Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 121, August 2019 | Page 34

runners during the day and was closely monitoring the remaining entry count that
was live-tracking on the site. By the time there were still about 3,000 entries left,
the rate of entries had slowed down markedly, and at the then current rate, the
remaining entries should have lasted well into day seven. I remember relaxing
in front of the TV that evening, content in the knowledge that there was plenty
of time to help get a last batch of struggling runners registered in the morning.
Then, without warning, the entry count suddenly went from 3,000 to 50 entries
left as Comrades ‘remembered’ to subtract their manual entries from the overall
availability count!
I managed to get one last runner registered in the resulting chaos, but unfortunately
there were several runners, many of whom had struggled with login and logistical
issues during the day, that were left stranded. Keep in mind that many of the
runners who needed financial entry assistance do not have easy access to the
internet, often needing to go somewhere with free Wi-Fi. Meanwhile, I kept my
complicated spreadsheet up to date to ensure that my risk exposure remained at
a maximum of R6,000. The net result of the sudden disappearance of Comrades
entries meant I still had plenty of money to play with, but sadly could no longer
help any further comrades out.
proud to say that about 0.1% of the field had been assisted by this process (that’s
40 runners, for the mathematically challenged). I was feeling pretty good about
myself, but how was my bank balance looking?
One of the other things I had decided was that I was not going to beg, plead and
harass people for payment. I would send one message with my bank account
details and that would be it. I generally lead a busy life, so it was a couple of weeks
after both Comrades and Two Oceans entries closed that I sent out the “here’s my
bank account details” messages. However, there was no chance of forgetting to
send these messages, because I received a steady stream of “I’m ready to pay”
and “Don’t forget to send me your bank account details” reminders!
Out of all the people who took an entry loan, there was only one that never paid
me back – and I was happy to write off that small amount of bad debt to goodwill! I
would say that this small, simple experiment emphatically proves that ultra-runners
are amongst the most trustworthy people on the planet. (Hopefully some actuaries
read this article and take note, because it would be nice to know that by finishing
the Comrades or Two Oceans ultra-marathons, one’s credit score can improve, and
ultra-runners are given access to discounted interest rates!)
Plan B: Two Oceans
Entries for the Two Oceans Marathon would be opening within the month, so it
seemed logical to use the remaining funds to help runners take part in the second-
largest ultra in the world, and all sponsors were happy to have their remaining
funds used in this way. This time I could be proactive and got hold of Stefanie
Schultzen of the Two Oceans team to ensure that I didn’t have any money left on
the table once the 13,000 Two Oceans entries sold out.
Stefanie, then Marketing and Sponsorships Manager for the Two Oceans Marathon,
told me that they were specially catering for people who might be cash-strapped
by allowing entries to be processed online and then paid for up to a month later,
using the WebTickets platform. Thus for Two Oceans I played it slightly differently.
I was able to proactively put the word out that I had the funds to help fully sponsor
or subsidise the entries for at least 10 runners a week before entries opened. This
time, instead of subsidising a fixed amount, I said I would pay for the entry and
then runners could pay me back what they could afford.
In the end about half the requests were for fully sponsored entries and most of the
others promised to pay back half of the R500 entry fee. Most of the fully sponsored
entries came from requests from the committee members of running clubs who
were looking for help for specific development runners on their books, which I was
very happy to help out with.
My main message to those wanting financial assistance with their entries was
simple: “Make sure you get your entry in, and once it’s there, we can sort
everything else out.” That’s because after the Comrades entries had sold out
in record time, I was expecting Two Oceans entries to go even faster, and sure
enough, within seven hours there were none left!
The Outcome
By the time all 38,000 Comrades and Two Oceans entries were accounted for, I am
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ISSUE 121 AUGUST 2019 / www.modernathlete.co.za
Afterword
I chose to edit out the names of runners who received assistance in the screen
grabs within this article, as I consider people’s financial situations a private matter.
However, I have made one exception, Nhlaka Dlamini, who was one of the Two
Oceans beneficiaries. He runs for the Inchanga-based Hlonipha Athletics Club, and
has a mission to make his club ‘famous’ by running as many races around South
Africa as a proud Hlonipha AC ambassador.
After finishing his maiden ultra-marathon at Two Oceans, Nhlaka spent an hour-
and-a-half walking around the University of Cape Town campus on very tired legs
trying to hunt me down to say thank you. The photo below was a special moment
for both of us, and it really highlighted how easy it is to do a small bit of good that
can make a big difference in someone else’s life!
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.
I added the relevant fields to my spreadsheet and once again juggled the names
and numbers to make sure I had a fully auditable process and didn’t overexpose
myself. Once again, those requesting help were of all running abilities and very
representative of the South African population. I followed the same simple vetting
process as before – a previous Two Oceans finish or verification that the person
was a runner was good enough to secure my trust. I even had a couple of people
who initially asked for help, but then came back and said, “Don’t worry, I made
another plan, please give the money to someone who needs it more.”