TRAIL RUNNING
Jéan Payne ( right ) with AFRICANX running partner Marisa Calvert
Running for Reagan
The Sanet Wentzel Spirit Award is presented each year at the THIRSTI AFRICANX TRAILRUN to a runner who has persevered irrespective of the adversity that they face . The nominees are chosen by their fellow runners , and this year ’ s winner was Jéan Payne , who is using running to cope with a heart-breaking loss . This is her story .
Marisa and Jéan
On the final day of the three-day THIRSTI AFRICANX TRAILRUN in March , Jéan Payne momentarily found herself alone on the trail , with team mate Marisa Calvert and the other athletes she had been running with having just pulled a little clear of her . Her legs were tired after the first two stages of 24km and 32km , and the pain from the blisters on eight of her toes was proving manageable , but then , as she trekked around a bend , plus-minus 14km into the 18km stage , she suddenly burst into tears with an overwhelming feeling of pain , gratitude and release all together .
“ On that last stage we had to cross train lines a few times , and as I crossed the lines again at around 14 kays , the significance hit me , because Reagan passed away at age 14 ,” says Jéan . “ I sobbed as I journeyed through that next kay , until a woman behind me asked if I was OK . She had heard my breathing and sobs , but when she realised it was me , she told me how moved she had been by my story at the awards ceremony the night before , and that helped me pull myself together again and persevere to the finish .”
An Unexpected Award
The tradition at the AFRICANX is for entrants to nominate a fellow runner for the annual Sanet Wentzel Spirit Award , and 36-year-old Jéan had been nominated by her friend Deon Daniels . In his letter to the event organisers , he explained that her son Reagan had died in a train accident in 2016 , and after several years of feeling lost , Jéan had begun running to help start putting her life back together again , and was running the event in Reagan ’ s memory .
Her story was deservedly chosen as the winner of the award , and many runners were wiping away the tears as her story was shared and she came up to accept the award . It all came as a complete surprise to her , as she did not even know she had been nominated , and because she was not staying at the race venue , her friends had made sure she would be there for the evening awards ceremony .
“ I had no idea the award existed , but Deon is quite good at reading the finer details of all the race info . I also had no idea I had been nominated , and we had braai plans that evening , but then we received a call to return for the evening function . I had no idea what was happening – I was simply excited to see who would get
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