedi name).
My brain was still fully functional at this stage and
I realised that Musina is much closer to the border
than the remaining 32km of the marathon. Therefore, I
was wondering how we would make up the distance.
The answer quickly became apparent as we were
directed back under the bridge and looped around to
follow the border. The next 22km exposes one to the
harsh, desolate, barren
beauty of this arid
landscape.
Majestic Trees Hot Home Stretch
With such a small field, much of the running is
done in solitude, but the race is far from silent. The
drumbeat of one’s running shoes is barely audible
over the symphonic cacophony produced by the
African cicada beetles, which at 106.7 decibels are
the loudest insect in the world. Also, it is ironic that on
a race with no shade, the highlight is the trees. I don’t
normally get excited about foliage, but the endemic
Baobab trees are simply stunning. Also known as
the ‘Upside Down Tree,’ one legend has it that the
arrogant Baobab was taught a lesson by the gods,
who plucked it out and shoved it back into the ground
head-first, so now the roots are at the top! With 10km to go, you finally leave the Limpopo River
and veer right onto the road back to Musina. The Two
Countries Marathon doesn’t grant any concessions
over the last quarter, which is a torturous and
continual climb home. After three hours in the harsh
African sun, I was now questioning my sanity and
hoped that what I saw in the distance was indeed
the next support table, not a mirage. At this stage I
needed respite, and this was provided by the best
support table of the race. The Autozone crew even
provided a paddle pool that one could wallow in for a
few minutes to cool down!
The big ones on this route are over 2000 years old,
but the oldest one on record was over 6000 years
old before it collapsed – and the large hollow in
the trunk was used as a bar! The hollows in other
massive Baobab trunks, which can get to 50m in
circumference, have been used as shops, prisons,
houses, storage barns and bus shelters. Baobabs
are virtually indestructible under normal conditions,
but when one dies, it does so slowly, rotting from
the inside. One day it will suddenly collapse in a pile
of dust, which adds to the mystique. Unfortunately,
these ancient icons cannot escape climate change,
and after surviving several millenniums, nine of the
oldest 13 Baobab trees in the world have died in the
last few years.
Eventually the oasis of Musina comes into view and
a short while later one enters the finish area at the
Hoërskool Eric Louw. A marathon obsessive like
myself can get a bit blasé about finishing a race, but
there is a true sense of accomplishment (and relief)
when crossing the finish line of the Two Countries
Marathon.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: This is an extract from Stuart’s regular running blog, and he says his lifetime goal
is to attract a travel sponsor through his running blogs, so that he can run more races and share their
stories. You can read the full blog at http://runningmann.co.za, and follow him @runningmann100.
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ISSUE 113 DECEMBER 2018 / www.modernathlete.co.za
he Wikipedia entry for Musina claims that this is
the busiest stretch of road in Africa. However,
the traffic on the Zim side was surprisingly light,
and the roads were in surprisingly good condition.
Both are aided by a chronic fuel shortage which keeps
most of the cars off the road and in long queues at
petrol stations. The hopeful drivers waiting for fuel did,
however, provide some good crowd support.