Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 114, January 2019 | Page 27

tender procedures and ignoring the warnings of senior rail engineers, somebody
pushed the deal through despite the fact that the trains are too large (roof height
4.264m) to operate on the local infrastructure (max height 3.965m). There is, in fact,
a PRASA running club, and they run in a grey kit, so if you spot a PRASA runner, it’s
good form to ask them if they are running in shoes that are two sizes too big for their
feet, and then listen to their colourful, but sadly unprintable responses!
If you thought a marathon along the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast would be flat, you
would be wrong. I have a tendency to be verbose in these race reports, but this
route can be summed up quite simply as 42 kilometres of unrelenting undulations,
with heat and humidity as your constant companions. In fact, I would say the race
profile looks a lot like the mouth of a ragged tooth shark! (That’s the grey nurse
shark, for people who prefer boring animal names.)
This is quite appropriate,
actually, since the best place
to see raggies is by taking a
5km offshore detour at the
halfway mark, the launching
spot to get to Aliwal Shoal,
a volcanic reef renowned for
being one the best diving
spots in the world to view
tropical/subtropical fish and
salt water predators. Ragged
tooth sharks gather here
in large numbers between
July and November to mate,
which provides spectacular
viewing for recreational
divers.
Rowdy Rugby Fans?
I mentioned that running a marathon in KZN the day after the Sharks win the Currie
Cup is a bad idea. Luckily, I made it difficult to detect my Cape Town origins, as I
was heavily disguised in my Fourways running kit from Joburg and Central Gauteng
license plates. (Boksburg runners in their blue and white hoops might not get off
so lightly!) However, the big problem was that in the aftermath of an unexpected
victory, the Sharks fans seemed to have gone into an unprecedented drinking
frenzy, and quite literally drank their villages dry!
Unfortunately, this meant that there was no water or Coke at the first three
refreshment tables. Now I’ve watched enough of Discovery Channel’s Shark Week
to know that sharks and freshwater rarely mix. Perhaps this is why there was no
water at the first three stations. I also know that Sharks despise cold water, which
may explain the lukewarm water and Coke we had during the rest of the race…
In Search of Sweet Waters
After crossing many rivers and estuaries you finally reach the streets of
Amanzimtoti. Ironically, considering the hydration situation on race day, the town’s
name means “Sweet Waters.” Legend has it that King Shaka drank from the river
and exclaimed, “Kanti amanzi mtoti” (“So, the water is sweet”).
The organisers did send out an apology SMS shortly after the race, explaining that
the late start and a record field compounded the problems on race day. Also, in a
comprehensive response to my questions on the issue, they have promised to address
the problem next year. However, it is highly unlikely that the Sharks will win another
Currie Cup title in the next decade, so this is probably a problem that will resolve itself.
Coastal Hills Challenge
After negotiating the loop around (and climb out of) Scottburgh, you spend the rest
of the race hugging the coastline along the R102 while you traverse through the
villages of Clansthal, Widenham, Umkomaas, Ilfracome and Winkelspruit. Although
you are right next to the sea, ocean views are not constant such is the thickness of
the lush, tropical bush that typifies this part of the world.
Sometimes, it pays to run a little slower. My friend and Natal Midlands runner
Greg Strachan finished a few minutes ahead of me, only to find that there were
no refreshments left at the finish after collecting his medal. Instead, he was
offered a nice hot cup of coffee – not the ideal beverage in 30°C heat after you’ve
sweated profusely for four hours in the tropical humidity. When I finished they had
replenished stocks and I managed to scrounge a solitary water sachet, which
got me through to lunch time, where a few beers and some seafood went down
spectacularly well to round off the day.
Sidenote: People from the Natal Midlands have sophisticated tastes. Even on a
cold day, it is unlikely any self-respecting Midlander would accept a ‘normal’ cup
of coffee. Had Greg been offered a latte ground from hand-picked, fair trade coffee
beans, lightly infused with the essence of free-range almonds and diluted ever so
slightly with skimmed soya milk, it would have been a different story!
Sidenote: Umkomaas means ‘place of cow whales,’ since large numbers of humpback
whales used to give birth and nurse their young in the shallow waters of the estuary.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: This is a slightly reworked version of one of Stuart’s
regular running blogs, which focus on his adventures (and sometimes
misadventures) running marathons and ultra-marathons all over South Africa,
and occasionally in other countries. 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 original blogs at http://runningmann.co.za, and
follow him on social media @runningmann100.
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