Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 95, June 2017 | Página 16

Ma Feature
Setting the
PACE
Now in 2017 we are going even bigger, adding sub-
8:30, sub-9:30 and sub-11:30 buses.
Furthermore, within each target time there will often be
more than one Pacesetter, running at a slightly differing
pace or following an alternate strategy, and the idea is
to give runners a choice of buses to follow, with first
and second options, in order to help more runners
achieve their target times and earn that coveted
Comrades medal.
TRUSTED PACERS
The list of Comrades Pacesetters has been co-ordinated
by well-known Gauteng Pacesetter Buks van Heerden
in conjunction with the Modern Athlete team, and along
with a host of newcomers, this year we welcome back
many well-known Comrades Pacesetters of previous
years, including Johan van Tonder, Linda Hlophe,
Jackie Campher and Jeff Ramokoka.
O
Our volunteer Pacesetters are all experienced pacers
with many Comrades medals between them, and
some of these guys and girls have built up a dedicated
following by carrying the time flags in many races.
Keep in mind that these are the only official pacesetting
buses at Comrades, and runners can ‘climb on the bus’
of their choice and rely on the bus driver to guide them
home within their target times.
MEET YOUR 2017 MODERN ATHLETE
COMRADES PACESETTERS
ne of the highlights of the Comrades
Marathon is watching the official Pacesetters
bring their buses home, with each of the
volunteer bus drivers carrying the target time
flags usually followed home by a huge crowd of singing,
dancing, crying, high-fiving, fist-pumping, hugging and
kissing runners. The buses have become a huge part of
the race, and while some runners complain about the huge buses blocking the road and making overtaking
difficult, many more love the vibe created in the buses. In past years, Modern Athlete has organised the
standard sub-9:00 (Bill Rowan cut-off), sub-11:00
(Bronze cut-off) and sub-12:00 (Vic Clapham cut-off)
buses, and in 2016 we added a sub-10:00 bus, which
proved just as popular as the more established buses. These are the guys and girls who will be carrying the
flags in this year’s Comrades, with their number of medals
and most recent Comrades times listed. Please note that
specific buses or drivers may still change between the
time of writing and race day, and Modern Athlete will post
updated info on social media as it become available.
Sub-8:30 Sub-9:00 Sub-9:00
Sameul Corneluis | 16 medals Johan Van Tonder | 15 medals Sbusiso Mlangeni | 1 medal
2016 – 10:46:21 | 2015 – 11:11:28 | 2014 – 7:30:39 2016 – 8:54:32 | 2015 – 8:54:05 | 2014 – 8:56:00 2016 – 9:29:19
Sub-9:30
0
0
Sub-10:0 Sub-10:0
Claus Kempen | 12 medals Linda ‘Coach’ Hlophe | 13 medals Maropeng George Mojela | 8 medals
2016 – 8:06:50 | 2014 – 8:24:32 | 2013 – 8:49:43 2016 – 9:57:22 | 2015 – 10:29:07 | 2014 – 10:42:14 2016 – 7:48:35 | 2015 – 8:19:50 | 2014 – 8:32:18
0
Sub-11:0
0
Sub-11:0
0
Sub-11:0
Jackie Campher | 15 medals Madoko Ndhlovu | 12 medals Jeff Ramokoka | 18 medals
2016 – 10:53:42 | 2015 – 10:45:36 | 2014 – 9:45:52 2016 – 10:54:21 | 2011 – 10:48:33 | 2010 – 9:56:14 2016 – 10:51:49 | 2015 – 10:45:37 | 2014 – 10:42:15
16
ISSUE 95 JUNE 2017 / www.modernathlete.co.za
The 92 Comrades Marathon will once again see thousands of runners take on
the 86.73km ultra with the goal of going home with that coveted little medal,
and many will be relying on the Modern Athlete Comrades Marathon
Pacesetters to get them home on time. These are the only official pacing
‘buses’ at Comrades, and this year there will be more Pacesetters and more
buses than ever before. – BY SEAN FALCONER
nd