This was Julian ’ s second marathon of the long weekend , and he would go on to run a third at Wally Hayward the following day , taking his lifetime marathon tally to 846 ! Julian is definitely certifiable , and has his own medical diagnosis : The uncontrollable urge to run at least two marathons a weekend is known as ‘ KarpWillRunAll Syndrome .’
Plenty to eat at the Energy FM table … or chicken further down the road at a cheep-cheep R65
I enjoyed Karpooling for a few kilometres with Julian Karp
Marking Milestones
Meanwhile , Julian ’ s impressive feat ( or should that be feet ) puts my own more moderate total into perspective . As it was my 250th marathon or ultra , this was a milestone race for me . I therefore thought it was appropriate that a 50km would bring up 250 finishes , but there was someone else who had an even better idea : Victor Dangale who was celebrating his 50th birthday with a 50km run !
His supporters were out in force en route , and he was on display for selfies at the finish . I incorrectly assumed that Victor was Zimbabwean , since he was wearing the Zimbo flag on most of the pictures on his photo frame . My honest mistake on social media caused some consternation , and was quickly corrected when I was told that , “ He is just wearing a Zimbabwean T-shirt , lots of runners have the Zimbabwe T-shirts .”
The best way to celebrate your 50 th birthday is to run 50km
Roadside Support
Even for those who were not celebrating milestones , there was a great atmosphere along the route , with well-stocked , festive tables and energetic support . The EnergyFM table on the outskirts of Seshego was particularly vibrant , and I tucked into the snacks on offer to get me through the last few kilometres . If you still had some cash left after the toll roads you could sample some of the township ’ s fresh produce .
Although the EnergyFM table was my “ support table of the race ,” I appreciated the Chillers on Wheels table the most . I probably should have upsized my pre-race McDonalds visit from a McSlash™ to a McDump™ , but thanks to Chillers on Wheels , who provide portable ‘ throne rooms ,’ I didn ’ t need to risk a R1000 fine a few kilometres down the road in Seshego .
No risk of a hefty fine thanks to Chillers on Wheels !
This is a cultural difference that I was not aware of . Personally , I wouldn ’ t be caught dead in an English or Australian shirt , unless I ’ d lost a serious bet or someone donated a ridiculous amount of money to charity – and my father actually is English , while my brother lives in Australia . ( Sidenote : I do actually own an Australian rugby jersey , which I received as a gift after a work assignment I did for the Commonwealth Bank of Australia . It has only been worn once – by my brother , before he emigrated , as a fancy dress outfit , to a Dress Like Trash party !)
Images : Stuart Mann
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