Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 98, September 2017 | Page 27

that in my opinion are struggling
financially, because they need
our support,” he says. And during
races, you’ll find him at the back
of the pack, because he says he
loves the chats, jokes and laughs
that you find there, as well as the
camaraderie and determination to
finish. “For me, those are the true
heroes of running.”
At the same time, Moegsien is a man
who believes in speaking his mind,
and this has meant that he doesn’t
shy away from debating things on
social media. He has been notably
outspoken about the ballot system for
entries in a major Cape race as well
as the way the #runclean campaign
has been implemented by some race
organisers. He doesn’t have a problem
with these things, per se, but in his
opinion both need to be tweaked to the
benefit of all runners.
He is a man who sticks to his guns and has no regrets
about anything he has said or done in the running
public eye. He talks about things that are close to
his heart and though he will agree to disagree about
the issues, he will not stand down on anything that
bothers him. Unsurprisingly, these critical views have
made him unpopular with some people and they
have, according to Moegsien, been giving him the cold
shoulder, but he just laughs about that. “I will never
just sit silently by and keep my thoughts to myself if
I feel that runners are getting a raw deal. It is about
fairness, because I don’t like unfairness. What is good
FA ModernAthlete_HalfPage_MensTrail_paths.ai
for the goose is good for the gander. Maybe I should
have gone into politics, but that has just never been
an attraction to me.”
POSITIVE VIBES
Of course, it is not all doom and gloom in Moegsien’s
world, and he feels that the growth of the running
community has been the biggest plus over the years
that he has been a part of it. “I remember when I was
starting out and there were just a few runners at local
events. Now you have hundreds upon hundreds, and
some of the bigger events pull thousands of runners
to the starting line. This is a very good thing, but the
1 problem
2017/08/15
11:08
AM have also increased to
is that race
entries
very expensive levels. This has to be addressed by the
powers that be, or else there could be a sharp decline
in running numbers again.”
Still, he recommends the running lifestyle to all he
meets, telling them not only about the health benefits
and improved quality of life, but also about the
social aspect of running, that you meet new friends
and interact with people from all walks of life. “In
my opinion, a running life is a win-win,” he says to
conclude the interview, just in time to head off to go
run (and photograph) the afternoon cross-country
event.
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