would be the recipient of massages every day for the rest of the year . ( It might seem slightly frivolous , but that was the best I could come up with at the time !)
With about 4km to go , it was bittersweet to go past Randburg Jaco . It is always nice to finish ahead of one ’ s compatriots , but I knew that anyone I passed was definitely not going to make three hours , because I was probably not going to get there myself . ( Jaco eventually finished in 3:02 , knocking a massive 30 minutes off his PB !) and Tiaan ( in that order ) flew back past me , heading towards the safety of the tar . I feared that I would be the only one of the four not to break three hours .
The situation became more dire as I lost a further minute off goal pace on the next two kilometres climbing up to the dirt track loop ’ s turnaround . The realisation was dawning that I was going to have to do some serious running if I was going to get anywhere close to that three-hour mark , but all I could manage for those two kays was 4:15s .
Going Off Script
Any remaining hopes of a sub-3 were dashed when I suddenly had to make my third visit to the bushes . I really hoped that this would be the last time I had to pull off , as my steady supply of ‘ white gold ’ – never leave home without it ! – was now depleted . I work on trying to make these stops as brief as possible , and this final pit-stop would have put the Ferrari Formula 1 team to shame . Such was the speed with which I stormed through the shrubbery , that I managed to lacerate my legs on the thorny foliage in the quest for some privacy !
These impressive looking scratches saved some vital seconds
Sneaking in under three hours was truly a great feeling
Two very happy sub-3 marathoners
Clearly , my body has now built up an immunity to Imodium , and I remember thinking I am going to need to find something stronger for future races . In my desperation , I also remember thinking that as SAB produces Carling Black Label in a ‘ man-sized can ,’ it was high time that Imodium starts producing the ‘ Mann-sized tablet !’
As I hit the tar again , matters were made worse when I had to stop and retie a shoelace . It now all boiled down to running 16km with 64 minutes left – or exactly four minutes per kilometre . In my favour was that my legs were still feeling strong , there was still plenty of downhill running to do , and that I was several kilograms lighter than when I started the race ! The problem was going to be maintaining the pace on the several pulls that they had snuck into the last part of the course … not to mention that I had to run the fastest 16km of my life .
Stubbornness or Willpower ?
I started with a kilometre at just under four minutes , but the subsequent one was the toughest on the course , a solid kilometre of climbing completed in 4:30 , and seemingly removing any last hopes of still sneaking in under three hours . Yet somehow , I managed to keep myself motivated and work the legs as hard as I could .
I hit the 3km to go mark with just over 12 minutes left and then managed to run my fastest kilometre of the day ( 3:40 ) on a very easy downhill stretch , and suddenly I had the ‘ luxury ’ of being able to run at 4:15 / km to achieve my goal . Another good kilometre followed , and now , with 1km to go , I realised for the first time that I could make it … provided that the board markers were correct , which thankfully they were . Not even the short , sharp heartbreak hill just before finish could halt my charge for the line .
Sweet Taste of Victory
Crossing the line in 2:59:24 was a fantastic feeling , and it was also great to have the ‘ Old Mann ’ at the finish line to watch me come in . That was definitely one of the contributing factors in keeping me focussed during the last 16km , knowing that this veteran of several sub-3s was hoping his son would be joining the club . By the time I came in , Kirsten had already cooled down , having blasted a magnificent 2:52 , while Sunninghill Tiaan also achieved his goal , finishing in 2:57 .
Making the most of being on the doorstep of the Kruger , I had organised a walking safari with my dad and his partner after the marathon – which is somewhat ironic , considering the amount of time I had already spent in the bush . According to Garmin , I was completely stationary for over five minutes ! I can also report back that the safari part was nice , but the walking wasn ’ t … my legs were completely shattered from the downhill . On that , after the race I was offered some Myprodols to ease the post-marathon stiffness , but I politely declined … because I wanted to feel exactly how much it hurt to break three hours !
To be honest , I don ’ t remember too much of the next kilometres , other than that I was able to run the easier kilometres at just under 4min / km and the harder ones at just over 4min / km , but I was never confident of coming in under three hours . It was also some time during this period that I made a pact with God that , should I break three hours , Kathy
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 .
Images : Courtesy Stuart Mann
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ISSUE 135 NOVEMBER 2020 / www . modernathlete . co . za