Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 127, February 2020 | Page 7

So, what happened to runners one and two? Apparently, they missed a route marker and did not complete the course, therefore they were disqualified. So, hold on to your hats, because here is the life lesson: It’s never over until it’s over! Don’t ever think that, even if it appears things are not going your way, because things can still work out in your favour. We all have daily struggles and challenges. Focus on your goals, and keep on working at them. Keep on pushing, because you might arrive at the end and still have achieved the goals you set out to achieve. PS: The above tale was repeated in another race. This time I reeled them in from the back... but the young guns are still faster. – Willie Richards, Cape Town No, I didn’t set a PB, but the race was really a good one. It made me think that we must be grateful for our health. It is so easy to say this hurts, or that is wrong, when some people, like Nikki’s mom, might never recover. Nikki, this one was for your mom! – Pamela Woest, Johannesburg I’m so sorry to hear about Nikki’s mom. Words cannot take that pain away, but like Pamela, we can tell Nikki that the running community is here for you, and ready to run with you for your mom. – Ed. Nikki and her mom I remember one (really small) race when I lined up and had a feeling I could finish on the podium. I knew I wouldn’t be able to catch the two younger (and much taller) speedsters, but the rest of the field looked beatable, so I ran my heart out and achieved my goal. Thanks for sharing your story, Willie, as it brings back a great memory for me, plus an even better life lesson for us all. – Ed. FOR NIKKI’S MOM I am not good at writing letters, but feel, I need to write this one. The reason behind the title of this letter is a bit of a sad one. A friend of mine, Nikki, was supposed to do the Johnsons Crane 10km road race, but her mom who lives in the UK was diagnosed with cancer. Unfortunately, the doctors couldn’t do anything more for her, and Nikki has been by her mom’s side for a few weeks now. I am not the fittest person, and I try to do only one race a month. I did the Mahjoh 15km the previous week, but when Nikki asked if I wanted to do the 10km, because she couldn’t make it, and I found out the reason why, I knew I wanted to do it. I usually run without a distinct purpose – I run purely because I love it, and it is something I can do. But in this case, I instinctively knew that I would do it in her mom’s honour, and for Nikki herself. Throughout the race, Nikki’s mom was constantly on my mind. Whenever my feet hurt, I would think of her and start running again. I wanted it to be my best race. RACE MANAGEMENT FROM START TO FINISH Online Entries | Race Office | Race Marketing | Live Timing and Results www.peaktiming.co.za | [email protected] | Grant 082 468 0195 SELECTED UPCOMING EVENTS: 29 th Feb 2020 29 th March 2020 1 st March 2020 5 th April 2020 8 th March 2020 18 th April 2020 15 th March 2020 19 th April 2020 22 nd March 2020 26 th April 2020 22 nd March 2020 3 rd May 2020 7 Click on the race logo to be taken directly to the entry page