ROAD RUNNING
Focused on maintaining pace in the first 15km .
Sweet Taste of Success
The last 5km of a marathon are always my running nemesis , hence my coach told me that l should always sprint the last 5km of my long run . I started injecting pace , and at 40km l had 11 minutes left . l knew the unthinkable was about to happen , and soon l started seeing the finish line , with the sound of music reverberating through the cool Paris atmosphere , and I heard the spectators calling out , “ Alle , Adventist , Alle !” l knew l was in . The last 350 metres was a spirited sprint to victory , and l crossed the finish line at 2:58:34 . The Sub-3 had fallen in Paris !
After the finish line I walked a few metres and caught up with Wawa , who had made history himself by running 2:54 , having increased his speed from the time he left me at 32km . We hugged , sang the songs of victory , and gave a thanksgiving prayer to the Almighty for giving us this victory in Paris . Barriers had been broken , and now the next stop is the Boston Marathon in 2022 . We have a few other runners who have expressed interest in joining us for this trip to Boston , so we will have an ‘ African Bus ’ in Boston , and we ’ re still accepting more passengers !
About the Author
Wellington Mpofu works as an Executive Assistant Manager – Commercial at the Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel in Johannesburg . He is a member of the Gauteng branch of the Adventist Athletics Club International , and is also a member of the Breaking Barriers initiative , which challenges the human threshold .
Reunited at the finish , Wellington and Wandisile celebrate their milestone race .
Wellington comes home in 2:58:34 , his first sub-3 marathon . ( Due to staggered starts , the clock shows the first batch ’ s time .)
Images : Courtesy Wellington Mpofu & Wandisile Nkwalase
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