Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 125, December 2019 | Page 4

EDITOR’S LETTER 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] W here the heck did 2019 go? It never ceases to amaze me how quickly a year can fly past. One minute you’re wishing all your running mates a Happy New Year, the next you’re closing up shop for the end of year festivities and looking at the calendar to plot your racing plans for the next year. Even though the year has flown by, I hope you can look back on 2019 and feel content with your running year. Hopefully you hit your distance and time goals, got to all the races you trained for, added those sought after medals to your collection, avoided illness or injury, enjoyed sunrises and sunsets on the run, saw incredible views out on the roads and trails, hung out with your running mates and made new friends along the way. If you can answer yes to all those things, then congratulations, ‘high five’ to you for such a great year, and now you can start planning more of the same. Go out there and take 2020 by the horns, because more running highs are there for the taking! On the other hand, if you answered no to one or more of those things, my advice is simple: Go kick some running butt in 2020! Recharge your batteries over the Festive Season, and then kick your own butt into gear and chase hard for that target race, time or distance, or that running goal or experience that eluded you in 2019, or that commentator’s high five at the finish. All you have to do is get out there and run. Holiday Reading In the meantime, while you’re enjoying a well-earned rest this December, we’ve put together another edition to keep your running inspiration tank topped up. You can read all about Gerda Steyn, the Wonder Woman of SA road running, who capped off a stunning year with a PB in the New York City Marathon, having won both the Two Oceans and Comrades ultra-marathons, and set PBs at 10km and 21km. No surprise that her big goal in 2020 will be the Olympic Marathon in Tokyo, but will she defend her ultra titles? Find out on page 10. Another highlight is the picture-story by running photographer Alfred Thorpe on page 40, about his trip to India for the Himalayan 100 Miler trail race. I have had the great fortune to participate in this stunning event twice, and met up with Alfred before he left for India to tell him about my experience – because those mountains speak to you deep in your head and your heart. Talk about taking a trip down memory trail for me when he sent me his article and pics... and I know you, too, will be inspired by them. So, enjoy the break and be safe wherever you go, but keep lacing ‘em up, and see you in 2020! Sean Falconer 4 Follow on Twitter: 2019 @sean_falconer | Follow the mag as well: @modern_athlete ISSUE 125 me DECEMBER / www.modernathlete.co.za EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Regulars: Anel Oosthuizen, Coach Parry, Leanne Hall, Manfred Seidler, Norrie Williamson, PJ Moses, René Kalmer, Roxanne Martin, Sean Falconer, Stuart Mann, Tom Cottrell Guest Writers: Carla Farina, Dale Biagio, Heather Campbell-van der Merwe, Lisa Fernandez, Mark Krug, Nancy Will & articles courtesy Discovery 947 Ride Joburg & Ironman SA COVER IMAGE Jetline Action Photo IMAGES Photo Agencies & Professional photographers: BackTrack Sports, Cal Hopkins (Wikimedia),Chris Hitchcock, Clay Shaw, Delarey Ferreira, Filip Bossuyt (Wikimedia), FinisherPix, Henk Neuhoff, Jacques Marais, Jena Ragon (Wikimedia), Jetline Action Photo, MaindruPhoto, Paul Hudson (Wikimedia), Pexels, Philip Fyfer, Reg Caldecott, Roger Sedres/ImageSA, Scott Rokis, SMacPix, Tab 59 (Wikimedia), Terence Vrugtman, Tobias Ginsberg, Wessel Oosthuizen, Xavier Briel Non-professional photographers: Dale Biagio, Stuart Mann Courtesy: Andile Bovungana, Anel Oosthuizen, Ashraf Orrie, Bennie Roux, Bob Norris, Carol Cooper, Comrades Marathon Association, Discovery 947 Ride Joburg, Expresso Show, Heather Campbell-van der Merwe, Ironman SA, Jonathan Kaplan, Letshego Zulu, Lisa Fernandez, Louzanne Coetzee, Marc Mundell, Mark Krug, Moab 240, Munga Trail, Murray & Roberts Running Club, Nicola Smith, PJ Moses, René Kalmer, Rudy Oliver, Ryan Guest, Shadrack Hoff, Smile Foundation, Stuart Mann, Voet van Afrika Marathon, Warrior, www.iaafworldathleticschamps.com, Zenna Muller, 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 Modern Athlete is accredited by the ABC with an average monthly circulation of 79,344 (Apr - Jun 2018) High Fives for Everyone! EDITORIAL TEAM EDITOR Sean Falconer [email protected] DESIGNER Caroline Collings [email protected] DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER Roxanne Martin [email protected]