Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 131, June 2020 June 2020 | Page 30

ROAD RUNNING MAKING A VIRTUAL MARK They say those who fail to adapt to changing times, will be left behind. Well, never let that be said about Tom Cottrell, author and publisher of the Nedbank Runners’ Guide to Road and Off-road Races in South Africa. While the 30 th edition of this venerable annual is due out in 2021, Tom has been reinventing his brand for the past few years by embracing online and digital platforms, and his latest move is to add virtual events to the Runners’ Guide app. – BY SEAN FALCONER For 29 years Tom Cottrell has focused on race fixtures, first in his book and then via his website and app, to bring runners all the info they need to run races, such as date, venue, times, entry info and route descriptions. But now that races are mostly cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he has changed focus. “Normally we only include traditional races in our fixture lists, but these are different times, so we’re entering into the spirit of these virtual races, runs and challenges, by supporting them through our digital platforms.” Says Tom. “I know virtual races seem ridiculous to some runners, but it is a way for runners to stay in touch with the sport and with each other. As such, I was still amazed by the numbers recorded by the recent Comrades virtual run. I don’t think other challenges will be as big, but it shows that even under difficult circumstances, runners will speak with their feet. So, we have put a section on our website and have also made space on our app for virtual races… and we can send pushnotifications through the app to keep runners up to date on upcoming virtual runs. Users of the app will also be able to share their pics and experiences of these runs on social media.” STAYING ACTIVE Tom (66) lives in Johannesburg with wife and fellow runner Kay, and they have two daughters and one grandson. He no longer runs himself, but in his younger days he posted a marathon best of 3:05, and in his fourth Comrades Marathon in 1989, he brought his time down to 8:04 – or 7:64, as he laughingly prefers to call it. However, early in 1990 he was badly injured in a car accident that claimed the life of his brother-in-law. Tom was left with multiple injuries, including two broken ankles, and doctors said he would likely never run again. “At the time of the accident, Kay had recently done her first Comrades and actually asked me if she should carry on running, so I said you can stay here and be miserable with me, or go run with my mates. She was out the door before I finished talking,” he laughs. “Not being able to join her, I kept myself busy writing route descriptions of the races she was planning to run, as a kind of therapy to stay involved. Then somebody said you could make this a book, and when somebody starts a sentence with ‘Why don’t you…,’ then you just have to do it! So, when I was retrenched in 1991, I decided why not, and that’s how the Runner’s Guide started.” The first edition appeared in 1992, and under the Guide Book Publishers company he started in 2002, Tom went on to add the Swimmers’ Guide in 2005 and the Cyclists’ Guide in 2008, as well as several biographies, novels and coffee table books. With the 30 th edition of the Runners’ Guide currently in the planning phase, he is also putting the finishing touches to a novel, Millwood, which he hopes to see in stores at the end of this year. MOVING FORWARDS In spite of his injuries, Tom did run again… “just to prove them wrong,” as he puts it. “I did the Two Oceans and a few other ultras, and then in 2000 I did another Comrades, because that year they gave us 12 hours, so I decided to chance my arm, but more to say goodbye to the race. I finished with three minutes to spare.” He hung up his running shoes again after tearing his ankle cartilage doing the Antarctic Marathon, but remains actively involved in the racing scene through his fixtures services. In recent years, Tom says his main focus has been the app, and he is pleased by its ongoing success. “I launched my first app about five years ago, starting with the cycling fixtures. It was really just a PDF of the Cyclists’ Guide for use on an iPad, but the feedback was astounding, and soon the running community was asking for a running app. I’ve changed the app a bit since then, mainly because Apple told me I could not simply create a new app each year when I uploaded the new book’s fixtures. They said it should be the same app, with updated data, and they suggested I make it a free app.” Since then, Tom says his apps have consistently ranked amongst the top 10 free sport app download in the Apple suite, often climbing to the top spot in the October to December period as athletes start planning their New Year’s racing. “Now I’m expecting to see another spike thanks to all the virtual runs on offer. I’m just glad to know the app is being used and enjoyed by more and more people.” 30 ISSUE 131 JUNE 2020 / www.modernathlete.co.za