MANN the running mann by STUART MANN
I
had not run a marathon for over 16 months , courtesy of sloth and a boring neural issue in my knee . Having received a complimentary entry to the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon , I ’ d spent the last few months getting marathon fit again – or as close as possible to it – but then came the inconvenient realisation that my daughter ’ s birthday was the day before the Cape Town Marathon .
I have a newfound respect for government negotiators and their dealings with the trade unions … because after a short but intense round of negotiations , I realised that there would be no compromise . Either I flew my daughter and her friends to Cape Town ( and convinced the body corporate at my mom ’ s retirement village in Noordhoek to host her birthday party ), or I would have to find another plan .
THE RUNNING
MANN the running mann by STUART MANN
BACK IN THE SADDLE ( ON DEAD DONKEY HILL )
After a long lay-off from one of my favourite hobbies , travelling the country ( and world ) to run marathons , I finally made my longawaited return to action at the Shikhumba Marathon in Limpopo Province , and found a solitary out-and-back route that gave me plenty of time to think about mosquitoes , flies , donkeys , music , beer and more . My kind of marathon !
MARATHON # 252 / UNIQUE MARATHON # 149 / 7 OCTOBER 2023
Spar also took on title sponsor duties for this year ’ s event , and we received our race numbers in a Spar shopping bag ( made from recycled plastic ), together with a shower caddy and soap dish ( made from very cheap plastic ) and some braai and grill spice . This was a rather strange combination , and I did consider applying the braai and grill spice to my skin before the start , so that I could tell people that I was a well-seasoned runner . ( That one ’ s going straight into the classic dad jokes book !)
So , another plan was found , that involved a 500-kilometre drive to the northern extremities of the Limpopo Province , one week earlier than the Cape Town Marathon and birthday … meaning one week less to train , but it would have to do . Luckily , a few old running compatriots had the same plan , and I was able to tag along with Julian Karp , Don Rukando and Farai Razano ( names listed in order of marathons completed – 915 , 161 and 101 respectively ) on their marathon adventures to the Shikhumba Marathon .
A Notable Landmark
This race started in 2014 as a half marathon , 10km and 5km combination , with the marathon being added in 2018 , and since there are few landmarks two hours north-east of Polokwane , the “ Shikhumba Filling Station Marathon ” was named after the petrol station at which the race starts and finishes . There is nothing else for miles around , but in the last year a Spar ( together with a Tops ! bottle store ) has been added to the local infrastructure – proving that there is indeed a friendly Spar wherever you are .
The Shikhumba SPAR at the race start
Sidenote : The Two Countries Marathon seems to have permanently dropped off the marathon calendar , which makes Shikhumba the most northernmost marathon in South Africa . However , I did have a nice chat to Lufuno Musenwa from Musina Top Runners at the beginning of the race , and he ’ s trying to get a marathon going in Musina , which is even further north , so I will be keeping an eye out for that . Meanwhile , Shikhumba ’ s ‘ claim to fame ’ looks to be a short-lived record anyway , as there is a new marathon scheduled on 27 December from the Elias Resort in Nzhelele Valley , which is slightly further north .
Menacing Mozzies
There are no accommodation options in Shikhumba itself , so Julian had organised lodging in Giyani , about 30 minutes ’ drive from the start . We rolled in at about
28
Our Shikhumba Marathon team
ISSUE 163 | www . modernathlete . co . za
Images : Courtesy Stuart Mann