Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 125, December 2019 | Page 22

ROAD RUNNING
“We are still talking about the experience, because
it brought us all closer together, especially that
experience of running through the forest at night.
We were all so relieved to see the sun coming up the
next morning! I think we will still be talking about this
experience 10 years from now.
Inspiring Others
Sibs says he is proud of his Washie finish, but
even more proud of his sister’s Karkloof finish. “A
young black African woman doing a 100-miler is not
common, so for her it was so meaningful, because
she wanted to showcase that women can do what
men can do, but more so because she is a young
African black woman. So her story is more meaningful
than mine – that is clear from all the Facebook
comments she received. I had been running for many
years, but people had questions whether she could
do it, having only done five Comrades. Afterwards
she was being asked so many questions, and getting
interviewed, she was like a celebrity!”
The Karkloof Experience
Nontuthuko says she wanted to tackle Karkloof with
others, so asked her running friend Dudu to join her.
“We have done several other races together, so she
understands me. Dudu and I are often the only women
of colour in the long trail races,” she says. “I also
wanted to take along my trail running training partner,
Scelo, to share this experience. Then we had Sibs, my
boyfriend Khaya and a team of four other clubmates
looking after us as seconds. The three of us ran most
of way together, but by the last leg of about 30km,
everybody was sore and fed up, so we split up and
different pacers went with us individually. I had Khaya
and Sibs stay with me.”
to jump over snakes. At other times it was hot and
humid, so we would just run to get to aid stations,
and see familiar faces, and then it was back into the
bush. I noticed that at the stations, most athletes were
silent, obviously processing thoughts about bailing
versus pushing on. We found that we ran in total
silence, sometimes for a good five or so hours, but
the aid stations would then revitalise us and we would
feel like chatting again.”
Champagne Moment
Unsurprisingly, Nontuthuko says one of the highlights
of Karkloof was finishing the race, because she had
requested a ‘Michael Schumacher-style champagne
finish’ if she made it. As a result, her friend Charmaine
was waiting at the finish with a bottle of bubbly,
and the cork was popped as she crossed the finish
line. But that was only after the commentator had
to remind her to first finish the race, because she
had stopped before the line to enjoy a long hug with
Khaya and Sibs!
She readily admits that she found the race tough,
and had doubts throughout whether she could do it,
asking herself over and over why she had decided
to take on this crazy challenge. “I saw people bailing
and that created more doubts... but in these ultra
distances it’s a mind game more than anything else.
The body goes on autopilot, because of your mind.” She says the feeling of achievement was immense
when she did eventually cross the line and ring the
finisher’s bell. “My aim had just been to finish, and we
had 36 hours, so my target was 35:30. I came home
in 35:40, and my first thought was that compared
to this, Comrades is nothing, so why even panic
about Comrades again, because I just did a double
Comrades. If I can do 160km on trail, some of it in
the dark, through bush and forest, then Comrades, in
the daylight, with people cheering you all the way, is
nothing to fear.”
“Also, running at night out in a dark forest, was
frightening, with the noise of animals and having She adds that the experience at Karkloof has
definitely changed her and her two trail companions.
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ISSUE 125 DECEMBER 2019 / www.modernathlete.co.za
“We want to inspire others, especially in our African
culture, not necessarily to run a 100-miler, but just to
train for and run something, whether its 10km or the
Comrades. I now have a colleague that will be running
his first Comrades in 2020, as will her boyfriend
Khaya, because we have inspired them, and that is
very satisfying. Whatever their goals, they can achieve
them,” says Sibs.
Nontuthuko adds that she is particularly happy to
see clubmates and friends now saying they want
to register for the Karkloof in 2020. “I want them to
feel that same sense of achievement that I felt, that
nothing limits you but yourself. As long as you are
breathing, it is just a matter of applying yourself. I’ve
got my buckle now, and I’m proud to be a beacon of
encouragement that shows people it can be done,
that you can take a step out of your comfort zone
and add value to your life by trying something new, or
something harder.”
club and community to join us. Running in the bush
can be scary – there’s a risk of injury, and more – but
I get bored easily and didn’t just want to do road
running. When I saw I could go off-road, I also started
to take on ultra distances. It is unusual for a woman
of colour to run 100-milers on the road, let alone on
trail, but I want every woman to break out of such
restrictions and limits. So Sibs and I were not just
doing it for ourselves, but for others to see that it can
be done.