Morning and evening runs are out , because that ’ s when you are entertaining guests on game drives . The only time to train is in the middle of the day , when the sun is sizzling – perhaps someone should update the lyrics to Noel Coward ’ s classic song to , “ It ’ s only mad dogs , Englishmen and South African game rangers training for Comrades that go out in the midday sun .” And in Grant ’ s case , the mad dogs would include the hyenas , wild dogs and jackals that he regularly sights on his training runs .
Therefore , Grant decided to run two 45-kilometre laps in the Timbavati reserve , on the original Comrades 2020 race date , to raise money and awareness for antipoaching activities . He enjoyed himself so much that he thought he might as well make this an annual event , invite others to the share the experience and raise funds for anti-poaching activities and the local community .
Timbavati Traverse founder Grant Murphy efforts and community upliftment programmes . Combined with a raffle and other fundraising activities , the event organisers expected to raise about R300,000 from this year ’ s event .
The briefing was casual and unpretentious , and in addition to the race day instructions , showed video clips of the 2021 event and anti-poaching efforts . Essentially , the Timbavati Traverse is like a long club run in an extremely exotic location . Grant Murphy ’ s laws for running in the bush were logical and simple . Ironically , the most important rule when running with the wildlife is , “ If you see a dangerous animal , don ’ t run !” ( I like to think of it as “ Rule number one of Fight or Flight Club .”)
The early bird might get the worm , but the slow bus gets all the good sightings !
Unique Group Run
So , the first Timbavati Traverse was run in July 2021 , when the country was still in deep-COVID , with no formal running races . Luckily , formality is strictly optional in the bushveld , and the ingenious Timbavati team managed to put on a 45-kilometre group run for 20 very lucky participants . I am Facebook friends with a few of those first 20 traversers and remember the massive feeling of FOMO when I saw the clips and photos that they shared from the event .
Revised ( Slower ) Plans
This year the field was expanded from 20 to 60 entrants , with three choices : A fast 45km bus averaging 5 to 5.5min / km , a slow 45km bus averaging 6.5 to 7min / km , and a 21km walk . ( There are plans to add a 21km run to the 2023 event .) I mentioned that game viewing possibilities are optimised , one way the event promotes this is by having the two 45km groups run in opposite directions over the 45km loop so that the front bus does not scare off all the game .
When I accepted the invitation in February , I thought I ’ d be lining up with the fast bus . However , a lot can happen in five months , and for me it was six marathons , two ultras and one boring knee injury . ( Basically , just a case of bad biomechanics caused by running with a fat stomach !) My knee started playing up at the end of May , so I took it easy and spent all my free time being tortured at the biokineticist and doing exercises to get my lazy glute and hamstring firing again .
Images : Chad Cocking , Stuart Mann
The Timbavati Traverse went straight to the top of the bucket list , and was then further expedited in the middle of February when I received an email asking whether I ’ d be interested in a sponsored entry to the event . This was essentially a rhetorical question , and I excitedly replied to Edwin Pierce , head warden of Timbavati , that I ’ d see him in July !
Off to the Bushveld
I booked my accommodation at the “ Bush Pub and Inn ,” which looked to be the closest reasonably-priced accommodation to the start , and fortuitously was also the venue for the pre-race briefing and dinner . After a six-hour drive , it was great to kick back with a couple of beers and rummage through the lavish race pack , which included a full running outfit , various other useful items and an envelope crammed full of food and beer vouchers .
The entry fee is fairly steep at R10,000 for the ultra and R8,000 for the half marathon , but this is essentially a donation toward Timbavati ’ s anti-poaching
Overall , it was a torrid June – five marathons entered , zero marathons run – but I was saving my knee for something special , and planned to end this lengthy period of ‘ marathon chastity ’ at the Traverse . I switched from the fast to the slow bus and hoped my pre-June training would get me through , but I realised that it was highly likely that I was going to be the weakest of the herd … not ideal when you are running in lion country !
So , in the week before the event , I cashed in on my horded supply of race pack loot by applying what was probably a decade ’ s worth of free Arnica and Deep Heat samples to my problem leg . I figured that I was giving myself the best chance of getting to the finish , and hoped this would be enough to avoid suffering the indignity of having to hitch a ride home in one of Land Rovers .
First Wildlife Sighting
On race morning we were entertained by a drill exercise by Timbavati ’ s field rangers and kept warm with a combination of campfires and gourmet cappuccinos . The sanctity of the morning was disturbed at 6:30am when a rifle shot signalled that it was time to get going . Each bus had a lead ‘ spotting ’ vehicle , which drove
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Ready to head out into the bush