Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 131, June 2020 June 2020 | Page 34

OUT OF
THE BOX
By Norrie Williamson
A CHANGED WORLD
“COVID-19 has changed the world forever.” You have probably heard that many times over the last 90 days of various
levels of lockdown restriction. We are creatures of tradition, habit and comfort, so it’s not surprising that these are
upsetting times for many, particularly when it comes to our recreation, hobby or sport. There is a tendency to feel that
forced change has to be negative, but COVID-19 has in fact already delivered many positives.
In recent months, it has been shown that whilst the six to seven day a week runners
have been curtailed in their regular training, those who used to run one to three days
per week have substantially increased their level of training, and are committed to
continue this after pandemic. Also, the lockdown has seen many runners consider new
exercises and sessions that balance and enhance their overall training effect.
This means both an increased interest in our sport, and an apparent move away
from gyms (when they re-open). Whether that is temporary or permanent is yet to
be seen. Meanwhile, COVID-19 has opened our minds to technology, and sports
administration will move to a new level as we return to ‘normal business.’
In terms of events, innovations such as the recent Impossible Games, held in Oslo,
Norway, are but the tip of an iceberg where new, exciting competitions will attract
both viewers and commerce. Virtual events are also attracting much attention. For
example, one virtual racing platform initiated in China in 2015, now regularly has
over 300,000 runners around the globe completing its various virtual challenges, to
go with the 40,000-plus that run the actual events on race day. In four years, they
have had over 340 million runners earning their virtual marathon stripes!
COVID-19 has now brought this virtual running world into South Africa, either
as a complimentary or replacement offering to real races, such as the Cape
Town Marathon Virtual Race, or as a standalone challenge, such as the Modern
Athlete Ultimate 5km Challenge. In just one day, the Race the Comrades Legends
saw 43,000 participants from 108 countries run one of five distances under the
Comrades brand.
A Different Approach
In a nutshell, this pandemic has enforced a rethink of what and how we do things.
On a world level there are already a number of new protocol guidelines evolved
from mass participation organisations, individual races, sports federations and
medical/health consultants. Being more specific, the sport is being splintered into
many viewpoints, with none necessarily right or wrong, quite simply because this is
all new territory, and nobody actually knows!
Just as with the medical side of the pandemic, new predictions and models appear
each day, but they are simply models based on the available information. Many
of these models have already failed to stand the test of time, but re-assessment
seems limited. Thus, many industries, including sport, are held back by an
understandably conservative approach... but those who commence planning now
will be ready and better positioned to move forward as and when the situation
allows. Thus, even if actual dates can’t be found for events now, planning for when
dates will once again be scheduled makes sense. The negative approach of waiting
for others to give the go-ahead will see us losing time when we can actually move
forward again.
So, while some have been writing off the rest of 2020, and even the early part
of 2021, others have been working on actions that pull us forward. As indicated
above, on an international level some action has been independent, while some
has been in concert with key players in the sports industry. Most proposals tend
towards the same principle of first identifying the risk and providing measures to
reduce the risks to acceptable standards.
Risk Management is Key
Infection has always been a risk, and a reality. For example, the number of runners’
friends and family who pick up a transferred infection from runners after any Two
Oceans or Comrades race tends to peak around two to three weeks after these
events. With COVID-19, the concerns over contact and mechanism of infection are
Images: Jetline Action Photo
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ISSUE 131 JUNE 2020 / www.modernathlete.co.za