far enough ahead to ensure there was no ‘ dust-eating ’ for the runners , and a trailing vehicle in case anything was sneaking up behind us ( or for anyone who needed a break ) and three bike riders ( one of which was an experienced ranger armed with a rifle ).
Our rifleman was James Walker ( Timbavati Ranger ), who gave us a quick rundown on the rules of running in the savannah as well as some hand commands we ’ d need to follow when we came across large mammals . We ’ d barely broken a sweat when we got the first chance to apply what we ’ d learnt , as James raised a fist , signalling for us to stop and group together .
The reason for the stop was first heard and subsequently seen when an elephant leisurely lounged across the road a few hundred metres in front of us . Over the next kilometre there were more signs ( like large bran muffins deposited on the side of the road ), smells and the occasional sighting of more pachyderms from what was evidently a large herd . ( Sidenote : With their extra-large ears , Elephants have the best hearing of large African mammals , so it would be more appropriate to call it a ‘ heard of elephants .’)
Waiting for the elephants to cross the road
Fine Dining on the Run
We enthusiastically set off again , full of excitement for what might be around the next corner . James suggested we drop the noise levels as we approached the 7km mark and the first waterhole of the day . The route is designed to pass all the waterholes in this part of the reserve , once again maximising the chances of game sightings .
My expectations for this event were high , but they were once again surpassed when I saw the magnificent spread that had been laid out for us at the first refreshment station . Whilst watching hippopotami steam and snort in the dam , I regretted filling my stomach with peanut butter sandwiches that morning ( my standard pre-marathon meal ), as some hungrier compatriots tucked into avocado ritz and other elaborate hors d ’ oeuvres .
It was fine dining and five star service at every waterhole . As for who eats Avocado Ritz with a balsamic reduction at 7am in the morning on his first marathon … Well , my new friend Scott did – and he finished strong . I stuck with the more traditional marathon runner ’ s race diet of chips and chocolate ( plus a cup or two of beer ) along the way .
Fine dining and five star service at every waterhole , as Scott tucks in
Crossing Paths with Rhino
It wasn ’ t long before James raised his fist again , this time for a curious crash of rhinos just 40 metres in front of us . Rhinos have an exceptionally good sense of smell and hearing , which makes up for their terrible eyesight , but we were so close that even the rhino saw us . Terrible puns aside , this was a brilliant experience . We spent several minutes observing the four rhinos whilst their olfactory systems got their fill of us . We obviously smelt particularly good , and James eventually had to walk down the road coughing loudly to get the rhinos to turn tail and disappear into the bushes , so that we could continue .
Johno Meintjes becomes a Real Runner
Too early for a beer , asks Johno ?
I
was surprised that about half of our Group 2 were running their first marathon , but what better way to lose your marathon virginity than navigating the untamed bush ? However , I did commiserate with our novices that this is as good as it gets , as it is unlikely they ’ ll ever run a another marathon that would beat running with the beasts .
One of the novice marathon runners was Johno Meintjes , founder of JEFF Fitness ( who were also one of the event ’ s sponsors ). He earned his stripes as a sports conditioning coach for several of our national sides , including rugby , cricket and hockey , but after seeing people wandering aimlessly around the gym , he started JEFF ( which stands for Johno ’ s E-Fitness Faculty ) to provide a structured online fitness , nutrition and mindset programme to help gym users get the most of their memberships and training sessions .
Johno quickly grew his customer base to 1000 signed-up users , but then COVID hit and the gyms closed . JEFF Fitness was locked down , but not knocked down , because it takes more than a virus to thwart a “ powerhouse of positivity ” like Johno ! He figured that if hard lockdown was going to keep the people out of the gym , he would move the gym into the home . Together with his wife , Juls , he began using Facebook ’ s live-streaming service to conduct online workouts , with tins , towels and other household items replacing the regular gym apparatus .
54 ISSUE 154 | www . modernathlete . co . za
An Instant Hit
When I chatted to Johno after the event , he smiled as he reminisced about those first online workouts . “ It was a complete disaster from day one – the kids invaded