Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 126, January 2020 | Page 23

Siraaj Solomon
Tashkeen Solomon
dare or a challenge. Later Dad joined us, along with
Siraaj and his wife, Tashkeen.”
Just seeing a short film clip made by Ziyaad of his and
Shanaaz’s first training run with Itheko, was all Siraaj
needed as a spark to join his two siblings on the road.
“I was never a big runner. I remember in high school
running once, and that was just so that I could get
out of a class, but after seeing the video, I was eager
to also give it a go, and I took my Dad and my wife
along. Now running takes up most of my time, along
with work and family commitments.”
A mother of two, Tashkeen may not be as fast as her
husband, but she shows just as much determination
in her running. “I started running to lose some weight
after my daughter Hanaa was born. I used to love
playing squash and cricket, but running has replaced
those two activities. I love being in the fresh air,
meeting new people and socialising with running
friends at races or group runs.”
Healthy Sibling Rivalry
Of course, every family has its rivalries, and Roshaan
says that the Solomon clan is no different. “I am very
competitive in everything I do, but our family rivalries
are pretty friendly. I have luckily learnt over the years
that winning is not about medals and PBs, but rather
the little things you learn as a runner, which helps you
to grow.”
There is a clear consensus among the family members
that eldest brother Siraaj is definitely the speedy one
in the tribe. Even so, Shanaaz and the others don’t
just roll over and hand ‘bragging rights’ to him. “Siraaj
is the fastest, but we all still try and run him down,
even though we probably won’t catch him. My dad,
on the other hand, likes to sneak up on me in a 10km
and tap me on the shoulder as he passes ‘to beat’
me.”
Even with a healthy competitiveness within the clan,
the key ingredient for all of them is the family time that
they get to spend together, and this makes Abdullah
very proud. “We support each other in everything we
do, and there is always someone to run with and talk
to, no matter the time of day.”
Source of Motivation
Like any sporting activity, running is not always
smooth sailing. Whether it is an injury or not making
a cut-off, sometimes even the sport you love and
enjoy can bring you down, as Abdullah found out
in 2017 when he missed the cut-off time at his first
Two Oceans Ultra. “Missing that cut-off was painful,
even though I finished the race in 7:44, but I was
determined to get a medal, because as the saying
goes, if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.”
While Abdullah is usually the one doing the
encouraging, this time the family rallied behind
him, and the following year this support helped him
achieve his goal to get that sought after Two Oceans
medal. He crossed the line in 6:59:51, making it home
by less than 10 seconds before the final cut-off. For
Abdullah, it was a goal achieved, but for Siraaj it was
even more special, because he got to run the last part
of the race with his Dad and bring him in. “Finishing
the Ultra with my Dad was special, and capturing
him on camera as he crossed the line was amazing. I
still get goosebumps when I watch it now.” (Abdullah
added another Ultra medal in 2019.)
Their motivation doesn’t just come from family,
though. Roshaan, for example, has a self-confessed
CrossFit obsession and is a big fan of two-time
CrossFit Games Champion Katrin Davidsdottir of
Iceland. She also says she lives by the famous words
of Nelson Mandela, “It always seems impossible until
it’s done.” Meanwhile, Ziyaad likes that same quote,
but if some extra motivation is needed, then he says
he prefers the carrot on the stick... “But that also
depends on who is holding the stick!”
Shanaaz Solomon
or you’ll never get there!’ to get myself going, and I
keep reminding myself that all it takes is one step at a
time,” says Tashkeen.
In contrast, Abdullah says that he just loses himself on
the long runs and zones out, feeling refreshed and at
peace after every run. And the motivator in Shanaaz
wants people to remember why they started running.
“Ask yourself why you run, stay focused on what
motivates you, and run happy while staying healthy.
I run for the joy of it, and for the pretty medals.” But
even if you’re just running for enjoyment, not times,
she says you should never forget that you need to put
in the work to make running easier. Thus her favourite
quote is, “There is no magic here, just hard work.”
Stronger Together
The Solomon clan proves that when a family runs
together, they stay together... and they have lots
of post-run breakfast dates together. Just as the
Springboks showed at the Rugby World Cup, that as
a nation we are stronger together, so too does this
running family. They all run, they always support each
other, and they have a great time doing it. And to give
Dad Abdullah the last word, he says always “Start
slow and finish strong, and remember, if at first you
don’t succeed, just try and try again.”
Roshaan Solomon
Inspiring Others
The Solomon family are always helpful with dishing
out advice to newbie runners, so that they don’t make
the same mistakes as those who came before them.
“Run short, run far, but never outrun your love of
running,” is the family motto, and this is something
that sticks in the mind of Roshaan. “I love running and
the process of becoming a better version of yourself.
There is nothing more rewarding than seeing your
hard work pay off.” In the end it all comes down to
how much fun you’re having, and that’s why she adds,
“Don’t forget to have fun and finish every run with a
smile. Plus, don’t forget to end off with a sneaky sprint
to the finish.”
Siraaj says he takes his motivation from marathon
world record holder Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya, who
recently became the first runner to break two hours for
the marathon distance, and thus Siraaj also lives by
the words, “No human is limited.” Meanwhile, his wife
says she has her own version of motivation self-talk:
“To motivate myself I use the Falke tag line, ‘Move
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