Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 130, May 2020 | Page 12

THE RUNNING
MANN
By Stuart Mann
Welcome Down in Welkom
I’ve seen plenty of “You know you’re a runner when…” lists. They usually include items like getting up earlier on the
weekend than during the week, having one pair of smart shoes and a dozen pairs of running shoes, spending more on
running kit than on food, etc. However, all those lists are completely bogus, because the real test of whether you’re a
real runner or not is travelling to Welkom, of your own volition and free will, to take part in a triple-lap ultra. At least,
that’s my excuse for making the three-hour drive south to run the Anco 48k Ultra, and I’m sticking to it.
Marathon #241 / Unique
Marathon #141 / 14 March 2020
Organising club Goudveld Multi Sport keeps life
simple with 16, 32 and 48k options, and a small group
of 100 Free State runners and one Gautie set off
together in the dark at 5:30am. My mental approach
was that the first lap was a warm-up “and didn’t really
count.” I also figured that I could finish the first lap
before the sun got too hot. I normally interrupt my runs
with frequent photo stops, but there is not a lot to look
at in Welkom… and I figured that I’d have two more
chances to capture whatever caught my eye.
The first lap actually wasn’t that bad – after all, 16
kilometres is just a decent training run. My plan for the
next two laps was just to run from water table to water
table and reward myself with a long walk (as well as
a bite to eat) at each table. This worked pretty well,
and was not too taxing, since there were six tables on
the lap.
When you’re on a mission to run every
marathon in the country, triple-lap ultras
in Welkom have to be done – and it was
either this or an eight-hour drive to De Aar for the only
other marathon in the country that weekend that I
hadn’t yet run. Whilst running a marathon in De Aar is
actually something that excites me – which I guess is
another sign of being an authentic running junkie – I
had done the long drive to Kimberley for the 50th
Diamond Marathon the previous week, and my brain
These marker boards will give
your head a good workout
found three laps in the Free State a more attractive
proposition than driving 750 kilometres into the middle
of the Karoo Desert.
And for those still thinking I need to be
institutionalised, and doubting possible justifications
for travelling to Welkom, here are three more reasons:
1. 48k is the easiest Comrades qualifier distance.
2. This is the fastest 48k in South Africa.
3. If you need to work on your mental game, the
distance markers in this race will give your head
a good workout!
Feeling Powerless
Unfortunately, my timing was badly off on the Friday
before the race. I had endured load-shedding at
home in Johannesburg for most of the morning,
then drove most of the afternoon and checked into
my B&B in Welkom just in time for load-shedding
to kick in there. This seemed like a bad omen. I
can’t say that I was particularly looking forward to
running my first triple-lap ultra, and my sense of
foreboding was heightened by a massive overnight
thunderstorm. At least the storm had given Welkom
a good rinse and meant that the morning conditions
were pleasantly cool.
In Search of a Climb
As there are no real hills in Welkom, the most difficult
section was the ‘long’ 4km stretch between the water
tables at the 7.5km and 11.5km marks. I mitigated
this ‘risk’ by picking a thirsty-looking tree at the
9.5km mark and ‘giving something back’ to nature.
In fact, I slipped into such a consistent rhythm that
the same tree got a good watering on all three laps.
Actually, there are two hills on the course – both are
bridges over the railway line. The picture below is of
the second hill on the first lap. Such was the novelty
of gaining some elevation that I didn’t even stop for a
photo on laps two and three.
Images: Stuart Mann
12
ISSUE 130 MAY 2020 / www.modernathlete.co.za