Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 113, December 2018 | Page 6

Have Your SAY LETTERS Got something on your mind that you want to share, a burning question you want answered, or a good story to tell? Then send it to [email protected], and add a pic if you can. Letters should preferably be no more than 300 words long, and pics must be high-resolution to be usable in print. (Note that letters may be shortened due to space limitations.) KEEP THE ENTRY FEES DOWN I am concerned about the unregulated nature of race entry fees. In Gauteng, for example, runners pay between R80 and R150 for a 21km race. What is even more worrying is that some races, which are just old races rebranded, are now the most expensive! One would have thought the introduction of a sponsor will bring down the registration fees. I think ASA must intervene. We cannot make running unaffordable at a time when the sport is growing. – Malose Chaba, via e-mail I totally agree with Malose! Running is slowly becoming an elitist sport and it excludes a lot of people who love the sport. One hundred and eighty rands for a half marathon is grossly overpriced for sports/entertainment value. I cannot say for sure how much race organisers are making out of these races, but I know that by setting the fees so high, road running has become unaffordable for most of us. I believe entry fees will increase by a higher margin next year? I tell you, this will be like cutting off your nose to spite your face, because runners have become more organised. Thanks to technology runners have access to multiple running groups in their suburbs and at the rate these fees are rising, people will rather go for the option of running with mates. The venue of most of these races is on city streets, which were built using public funds. Race fees must fall! – Nomazizi Boqo, via e-mail As much as I agree that race fees should be kept down to make the sport affordable and accessible to all, I also know that the costs of presenting a race have skyrocketed in recent years, notably in terms of the cost of traffic officials. Of course, there is the option to trim the nice-to-haves at races, such as medals, in order to be able to reduce the entry fee, but take away medals and you’ll see far more complaints from the running community! So my take on this is that runners must vote with their feet (and wallets) – if a race is well organised and offers good value for money, the runners will be prepared to pay a premium, but if it isn’t worth the money, they will not come back the following year. In time things will balance themselves out. – Ed. LEARNING ON THE RUN Many people battle to get into any form of training unless they have to, and often they don’t know the goal should not be to lose weight or to bulk up, it should be the bigger picture, to be a better you, to live a better lifestyle and to change every aspect of your life. That is when it becomes easy, and what better way to do it than to run... but I learnt that I was not born a runner, and it would take a lot of work over a long period of time. I learnt that my core was weak and prone to stitches; that I was eating unhealthily, causing runner’s tummy and a lack of energy; that my posture was incorrect, leading to sore ankles and knees; and that in general I was in no shape at all. However, listening to my body and learning the exercises to strengthen my weaknesses not only developed my love for running, it made training muscles easier, doing yoga easier, eating correctly easier, and ultimately changing my lifestyle easier. I am no longer an unfit couch potato, and I long for my weekend social runs. For this I have to thank all the new road friends I made, and those who have seen a change in me, and wanted to explore with me. That’s why I now invite many friends, family, acquaintances and even strangers to join me on a run, no matter how incapable you think you are. You don’t hold me back, you add mileage to my tyres! – Irene Muir, via e-mail Love your attitude, Irene – exactly the same message I have passed on to many aspirant runners over the years. Just join us for a run, we’ll wait for you, show you the route, keep you going, and hopefully pass on our love of running. So many beginners are afraid to start, for fear of being too slow, but once they get going there is no holding them back! – Ed. SHOES ARE EXPENSIVE! I was struggling with some running niggles, to the point that my physio recommended that I check my shoes. Now don’t get me 6 ISSUE 113 DECEMBER 2018 / www.modernathlete.co.za EDITOR’S PICK