THE RUNNING MANN
C o l u m n
Channelle was all smiles on the morning of the race
Channelle was forced to withdraw from the race at Umlaas Road
not have time to stop , and they will trample me ,” she recalls . To her great relief , she somehow managed to stop herself from falling over , but her right leg landed awkwardly . “ I was running just inside the pavement , but it was so dark you could see absolutely nothing . I still don ’ t know what twisted my leg on the uneven road surface .”
Ever the optimist , Channelle thought it was just a bad twist and that she could “ run it off .” However , the pain got worse during the steep , pounding plummet down Polly Shortts , and at the bottom of the hill , she pulled into the Netcare first aid station for treatment . After checking that Channelle could still move her toes , the Netcare team agreed with her diagnosis of a twisted ankle . They strapped the ankle and sent her on her way . However , the stoppage had cooled down her muscles and drained the adrenaline from her bloodstream , meaning that Channelle could no longer run on the leg .
Excruciating Pain
In an incredible feat of sheer bloody-mindedness , Channelle refused to throw in the towel and decided to try and walk to Durban , initially setting her sights on making it to the Fat Cats seconding crew at Umlaas Road , 24km into
the race . However , with every step it became clearer that her race was over . The highest point of the Comrades route was also the lowest point of Channelle ’ s running career . She spotted her Fat Cats pride and collapsed into a vacant chair , in excruciating pain .
As she sat there , Chanelle mentally switched from participant to supporter , but as the day wore on , the pain increased , and she could no longer put any pressure on her right leg . Her friends insisted she go to casualty and drove her to the Umhlanga Netcare Hospital . She was sent for X-rays and , once they were developed , the doctor told her in disbelief that she had somehow managed to cover the better part of 20km with a badly fractured fibula !
After a major operation to realign the joint and put in a plate and screws , Channelle was told that she faced six weeks before she could even get to the start line on the long road to recovery and rehabilitation . Since the operation , she has used the time to reflect and philosophise on Comrades 2023 . “ You can ’ t cry over spilt milk , but they do have to do something for the future – and the Comrades Marathon Association does have to take some accountability . Anyone could have told you that that route change did not make sense .”
Remarkably , Channelle managed to do about 20km with a broken fibula !
25