THE ED ’ S DESK
by SEAN FALCONER the ed ’ s desk
The Ed ( left ) with fellow Two Oceans commentators Harold Berman , Sipho Mona and Altus Schreuder
Achieving Milestones
Hi all . Welcome to our 150th edition of Modern Athlete . When we launched this mag in June 2009 , we dubbed it ‘ SA ’ s Biggest Running Magazine ,’ because in terms of the actual size of the publication – like a tabloid newspaper – it literally was SA ’ s biggest running magazine . But there was more to that marketing slogan than just physical size … Back then we published 30,000 copies of the mag each month and courier-delivered them to races and running around the country , so from that first edition , Modern Athlete had the largest circulation and readership of any running publication in SA , making us literally SA ’ s biggest running mag .
We launched our digital version in 2014 and the subscriber database quickly grew to over 60,000 , and that led to the difficult but necessary decision to stop printing hard copies after the December 2018 edition , because the costs of printing and distribution had simply become untenable . However , we knew the mag would not just live on in the digital domain , but would continue growing . We are now also the only monthly running mag left in SA , and we are proud to remain SA ’ s biggest running mag . start in running . As she explains , she doesn ’ t actually know what her limits are , or rather , should be , so impossible is nothing for her . It ’ s a most refreshing outlook to take into any race !
Another really inspirational story to look out for is Jéan Payne ’ s journey , as she is using running to help her on the road to recovery from the devastating heartbreak of losing her son . This saw her chosen as the winner of the Sanet Wentzel Spirit Award at the 2022 THIRSTI AFRICANX TRAILRUN , and as she recounts in her story on page 56 , there were moments during the three-day stage event that she just knew Reagan was with her in spirit .
Another Milestone
On a personal note , the Two Oceans was also a milestone for me . I started doing event commentary work in July 2010 because my running club had an event , the Spookhill 15km , and none of the established commentators in the Cape Town area at that time were available that weekend . That first commentary stint went well and led to an invite to be on the mic at another event later that year , the old Nedbank Cape Town Marathon , which in turn led to 16 more events in 2011 , then 39 in 2012 and 50 in 2013 .
Over the last 13 years , we have been privileged to share hundreds upon hundreds of great stories with all our many readers in the 150 editions we ’ ve produced to date , and we hope that you will continue enjoying the inspirational stories that we publish each month .
Gerda is in the House
Speaking of inspiration … On our cover this month is Gerda Steyn winning the 2022 Totalsports Two Ocean Marathon for the third consecutive time and finally beating Frith van der Merwe ’ s 33-yearold course record . Her beaming smile and raised fist show just how much this one meant to her ! I was privileged to do a Q & A with Gerda for this edition , and it ’ s interesting that she says she believes she keeps getting stronger and faster thanks to her late
Since then I have averaged between 40 and 50 events per year , but I was nevertheless surprised when I discovered that the 2022 Two Oceans was not only my 10 th consecutive Oceans on the mic , but overall it was my 400 th commentary gig since 2010 ! I ’ d therefore like to thank the Two Oceans team for giving me one of the biggest stages to celebrate this milestone , and for entrusting me with the job of organising the event ’ s commentary team this year .
That team did such a great job , and I ’ d like to make special mention of the way Sipho Mona and Altus Schreuder brought Gerda over the line as she broke Frith ’ s record – goosebumps the size of golf balls , I tell you ! We were also joined on the mic during the Ultra by commentating legend Harold Berman , who told us his commentary days are coming to an end now that he is well into his 70s , but he still wanted to bring a few long-time running friends over the line . Harold paved the way for the commentators of today , and I ’ m glad we could tap into his incredible knowledge and experience once again .
Be Safe Out There !
Events have largely come back as COVID restrictions have been relaxed , even if entry numbers have not quite yet returned to pre-COVID levels , but the anticipated fifth wave is apparently just starting , so please continue to be careful out there . Hopefully this wave will be even milder than the fourth one ( Omicron ), and life will continue to return to normal . In the meantime , enjoy the 150 th edition , and I ’ ll see you at the races .
Sean Falconer
Images : Kim Stephens & Adnaan Mohamed
4 ISSUE 150 | www . modernathlete . co . za