Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 117, April 2019 | Page 25

The town is full of water features, many of which are tidal, and residents who don’t
have access to a boat simply whip out their fishing tackle and try their luck at the
side of the road. Since it is too hot to do anything else except sit in the shade and
drink beer, fishing is the most popular recreational activity in Richards Bay.
Mental Games
Double-lappers always provide a bit of a psychological challenge and I took a
quick time-out for a patriotic breather on a dolos before starting the second lap.
Dolosses were invented in the 1960s by a South African harbour draughtsman,
Aubrey Kruger, to protect our shorelines from the erosive force of ocean waves.
However, having got my head around completing lap two in humidity worse than
that found in a rickshaw-pullers jockstrap, one’s psychological state is not aided
with this demotivational sign around 26km.
You need every trick in the book to persevere through the Richards Bay heat.
My favourite Jedi-mind trick is that I get fresh legs every 10 kilometres – and I
managed to shrug the sign off and reach the magical 30km mark for my last pair
of fresh legs. (The last two kilometres of a marathon don’t count. I see them as a
‘victory lap’ – and you always get extra energy for those.)
Despite being a brand-new race, the Hippo goes old school with their cooling
methods. Each runner was provided a sponge at registration and, although I didn’t
actually see anyone running with a sponge, the water troughs at each table came
heavily into play during the second lap, where the biggest risk is that your engine
overheats. The Toyota table didn’t want me to end up like a burnt-out Ford Kuga on
the side of the highway, and I received a very refreshing ice-cold shower.
Warning Signs
After negotiating the small craft harbour for the second time, I was looking forward
to a large craft beer! One needs to be careful where one enjoys one’s favourite
beverage though since this sign on the approach to the beach warns that if you
have a low tolerance for alcohol, the police will have zero tolerance for you. I was
also intrigued that the “No firearms” graphic on the sign includes a picture of a
knife – either knives shoot bullets in Richards Bay, or the blades get so hot when
they are left in the sun that they are classified as firearms.
One final piece of intrigue on the route was an abandoned train carriage. I thought
that maybe a group of Transnet or Eskom executives were trying to flee the country
from the Port of Richards Bay, but ran out of coal just before reaching sanctuary
at the harbour terminal. However, it turns out that it’s redundant equipment that is
in the process of being cut up for scrap metal. They’ll have to be quick, though, to
beat the rust from the constant humidity.
The race boasts a lovely relaxed finish venue at the Zululand Multi Sport clubhouse,
complete with braai facilities, catering and a family friendly ‘Chill Zone.’ And if you
are an out-of-town runner, free camping sites are provided, so you can literally roll-
out of bed to the start and roll back in once you are finished. The clubhouse also
has the lovely backdrop of a tidal inlet, and that was where I headed after finishing,
although with near 100% humidity, the water doesn’t feel much different to the air.
Willing Guinea Pig
I make a point of running inaugural marathons, because many of them tend to be
one-offs, but as with classic literature, for those that endure it’s a good brag to
say you ‘owned’ the first edition. However, I do approach inaugural races with a
certain level of trepidation, and expect there to be some teething problems. Having
said that, I am pleased to report that this race, put together by the goodwill (and
donated time) of volunteers, was absolutely flawless. Race director Casper Kriel
and his team can be extremely proud of the event. This is even more impressive
when you consider that the race has no title sponsor and was 90% financed from
the entry fees (R180, R120, R80 for the marathon, half and 10k).
So the Richards Bay Hippo Marathon is definitely a race to look out for in future years.
The organisers put in the effort and want you to make a weekend of it. And if you’re
feeling hot and bothered, head to the Hippo Marathon, and get hot and sweaty instead.
The air here is almost as
humid as the lagoon water
Cooling
my engine
with an
ice-cold
shower
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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