Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 127, February 2020 | Page 17

THE RUNNING MANN
I noted that sometime during the last seven years, the
road we start on had been tarred, but in less than 2km
we turned off onto dirt road, and would only see the
asphalt again with about 16km to go. However, there
was enough time for several truckloads of exuberant
half marathoners to cheer us on loudly as they passed
us on their way to their start.
Siya Bashe runs for the photo and shows the men how it’s done
We would pass the half marathon start a short
while later, about 10km into the race, and since
they only start at 7:30am, it is a nice boost to get
encouragement from them before we entered the
business section of the Voet. Although the half is often
seen as the ‘easy option’, I am told that pound for
pound and step for step, the half marathon at Voet is
even tougher than the full marathon. The marathon
has just over 800m of elevation gain, whereas the half
marathon gives you about 75% of that elevation gain
within half that distance!
have plenty of time to appreciate the stunning vistas,
because the average pace drops as you slowly grind
your way over the Overberg.
One unfortunate change to the race is that we no
longer run through the Grashoek farm. Sadly, despite
polite requests, pleas and threats, runners kept
throwing their water sachets all over the farm and
the cows would eat them, so there is no longer the
opportunity to show off ones hopping skills over the
farm streams and brooks. However, while running
through pristine countryside, it was good to see that
most runners did #RunClean and I spotted very few
sachets outside the demarcated areas. Each table
had plenty of bins and the “End of Litter Zone” was
clearly marked at each table.
About 500m of the race’s total elevation gain of 800m
occurs over the 2km crawl as you approach the
summit of the Soetmuisberg, and it was near the top
that I was able to bust the notoriously noxious gender
stereotype that men have bigger running egos. I’ve
found that running photos look much better when
runners are actually running in them, so I challenged
the group of walking runners just behind me with a
chastising call of, “Who’s going to run for the photo?”
Siya Bashe was the only lady in the group, and of
course, she was the only one to take the bait... and
put us men to shame with her athletic prowess!
Fynbos Overload!
This is a climb that keeps on giving. There are several
occasions when you think, “This must be the top,”
before a twist reveals still more elevation to conquer.
Eventually the post office tower comes into view, and
after a short trundle around it, one can look forward
to 10km of glorious descent. During this mountain
section you are engulfed by exquisite indigenous
fynbos and the downhill gives one the opportunity to
truly appreciate the beauty of your surroundings. This
is one of my all-time favourite running segments, and
it was great to get reacquainted.
One of the unique aspects of this race is that you can
see both South Africa’s national plant (King Protea)
and national bird (Blue Crane) during the race – whilst
the more ambitious (and those who like things in
threes) can go fishing after the race and try to lure
South Africa’s national fish, the Galjoen (black bream),
for a land, sky and sea ménage à trois.
I made sure I took a bit of time to stop and smell the
Proteas during the descent. Unfortunately, like our
cricket side that went to the World Cup, the bunch
I tried to photograph was well past its prime, and it
looks like it will be quite some time before they are
in full bloom again. Similarly, some runners around
me had wilted badly on the mountain climb, so it was
pleasing to see that Angelo Adams and Esmund Van
Wyk had revived themselves and looked a lot more
comfortable on the downhills.
Take some time to stop and smell the fynbos on the long descent to Napier
The Mountain Awaits
The first 13km are fairly gentle and your fresh legs
should be able to easily handle the gentle undulations
and odd hill during your tranquil farmland traverse.
However, all the while the Soetmuisberg looms
ominously in the distance, and your peaceful morning
is rudely disturbed with a right-turn and the beginning
of the trail section of the race.
Those who fear ferocious hills should look at this as
an opportunity for some quality bonding time with
your fellow runners, as the conversation grows deeper
and the gradient gets steeper. The good news is that
the views just get better and better as you climb up
the mountain track – and mortal runners like myself
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