Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 129, April 2020 | Page 27

THE RUNNING MANN
I definitely need to work on my pace for future races,
since by the time I finished the Lions were long gone
and the freshly restocked Hansas were still lukewarm
(which didn’t seem to deter Campbell). I settled
for a cold Castle Lite and hoped that this wouldn’t
make my injury worse. Nevertheless, the post-race
hydration put the finishing touches on a superbly
organised event, and the only downside of sitting with
Campbell and his fellow Hillcrest Village people was
having our conversation constantly interrupted as
random runners kept approaching to say thanks for a
fantastic race.
The
Running
Mann and
Campbell
Nel with
post-race
frosties
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: The Running Mann
has run over 240 marathons and ultras, and
his current mission is to run every marathon
in South Africa. He recently fulfilled a lifetime
goal of securing a shoe sponsorship from The
Sweatshop Broadacres and Asics South Africa
(and a running kit sponsorship from Runderwear),
thus allowing him to run more races and share
their stories. You can follow his adventures
on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, and on his
popular blog.
Julian Draai Turns Heads at Hillcrest
Julian is
happy to
share his meal
with fellow
runners
I
f you’ve run the Hillcrest Marathon over the last
decade, no doubt you would have seen the
curious site of a distinguished gentleman sitting
down to a fully-laden romantic breakfast for one.
He paints a refined picture as one heads back into
Hillcrest at the end of the first lap, leisurely working
his way through an elaborate banquet whilst
watching the runners steadily traipse past.
Since the Hillcrest Marathon is run around the same
time as Valentine’s Day, the most popular question
our lonesome hero gets asked is, “Where’s your
Valentine?” to which he wryly replies, “I’m still
waiting – but get stood up every year!” That’s what
he told me when I ran my first Hillcrest Marathon
this February. However, after posting the picture
below on social media, it turns out that there is a lot
more to this story – and the joke is actually on us,
the runners.
A Legend is Born
The distinguished gentleman is Julian Draai, and
he is one of the great characters of KwaZulu-Natal
running. His story is probably best described as one
very long, elaborate running joke. You see, Julian is
an accomplished runner who counts silver medals
at the Comrades, Arthur Creswell ‘Bergville’ and
Cavanagh ultra-marathons as the finest moments
of his running career. Not wanting to become an
icebreaker, he started running in 1979 after realising
that his passion for ice-skating was at risk after
putting on some weight. It took Julian 11 years for
him to fully transition from ice to tar, but by 1990 he
was able to run his first sub-three-hour marathon.
Over the next five years, Julian was in the shape of
his life, routinely knocking off sub-three marathons
all around KwaZulu-Natal. However, one sub-three
eluded him… Hillcrest. No matter what he did or
how hard he trained, the race defeated him every
year, and the best time he could muster was a 3:10.
Over the last few kilometres of his final futile attempt
at cracking three hours in Hillcrest, a disconsolate
Julian noticed a freshly cut tree stump at the side of
the road, and he thought, “That would make a great
table!” So, instead of just ‘throwing in the towel’
in the race, Julian threw on the tablecloth. The
following year he transformed the tree stump into an
elegant dining table, complete with silver cutlery and
fine china. Although the sub-three goal had proven
out of reach, Julian finally got to enjoy the Hillcrest
Marathon. “The early days were interesting, though,
In his heyday,
Julian knocked-
off many sub-3
marathons
because every runner I knew hurled abuse at me,
condemning me for relaxing to a full breakfast with
champagne and orange juice.”
Pull up a Chair
Although the tree stump is now gone, Julian still
positions himself at the top of the nastiest climb on
the route each year in what has become a lovely
tradition for the Hillcrest runners. He keeps an extra
chair handy in case anyone wants a quick break,
or a bite to eat, “Over the years, people have sat
down on that extra chair and had several swigs of
the Champagne. They also help themselves to the
grapes and toast, which I don’t mind.” (Julian told
me he’s currently on the Banting diet, to get back
to his former trim racing physique. Accordingly, he
doesn’t mind sharing fruit or carbs, but does seem a
little sensitive when people go after his protein!)
Julian says he has no plans to attempt another sub-
three at Hillcrest, but he does have good reason to
trim down… so that he can fit into his wedding suit.
Although he portrays himself as a lonely heart during
the Hillcrest Marathon, he is actually very happily
engaged to Allison Rose. And if you think he makes
an effort for the marathon runners, Julian goes the
extra mile on Valentine’s Day for his Rose, upping
his game to ultra-marathon level by bringing out the
full silver service and crystal glasses.
The good news is that this running romantic plans
to keep his Valentine’s date with the Hillcrest
Marathon, so look out for him next year, take a seat,
sample some grapes (raw or fermented), and get
some great advice (running or relationship) from
the Hillcrest head-turner. And as for the official
answer to the “Where is your Valentine?” question,
Julian says, “Truth is, the runners are my Valentine,
because their open display of affection for the
Champagne Breakfast Table helps get them through
a hard part of the race, and that gives me great
satisfaction.”
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