THE RUNNING MANN
C o l u m n new urban farming initiative . The recently tilled soil in the photo below looks very fertile . I am not sure what is planted here – I would guess mielies , because this would provide some cover for their traffic police to hide behind – but it ’ s a great use of the wasted space at intersections !
Whilst I say that with ‘ tongue firmly in cheek ,’ it was subsequently clarified that there was a ‘ plothole in my pothole story ,’ and this particular cavity was the result of a burst water pipe that had been fixed the day before . In fact , the organisers had worked hard with the municipality to ensure that this section of the route was safe for runners , and that the repair work did not affect the race . However , a share of my post on Facebook did earn me the title of ‘ Buffoon ’ from a local ANC councillor , which I have proudly screen-grabbed and added to my brag wall . It will be interesting to see whether the road is retarred before next year ’ s race , although it must be said , a lot more does seem to happen in election years .
One has to applaud the Msunduzi Municipality for their urban farming initiative
Looking Ahead
The good news is that runners and supporters of the Capital City Marathon have plenty to look forward to in future years . The race is already one of the few marathons in South Africa that is accredited to earn “ good for age ” World Marathon Major entries . Since inception , the goal for the race has been to become a World Athletics Label event , and the organisers are looking at flattening the second half for a faster route in 2025 .
Whilst the second half had all the hills , the overall running conditions seemed to become easier and less humid . Earlier in the morning , braaiing would have been impossible without a generous helping of a super-accelerant , but I noted that the gentleman above was just getting his fire started at the stadium entrance . ( I assume his choice of location was because open flames are not allowed inside the stadium ).
The upside of a 5am start is that you get to enjoy a post marathon beer before a hobbit has had a chance to finish his second breakfast . Unfortunately , my beer – not a second breakfast for me – was delayed , as I arrived back to a locked cottage and had to pull a very reluctant family away from their shopping expedition at Piggly Wiggly in order to gain access … to the beer .
A few kilometres beforehand , we had run past the impressive grounds of the Royal Agricultural Society , which hosts the Royal Agricultural Exhibition every May . ( This is arguably the most prestigious agricultural show in the country ). I have already drawn attention to Pietermaritzburg ’ s ability to make lemonade from lemons , and perhaps we should do the same with the rich harvest of lemons our politicians constantly dish up by organising a “ Most Beautifully Cultivated Pothole in South Africa ” competition !
On a slightly more serious note , it would be great if South African cities took the opportunity to fix and clean marathon routes before an event , in order to showcase their city better . In the case of the Capital City Marathon , the race has a sponsorship deal with the Msundusi Municipality , which includes providing race day services like traffic control and waste management . Unfortunately , it does not include pre-race services like refuse collection , filling potholes and fixing leaking sewer pipes . So , whilst marathon runners in the KZN humidity have no choice but to rub salt into old wounds , the race organisers did spend the day before the event pouring soil onto old potholes . However , there is only so much they can do , as they told me : “ Compared to the 2023 event , the potholes were still there , but less this year . It is an unfortunate situation , especially when those responsible leave it to the last minute and run out of time to fix it .”
The route has a total climbing elevation of 463m , mostly in the second half
Definitely a missed opportunity for SAB to host a table on this outand-back section
The Capital Question
It seems that the Capital City Marathon is in good hands under the organisation of Phuma Athletics Club , especially if they continue to get better service delivery from the Msunduzi Municipality , but there is one further political threat to the future of the race . I asked the race team , “ The IFP says that if they win the election , they ’ ll move the capital city of KwaZulu-Natal to Ulundi , and should this happen , will you move the race to Ulundi , or change the marathon ’ s name ?” The cheerful response was , “ Hahaha ! I think our colleagues at Ulundi Striders will gladly host a second Capital City Marathon in the new capital .”
Sidenote : Ulundi does not currently have a marathon so , if they do have aspirations of being a capital city , then it ’ s high time that they got around to organising one ! As for me , I ’ d just be happy to run more marathons and would willingly play the role of the IEC and offer an ‘ Independent Event Comparison ’ of both marathons .
It ’ s hard working getting your braai lit in such humid conditions !
About the Author
The Running Mann has run over 250 marathons and ultras around the world , and his mission is to run every marathon in South Africa , while his dream is to get a sponsorship from a beer company , so he can toast all his marathon finishes in style . If you ’ d like him to run your race , or talk at your event or club , email therunningmann @ gmail . com . You can follow all his adventures on his popular Running Mann blog .
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