Our Modern Athlete Brand Ambassador ’ s Blog
KALMER ’ S
CORNER kalmer ’ s corner by RENÉ KALMER
Thank You , Old Friend
A letter of appreciation to the SPAR women ’ s races that have meant so much to me and done so much for my running career over the last three decades !
Kim and Daniela . Now I ’ m that running mom , sharing stories and photos of my four-year-old daughter , Karli and 10-month-old son , Ivan . In 2019 , it was very special to share the home straight with Karli at a SPAR race .
In 2021 , I made my debut as a veteran at the SPAR Grand Prix race in Pietermaritzburg in August . Unfortunately , my own running is not quite going according to plan at the moment , as I ’ m running low on iron and very high on sleep deprivation . The little ones are keeping us quite busy at night , so quality training is not as easy as it used to be , but I am proud to be a SPAR Ambassador once again , and seeing all the familiar faces at the races . Hoping to get back to full fitness and running at the front again soon …
The Murray & Roberts contingent in Durban
Dear SPAR 10km
It is so good to have you back ! We dearly missed you over the past 18 months . The 2021 SPAR Grand Prix series is a lot different from the past , with runners limited to 250 and no spectators allowed , but we are grateful for the opportunity that allows elite runners to get back to racing , and possibly earning an income again via the prize money that is up for grabs .
Can you believe that I ran my 70 th SPAR 10km in Durban this month ? It feels like yesterday when I ran my first SPAR 10km race on a Saturday afternoon at Old Ed ’ s in Johannesburg . It was 1994 , I was only 13 years old , and very excited to be in the same race as my hero , Elana Meyer , and not to mention the excitement about the oversize T-shirt and goodie bag . Two years later , I was very excited to share the podium with Nicole Fuller and Sonja Laxton , and I even got a sash for my second place .
You have always strived to host bigger and better races , and to motivate the runners even more . In 2007 , you introduced the SPAR Grand Prix Series , with six races across the country , where runners accumulated points for finishing in the top 20 . At the end of the series , the top 15 athletes went home with an extra cash incentive . In 2012 you went even bigger , with the winner of the Grand Prix Series winning a Nissan . This was definitely the highlight of my SPAR journey , driving home with a new car at the end of that 2012 SPAR series . This year , in 2021 , an astonishing amount of two million Rand in total prize money is up for grabs .
I also remember back in the days , how Sonja Laxton and Grace De Oliveira exchanged stories about their daughters ,
René and ‘ Roomie ’ Kyla
It is heart-warming , though , to see the next generation of runners stepping up onto the big stage . Murray & Roberts teammate Tayla Kavanagh made a huge breakthrough this year after finishing third in Pietermaritzburg , behind Tadu Nare from Ethiopia and Glenrose Xaba . She had another fantastic run in Durban , where she set another PB of 33:26 . With my sister Christine on maternity leave after the birth of her first son , Reuben , I also had the opportunity to have Kyla Jacobs and Cian Oldknow as roommates at the races . Cian made her SPAR debut this year in Pietermaritzburg , followed that with a podium spot in Cape Town , and in Durban she posted her 11 th consecutive PB , clocking 34:13 .
My love for the SPAR Women ’ s Challenges , coupled by my love for goodie bags , race T-shirts , travel and friends , has only grown over the past three decades , and I ’ m looking forward to the next 70 races !
Your friend in running René
At the end of 1997 I was very excited to get an invitation to compete in the SPAR Ladies 10km race in Cape Town . I finished second behind Gwen Griffiths ( now van Lingen ), who got her revenge after I clinched the SA 10km title a week before in a windy Port Elizabeth . Then in my Matric year , I travelled to Port Elizabeth again for my SPAR 10km debut in the Friendly City . The exciting part was that R10,000 was on offer for the runner who broke Elana Meyer ’ s course record . Once again , it was a battle between Gwen and I , and I ’ m proud to say that I got to board the plane later that day with a shiny new PB of 33:31 , and a huge cheque !
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Selfie time with emerging talents Cian and Tayla
ISSUE 145 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2021 | www . modernathlete . co . za
Pre-race ( and pre-PB ) pic with Cian
About the Author
René Kalmer is a two-time Olympian , having represented SA in the 1500m at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and in the marathon at the 2012 London Games . She has also won more than 40 SA titles in track , road and cross country at youth , junior and senior level , in distances from 800m to the half marathon .
Images : Courtesy René Kalmer