Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 117, April 2019 | Page 29

TRAIL RUNNING
Doing It His Way
Just bubbling below the proverbial surface at the moment, young
trail running talent Dale Herring is patiently working his way
towards making his breakthrough in the sport. – BY PJ MOSES
D
ale Herring came into this world wanting to
be first. Born a little bit earlier than his twin
brother Kyle, he was competitive from the
get go. “I love my brother, but almost everything is
a competition for us. It has always been about who
can do it better.” The Herring boys have been trying
to one-up each other for 25 years, from karate to
motocross and now in trail running. They always give
everything they’ve got, and there is no charity in their
constant sibling rivalry. “I live by the mantra that you
either go big or go home. I mean, if you’re not going
to aim for the top, then why bother, hey?” says Dale.
This driving force to be the best has given Dale the
mental strength to rise to the occasion when there is
something on the line. Last year he needed every bit
of that driving force when he found himself in the top
four places during the tough Fish River 100km trail ultra
in Namibia. “At the start, I was very nervous, and felt
under-prepared for what lay ahead. Around me were
some of the best trail runners that South Africa has
produced, and I didn’t know what to expect,” he recalls.
“When we were finally on our
way, AJ Calitz broke away
very early and for a little
while I found myself in a three-
way tussle with Bennie Roux and Adriaan Wooding for
second place. We stuck together and helped navigate
the early parts of the course. Bennie made his move a
little later, but I didn’t want to chase too hard, too early,
so Adriaan and I stuck it out a little longer.”
By the time they got to the last aid station, Dale was
ready to push on, and when Adriaan had a little sit
down, he decided this was his chance and grabbed
a few bananas before heading back out as fast as
he could. “I felt like a deer being hunted down over
that last stretch. I kept looking over my shoulder,
expecting to see a flying Adriaan coming up to catch
me. But he never came, and when I ran into the finish,
I don’t know whose face looked more shocked –
mine, or the faces of the many spectators cheering us
home at the end. It was a surreal and unforgettable
moment that will stay with me always.”
Sporting Talent
Dale and Kyle were always active children, so early
on their Dad decided that it would be a good idea
to steer the boys into the world of sport. They tried
team sports like rugby and cricket, and even did a
little cross country running in both primary and high
school. Dale didn’t take to the team sports, but he
was a talented sportsman nonetheless, earning his
provincial and national colours for kick-boxing, and
also enjoying major success in motocross, winning
of the regional championship and being ranked 12th
nationally.
“I did well at motocross and even earned a
sponsorship, but I wasn’t as committed to it like
I am to running now. I needed to
mature to appreciate the
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