Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 120, July 2019 | Page 71

Learning from Masters
Amongst the previous five-time winners of the Comrades were Arthur Newton and
Wally Hayward, and the relationship between Arthur, Wally and Jackie is an intricate
and special highlight of the book. Arthur was something of a grandfather figure to
Jackie, taking him under his wing and nurturing his talent, initially via long-distance
mail from England and later in person. Jackie always stayed with him whilst visiting
the UK, and obviously found a kindred spirit in him. “When Newton was asked
whether a runner could run too much and burn himself out prematurely, he was
very firm in his reply: ‘Nonsense, you cannot have too much running, ever’,” writes
Jackie.
Meanwhile, as a 19-year-old who had just started running marathons, Jackie was
clearly in awe of Wally. As he writes, “On 22 April 1951, I watched Wally Hayward
win the second annual 38-mile Pieter Korkie Marathon from Pretoria to Germiston
in a record time of 4:07:14. That great athlete was undoubtedly the king of long
distance running in South Africa at that time. He had a majestic look about him,
and he won every race he entered. His was a household name throughout the
country. I vividly recall marvelling at the tremendous power with which he ran,
effortlessly brushing aside all opposition. On that occasion, he was well-tanned, a
picture of health, vitality and fitness; his powerful legs topped by a well-built body. I
wondered if I could ever compete in his class. Of course, his autograph was one of
my prized possessions.”
Running on
Instinct
In many ways
Jackie Meckler
was the
‘consummate
amateur’. He ran
before sports
science was
a discipline or
sports doctors
started practicing.
“There was
nothing scientific
about my training
programme. I just
ran as much as I
could, whenever I
could.” Examples
of this include
waking up at
2:30am to do
60km runs before
work, an 85km
‘tendon tester’ 10 days before Comrades, and (after breaking the 30-mile World
Record but being “puzzled why I had run so poorly”), going on a 10-mile test run
later that same afternoon to “prove conclusively whether or not I had fully extended
myself in the race.”
Race hydration was another topic that fascinated me in this book. After breaking
Jackie Gibson’s record to win the hilly 1954 Southern Transvaal Marathon in
Krugersdorp, clocking 2:33:06, Jackie commented, “Throughout the race I felt
strong and confident, needing only one sip of lemonade and two sips of tea the
whole way.” Also of note is that he won all his races wearing cheap Bata takkies
and ran sockless, using dishwashing liquid to prevent blisters... so I guess you
could say he quite literally showed the competition a clean pair of heels!
A Riveting Read
Tricks of the Trade
Wally later became a mentor to Jackie, and was his second, helping him with
drinks, when Jackie broke the 40- and 50-mile world records by running 200 laps
around the dusty Delville Stadium track in Germiston. Some of the best anecdotes
in the book involve Wally, including the fact that not all of the advice he gave his
youthful protégé was that practical. “For all long distance runners, the subject of
urinating during a race needs to be firmly addressed. Everyone seems to have a
different approach. Wally Hayward, for example, had a method that defies both
science and belief. I once dared inquire about the secret of his gift. He was evasive,
replying vaguely, ‘Oh, you know, you just tie a knot in it and blow the rest out in
steam! Try it sometime.’”
Jackie was obviously as private about his comfort breaks as he was his personal
life, which resulted in losing a few minutes at the side of the road during Comrades.
“For me, a combination of physiology and decorum dictated that my following
motor car had to be signalled to stop at an appropriate point, both doors had to be
opened and I would seek comfort between the screens they provided.”
Whilst on the topic, Jackie’s wry and dry sense of humour comes across frequently
in the book – this example from his first London to Brighton ultra marathon, “At
that stage, probably thanks to the cool weather, I was bursting for a piddle. I
dashed up an imposing driveway into a nearby garden. While I was ‘splashing my
boots’ – a term Newton always used – I heard footsteps coming down the path
from the house. The footsteps came nearer and nearer and the image of a man
gradually emerged from the dense fog. Feeling rather ridiculous at being caught
in the act, I blurted out ‘Hope you don’t mind!’ in as confident a manner as I could
muster. Back came the reply out of the heavy fog, ‘It’s OK, ol’ chap – I’m only the
postman!’”
The book is easy but enthralling reading, a riveting ‘must read’ for any athletics
enthusiast. It is written with honesty and humility, and while Jackie doesn’t hold
back on expressing what
his opponents’ mistakes
were, he does so with grace,
and never gloats over his
victories. Similarly, he covers
the races he lost with same
candour. In fact, the only
people who come in for a
minor tongue-lashing during
the book are bumbling
administrators and their
application of archaic,
nonsensical rules.
The book retails at R295
and was officially launched
at this year’s Comrades
Expo, with Jackie on hand
to sign copies. Hard copies
and digital versions of the
book are available online at
www.runningalone.co.za,
and the book will also
be sold at select running
shops.
Running Alone, an autobiography 45 years
in the making
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: This is a reworked version of one of Stuart’s blogs,
which usually focus on his adventures (and sometimes misadventures) while
running marathons and ultra-marathons all over South Africa, and occasionally
in other countries. He recently fulfilled a lifetime goal of securing a shoe
sponsorship from The Sweatshop branch in Broadacres, thus allowing him to
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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