CONTENTS
In the Mag this Month
Welcome to the December edition . You can click on the page numbers below to go straight to the article of your choice .
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WARMING UP SPECIAL SECTION : BEST OF 2021
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DECEMBER 2021 / ISSUE 147
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The Best of 2021
Celebrating Our Most Inspirational Stories
Gqeberha to Cape
Gaven Sinclair ’ s 1000km Solo Run for Wellness
The Ed ’ s Desk : End of a Long , Long Year …
It ’ s the December edition , so time to look back at the year that was , remember the highlights and celebrate the good memories , and look ahead to the hopefully much better year to come . – BY SEAN FALCONER
Have Your Say
Notes from readers with something on their minds , including the Absa CAPE TOWN 10K CITYRUN , Ironman vs Comrades , an app for women , enduring Comrades romance , and high praise for the SkyRun .
Runner ’ s High : Reaching for the Sky
Each month we publish a great running pic of a great running place , and this month we are in the Witteberg Mountains of the Eastern Cape , with the runners of the recent K-Way Skyrun 100km
Stats & Facts : SA ’ s Best Marathoners in 2021
The 2021 athletic year did not present South African athletes with many opportunities to race the marathon distance , but the country ’ s top runners still managed some really fast times . – BY RIËL HAUMAN
On the cover
A runner enjoys a December holiday sundowner run on a beach . Photograph by Dirima / Dreamstime . com
SA ’ s Biggest Running Publication www . modernathlete . co . za
SkyRun 100km
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Dave McCullough Tames the Dragon
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Running Mann ’ s Ice Cream Plan
Helé Niehaus
Home Ironman 70.3 Captures Free State Community ’ s Hearts
Holiday Survival Advice for Us All
Top Marathoners
SA ’ s Fastest in 2021
ISSUE 147 DECEMBER 2021 | www . modernathlete . co . za
Cover Image : Dirima / Dreamstime . com
Athletes of the Year : Who Gets the Nod ? Page 421
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TRAIL RUNNING
Standout Stories
To celebrate the end of the year , the four members of the Modern Athlete team have chosen their personal favourite feature from all the editions of this year . Here are the Best of 2021 , and these stories will give you a great kickstart for the New Year ’ s running !
Three Challenges in One Day
When ultra-triathlete Lee Schoombie set out to tackle his Carlstrong Extreme Challenge , there was much more to it than just the challenge of taking on three of Cape Town ’ s most iconic sporting events in one day . – BY SEAN FALCONER
Victor , not Victim
Top runner Ntombesintu Mfunzi won the third of her four gold medals in the Two Oceans Marathon just five months after she was violently raped , but she recounts how running helped put her on the road to recovery . – BY MATSHELANE MAMABOLO
The Long Road Back
Shortly after earning her Comrades Green Number , Debbie Fass was given the devastating news that she needed a hip replacement . She thought her running days were over , but through determination , she has returned to the road . – BY ROXANNE MARTIN
Call of the Mountains
SA mountaineer Remy Kloos was within touching distance of the summit of Mount Everest , when she was forced to abandon the climb . Although disappointed , she is using running to be ready for more expeditions to the highest mountains . – BY SEAN FALCONER
Sport Man Says : My Athletes of the Year
I won ’ t let the sun go down on me … That was certainly the motto of a few exceptional people in the world of athletics in 2021 , and thus I am able to select my Athletes of the Year , both local and global . – BY MANFRED SEIDLER
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In mid-November I found myself lining up for the K-Way SkyRun 100km for a second time , and I knew what I was letting myself in for , but this time I had a great incentive to keep pushing for the finish , even when the going got tough . – BY DAVE McCULLOUGH
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Touching the Sky ( Again )
Trail ( Mis ) Adventures : A Year in the Life
Although we haven ’ t actually hit the end of the year yet , I thought I would take this opportunity to reflect on a year that was , for the most part , totally upside down , inside out and back to front . – BY CARLA FARINA