Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 119, June 2019 | Page 4

E very year when the Comrades Marathon rolls around, I am transported back in my mind to the very beginning of my career as a running journo – before I even began working full-time, in fact. You see, as part of my Honours Degree in journalism from Stellenbosch University, I had to fulfil two final requirements before graduating. The first task was to write a three-part, in-depth research article series on any topic, and having become an avid runner while also enjoying all things historical, I chose the Running Boom of the 1970’s and 1980’s as my topic. I poured through old running mags and books, interviewed runners who had taken up running in those years, and put together a series of articles that garnered a pretty good mark from the Prof, who just happened to be the son of a Comrades Marathon winner! The second task was a month-long internship at any media company, and I was fortunate to get my foot in the door at a monthly running magazine based in nearby Cape Town. One of my classmates had actually applied there before me, but she openly admitted she had no interest in running, and was just keeping the internship as a back-up option if nothing else came up. Fortunately for me, she found another internship opportunity and told me I could have the running mag position if I wanted it. I was on the phone to the Editor within minutes to set up an interview... When the internship began, one of the first tasks I was given by the Deputy Editor was to compile an article on the ‘Lore of Comrades.’ She gave me a copy of Morris Alexander’s The Comrades Marathon Story and said I should skim through it, looking for a few good stories that sum up this incredible race. She left it up to me to decide on the format of the article. Well, I took the book home and began reading, and making notes, and by the time I finished the book, I had way too many good stories for just one article. So, I categorised the various stories, ruthlessly cut the selection down to a more manageable number, and then wrote four separate articles! I still remember the astonished look on the Deputy Ed’s face when I submitted the articles at the end of my internship. Not quite what she expected. More than 20 years later, I still have that book, and I am still enthralled by the fantastic history of the Comrades, such as the legendary story of Bill Payn pretty much eating and drinking his way from Durban to Pietermaritzburg in 1922, or Felix Henriksen having to fix 32 punctures while trying to avoid snakes on the way from Bulawayo to Durban for the 1928 race! So for those of you running the Comrades this year, go out there and enjoy every minute of the experience, whether it is your first Comrades or your 47 th . And I look forward to telling more of these stories here in the mag in the coming months and years. Sean Falconer Follow me on Twitter: @sean_falconer | Follow the mag as well: @modern_athlete PUBLISHERS Richard Laskey Roxanne Martin Sean Falconer ADVERTISING SALES Richard Laskey 083 342 8200 / [email protected] DIGITAL SALES & CAMPAIGNS Roxanne Martin 072 368 7390 / [email protected] EDITORIAL TEAM EDITOR Sean Falconer [email protected] DESIGNER Caroline Collings [email protected] DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER Roxanne Martin [email protected] EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Regulars: Anel Oosthuizen, Christine Peters, Derick Marcisz, Ernest Hobbes, Manfred Seidler, Norrie Williamson, PJ Moses, Ray Orchison, René Kalmer, Roxanne Martin, Sean Falconer, Stuart Mann, Tom Cottrell Guest Writers: Deirdre Hewitson, Hein Wandrag, Karoline Hanks, Kim Stephens, Kim van Kets, Lisa MacKenzie, Muntonezwi Khanyile, Paul Kelly, Salome Scholtz, Splash PR, Tanya Timms, Vaugh & Nicola Venter COVER IMAGE Jetline Action Photo IMAGES Photo Agencies & Professional photographers: BackTrack Sports, Craig Muller, Fotolia, iStock, Jetline Action Photo, Kevin Sawyer/Gameplan Media, Kyle Cestari, Melinda Crafford, Mike Scott, Nicki Sutherland, Rick Timms, Roger Sedres/ImageSA, Shawn Benjamin/Ark Images, SMacPix Non-professional photographers: Bridget Linderoth, Hanno Langenhoven, Heidi-Anne Smidt, Hein Wandrag, Jill Lategan, Moegsien Ebrahim, Morgan Weeks, Stuart Mann Courtesy: Amy Abrahams, Anel Oosthuizen, Beloved Long Runs, Cape Leopard Trust, Francois Grobler, Janeane Watt, Juan van Deventer, Kabelo Melamu, Karoline Hanks, Kim van Kets, Lans Pepler, Mamre AC, Murray & Roberts, Nedbank Running Club, Nicola Venter, Om Die Dam Marathon, PJ Moses, PUMA, René Kalmer, Sean Falconer, Seeturtles.org, Seromo Mofokeng, Suzanne Twentyman-Jones, Tanya Timms, Two Oceans Marathon, Warick Bekker, Wiets Se Run, Worcester AC, and various Race Organisers FIND US GENERAL E-MAIL [email protected] EDITORIAL E-MAIL [email protected] WEB www.modernathlete.co.za FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/modernathletemag TWITTER @modern_athlete INSTAGRAM @modernathletemag 4 ISSUE 119 JUNE 2019 / www.modernathlete.co.za Modern Athlete is accredited by the ABC with an average monthly circulation of 79,344 (Apr - Jun 2018) EDITOR’S LETTER