TRAIL RUNNING ultra , but soon as I finished , I asked the guys , can we just go home , because I didn ’ t want to stay for prize-giving . But before we left , I told the race director , Graham Bird , that even though I was disappointed , I would be back the next year . Now the race has been postponed …”
On the way to winning the UTCT 20km
Siviwe adds that events like Whale of Trail are very expensive to enter , and after a year of very little racing and thus very little income , he needed to ask for help to get into the event . “ I asked friends and other runners for support , and then I spoke to Ed Jardim Chairman of the Murray & Roberts club , and after he had checked with the race organisers that it was still happening , the club agreed to pay for my entry . So , I want to say huge thanks to Ed , and Dana Coetzee , for their support . The problem now is that I ’ m 100 % fit , but the race is not happening , so I am just keeping fit until I can race again .”
Life on Hold
Besides his running being interrupted by COVID , Siviwe has also seen his studies held back by the pandemic . He has been studying criminal justice through UNISA , including attending some classes at a local college , through a development programme funded by the City of Cape Town , but says he has been unable to finish the course due to lockdown . “ I ’ m not sure when we will write exams , but the plan is to work in law enforcement when I finish my studies , like for the Metro police , or I could become a traffic officer . The City will divide us into groups once we qualify , which will determine where I work ,” he says .
Fortunately , Siviwe has been able to find work in recent months , so as to make some money while racing is off the cards . He began working part-time in October as a sales clerk for the Branded Footwear and Clothing Company , which distributes and markets several running brands , including Altra , Inov-8 , Vibram , Ultraspire and Ultimate Direction . “ I am processing online sales for them , which means they send the orders down to me and I go get the stock for the orders . They give me time to train , so I work from 10 in the morning till three in the afternoon , and I still have enough time to fit in training . I do have to walk around a lot in the warehouse , which does affect my running due to tired legs , but I am just so grateful to have work and be able to earn some money ,” he says .
“ I am also working part-time at the Run Store three times a week , which is helping me to learn more about shoes and sales , and working directly with clients to help them pick the right shoes . Having work again in the last few months was very good , because it was very difficult from March to October with no prize money . I am also very thankful to Rae Trew-Brown for putting together a fundraising campaign for me , because that kept me going ,” he says .
Running Success Story
Siviwe was born in Engcobo Village in the Eastern Cape , the only boy amongst four siblings that were raised by their single-parent mother . He started running around the age of 12 , doing about 10km each day to get to school , and he says his dream was to one day represent his province and thus get the opportunity to fly to another province in South
Africa . Well , he certainly has achieved that , having enjoyed much success in his running career , and on all surfaces , too . He has won Western Province titles in the 10,000m on the track and the marathon on the road , was runner-up in the provincial half marathon champs , and earned provincial colours in track , crosscountry and road disciplines . His best finish at an SA Champs was seventh place in the 10,000m in 2015 .
Through the years , he has also won a wide spread of road events , and he says the highlight for him was his win in the West Coast Marathon in Langebaan in 2016 . “ Sityhilo Diko ’ s course record 2:29 had stood for six years , until I ran 2:25:12 in 2016 . My record stood for three years , until Lungile Gonqa broke it in 2019 , with a 2:23 . I want that record back , and I wanted to go for it this year , but I ’ m not sure yet if they will have the race . If it is on , then I want to go for that record again ,” he says .
Another great performance , although tinged with disappointment , was his Two Oceans Marathon run in 2016 . Siviwe says he was knocking on the door of a top 10 position , and a gold medal , when his legs cramped up late in the race . “ It was at 53km when
Revelling in the climb at the Helderberg Mountain Challenge
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