ROAD RUNNING
Plenty of support out on the road in the early hours of the morning . Their aim was to try run a marathon a day , and go longer where they could . “ Most days we started at 5:30am , to finish before the worst heat of the day , but in the last four days , we ran past 1pm and it got very hot ! Some days we had three types of weather – cold in the morning , a bit of rain , then hot again , but we ran in all those conditions ,” says Lennox .
The brothers did run some stretches by themselves , only accompanied by the support vehicle that stopped every 5km to give them water , but at other times their group numbered well over 20 runners , notably on the longest stage between Dullstroom to Lydenburg ( 55km ), and on the final day as they ran from Hazyview into Bushbuckridge . “ If you watch the videos , I ’ m always at the back of the group , where I could watch the people running with us , supporting Themba ,” says Lennox . “ When it was just us , I ran next to him , but when they joined , I let them run with Themba so they could really feel they were supporting his initiative .”
Some of the videos of the run posted on social media also showed the group running to the beat of a tambourine carried by one of the runners . “ We
actually had three different guys bring tambourines , and that was very helpful to keep us going steady ,” says Lennox . “ On the longest day , a friend called Ashinthwela came from Joburg to support us from Dullstroom to Lydenburg , as well as halfway from Lydenburg to Sabie the next day , and he was playing the tambourine the entire way , keeping us going .”
Most nights they stayed with Themba ’ s friends or family , but two nights were spent in a bed & breakfast , in Belfast and Middelburg , and Lennox says he and Themba really enjoyed the time together . “ We really bonded , both on the road and when resting after each day ’ s run . On road , we would look at each other ’ s behaviour . Themba is always focused on what he is doing , and he would always make sure we were looked after at the right time by the support vehicle . Then after supper , we would try to get enough rest every night , but we never got to sleep before 10pm , because we were always talking and laughing . From day one , I enjoyed the whole experience .”
Fundraising Success
Having set out with a target of raising R60,000 , the brothers completed their 450km run after 12 days on the road , being escorted into Bushbuckridge not only
Captured moments from the 450km run
A rare moment with no smile …
26 ISSUE 137 JANUARY 2021 / www . modernathlete . co . za