Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 68, March 2015 | Página 46

Ma race report

p the Pace
Picking u
nted by

A huge combined field of close on 10,000 athletes took to the
streets of Jozi for the annual Pick n Pay event, with 6,000 of them
lining up in the marathon and half. – BY LAUREN VAN DER VYVER
At the front end of the pack, Bidvest’s Jonas Makhele took line honours in
the marathon with a time of 2:24:21, just more than two minutes clear of
Discovery’s Bongani Possa (2:26:34), and after catching his breath, he told
Modern Athlete he enjoyed the course, but wanted somebody to chase him

harder. “The thing is, I was pushing alone, so I think I’d have the course record
if someone was chasing me! This is a great run before Two Oceans.”
In the women’s field, an elated Charne Bosman from Nedbank posted a
convincing win in 2:54:58 after suffering a mixed bag of results in 2014 due to
health problems. “It was a much better run after Johnson Crane and I’m happy
my thyroid is on track now,” she said, “I’m feeling like my old self again and I
never felt like I was racing. I will be doing Oceans, but my main focus for the
year will be Comrades.” The half marathon titles went to Leswene Africa Mailola
in 1:07:01 and Andronica Mokgotla in 1:27:05.

Images: Lauren van der Vyver

prese
on, 8km & 4km
on, Half Marath
th
ary
Pick n Pay Mara
auteng, 8 Febru
ntum, Central G
Mome

MODERN ATHLETE READERS ON RACE DAY…
Anthea Somerset: “Well organised and fantastic vibe on the road.”

to finish the 21km. Was well organised! Nice route! A little bit on the hot side.”

Gerald Yapp: “Excellent race. Well organised, but a hot one!”

@donielledampier: “What a great event. Tough run around Bedfordview.
Stoked with my 1st one!”

Elsabé Hunter: “I had a bit of a wobble at 7km and lost my breakfast, but managed

& Weave
b, Trudge
Bo
Ma Race Report

m,
21km & 10k
lete Bobbies
Modern Ath
uary
teng, 18 Jan
Central Gau

Modern Athlete’s Lauren Van Der Vyver enjoyed chasing down a 10km PB on the fairly
flat course in Edenvale, but also had to endure some internal ‘toilet humour’ along the way.

46

ISSUE 68 MARCH 2015 / www.modernathlete.co.za

So I settled into a faster pace after halfway, bar stopping
for two photographs, but then I had to slow down in the last three kays…
because my bladder decided it needed to go soon! Even though I felt like I
could push for a 1:05 finish, I crossed in 1:13, still happy to cut my PB by 10
minutes. I’ll be shooting for an hour later this year. And timing my trip to the
loo a little better beforehand. Great day out, and thanks to the Modern Athlete
team waiting for me at the finish with a cappuccino. Hit the spot!

Images: Lauren van der Vyver

T

wo kays in and I was a bit confused. On the one killer hill in this
race, up Terrace Road, swarms of half-marathoners weaved in between
the 10km runners, and I wondered, am I going to follow them and
somehow take on a longer route? Am I capable of that yet? Nope, but that
distance does lie somewhere in the future of 2015… Having successfully
negotiated the split, I maintained my rhythm, keeping in touch with the old
man just in front of me. It was his first 10km, he said. Nope, you’re not going
to cross before me!