THE ED ’ S DESK the ed ’ s desk by SEAN FALCONER
Sean Falconer
THE ED ’ S DESK the ed ’ s desk by SEAN FALCONER
Press Truck Memories
As I was putting the finishing touches to this mag , I was tagged in a post on Facebook by long-time running friend and colleague Tom Cottrell : “ I ’ ve just heard that there will be no press truck on the Comrades route . I was part of that hardy and proud corps for many years . Our work there was important , a way of bringing live coverage , insights and knowledge to a wide audience . Ah well , to all my fellow mother truckers from the past , your captain salutes you .”
I had mixed feelings after reading that . It ’ s been some years since I was last on that Comrades press truck – mostly due to working as a commentator on the route – but I still have great memories of my press truck trips between Durban and Maritzburg .
Ups and Downs
The Up Run on the press truck was great fun from start to finish . The first beers were cracked before sunrise , as it was already a barmy warm temperature , but I don ’ t recall anybody drinking too much or doing anything stupid . We laughed the whole trip , in between the serious side of things , and I even did a few live radio crossings from the truck , as several stations used to cover the event live for the whole day .
On the other hand , the Down Run was a miserable affair to begin with , due to it being so bitterly cold on the truck as we barrelled down Polly Shortts in the pitch dark . We needed to get ahead of the runners and then wait for them where the road was wider and better lit , otherwise we would block their progress as they flew down Pollys , and I remember thinking I had never been that cold in my life . Since then , I ’ ve been in a sports cryochamber at temperatures far , far below freezing , and I have visited parts of the world where it snows heavily in winter , and I still think the Comrades press truck on the Down Run was the coldest I have ever felt . In fact , it ’ s 20-plus years since I first experienced the ‘ Great Freeze ’ coming down Pollys , and I think I ’ m still cold !
Priceless Memories
A standout moment on the press truck for me was in 2003 , coming down Fields Hill and watching Fusi Nhlapo make his winning break . All the ‘ armchair expert ’ journo ’ s knowingly said he ’ s gone too early , that he ’ ll blow before the finish , but Fusi ’ s Libery-Nike team manager , Ilze Wicksell , was on the press truck with us , and she was going crazy , screaming over and over at the top of her lungs , “ Go , Fusi !” Well , he duly won , and the journo ’ s ate some humble pie that day . ( I then did a lovely interview with Fusi the next day , over breakfast , as we were staying in the same hotel .)
The press truck would stick with the frontrunners till we neared the finish , then push ahead so that the journo ’ s could get to the finishline in time to see the winners come in . That produced another unforgettable experience . One year we were motoring along the N3 highway , heading to the Kingsmead finish in Durban , when a tyre blew and we found ourselves stuck on the shoulder of the highway . Cue 15 or so journo ’ s lugging camera bags and backpacks full of discarded warm clothing , all lumbering down the road at varying speeds past perplexed spectators . Fortunately , it was only a couple of kays , and most of us made it in time , but I think one or two of those journo ’ s hadn ’ t run that far ( or fast ) in years .
Times change , and some traditions may fall by the wayside , but the memories live on . And the Comrades remains a wonderful race to watch , whether you ’ re on the press truck , on the route , or watching from home . To those of you now in the final weeks of prep for the 2024 Comrades , all the best for a terrific run . I ’ ll be watching !
Sean Falconer
Image : Chris Hitchcock & courtesy Comrades Marathon
6 ISSUE 168 | www . modernathlete . co . za