A beautiful ‘ rumrise ,’ running past acres of unprocessed rum
In this part of the world there are sugar cane plantations as far as the eye can see ( and the legs can run ). And when it comes to spirits , Tequila may be the popular drink to associate with sunrises , but nothing beats an Empangeni Rumrise . After all , rum is made from sugar cane … and you run past acres and acres of unprocessed rum during the marathon !
Taking in the Scenery
A short out-and-back section gets you to the 6km mark and lets you meet and greet the other 200 runners . From here there is a dirt road section deep into the sugar cane fields for another six kilometres of out-and-back running . Having been stalked by lion-emblazoned ‘ meat wagons ’ in Polokwane during the Seshego Marathon – see my previous column for more on that – I was pleased to see that the Empangeni ambulances have more friendly marketing techniques , promising that “ The patient always comes first .” Fortunately , even though the Empangeni Hospital is right next to the finish of the Tronox Marathon , I didn ’ t need to put their marketing slogan to the test .
A nice view of Empangeni on the second out-and-back
Summitting the race ’ s toughest hill provides a great view of the Okula River
observation that old steel bridges like that are still standing after the floods , but all the new ones are swimming with the fishes . ( I guess this highlights the difference between steel and steal .)
The iconic steel bridge just before the final turnaround point
On the return of the second out-and-back , a short , sharp climb rewards you with a nice view of Empangeni before two kilometres of steady downhill brings you back to the start at the 15km mark . Although you are constantly undulating over those first 15 kilometres , these are actually the flattest on the route . Lest you are tempted to throw in the towel at this point , a long downhill shoots you past Addison Park and along the P425 service road all the way to the half marathon point – and this is where the real work starts .
The second half of this marathon begins with a long , steep two and a half-kilometre climb to the highest point on the route ( an altitude of 135m ). Your sole consolation for this much tougher second half is that it is also the most scenic of the route . From the top of the hill , you can enjoy a stunning view of the Okula River and Reding Dam . That is followed by four kilometres of very enjoyable downhill running through the countryside before the road flattens out for the last kilometre to the final turnaround point . The focal point of this section is an impressive rusty steel bridge !
Of Bridges and Trucks
Having seen the entire field three times over the various out-and-back sections , I was confident that I was the only runner in out-of-province license plates . This usually proves to be a bit of a conversation starter , and when curious compatriots asked if I came all the way just to run their local marathon , I replied that I came to escape the icy Joburg winter and enjoy running in a vest again .
The iconic steel bridge and scenic Reding Dam section of the route came up in most of the chats I had with other runners . Most followed this up with the
The race was first run in 2003 and has been sponsored by Tronox since 2011 . Tronox is a global mining and inorganic chemicals company which is one of the largest employers in the area . I didn ’ t see Tron riding his fluorescent green motorbike along the route , but I did spot an ox or two . Running with the bulls is a lot more sedate in Zululand than it is in Pamplona , I noted . ( And for some reason , I did have an intense craving for steak after the marathon .)
Traffic along the route is sporadic and relaxed , with the most common sight being fully laden sugarcane trucks on their way to one of the Tongaat Hulett refineries , or empty sugarcane trucks returning for a refill . Judging by the volume of trucks , some South Africans are getting way too much sweetness in their diets . On the other hand , Madonna highlighted the main benefit of marathon running when she sang , “ You can eat all you want and you don ’ t get fat .” Although Madonna may well have been talking about eating something else , I ’ ve always stated my main reason for running is to counter the effects of pizza and beer .
27