Signing Off
BY SEAN FALCONER
I
’
m sad to be writing this message of farewell to the readers of Modern Athlete , but the time has come for me to move on and explore new avenues . I ’ m the kind of person that doesn ’ t like ‘ jumping jobs ’ – I enjoy consistency and value loyalty highly – and that ’ s why my 27-year career as a journalist has only seen me hold down four different jobs . That included nine years with Runner ’ s World magazine , and the last 15 years spent here with Modern Athlete .
South Africa is a country that can boast some of the world ’ s best athletes , coaches , races , running clubs , event organisers , technical officials and sponsors , and I feel blessed to have spent much of my career working as a running journo . In that time , I ’ ve been fortunate to meet , interview and even run with Olympians , World Champions , World Record-holders , as well as SA Champions , record-holders and star runners , but I have also been privileged to meet , interview and write about so many inspirational ‘ Average Joe ’ athletes . The elite athletes may get most of the headlines , but it ’ s the tens of thousands of runners , and the running clubs and the races , that make this sport tick .
So , while I am leaving Modern Athlete , and I ’ m not yet sure what the ‘ next chapter ’ will be for me , I will be staying in the running world , as an athlete , as a commentator / MC , and as a journo . And I intend continuing to tell the inspirational stories that I so love digging my journalistic teeth into .
The Long Road …
I joined Modern Athlete in September 2009 , just three months after the first edition appeared at that year ’ s Comrades Marathon Expo . I can still clearly remember the day in late July 2009 , when a friend sent me a link to the mag ’ s website , where I downloaded the first two editions , and immediately thought to myself , this is the mag I want to work for , because it ’ s packed full of inspirational stories . Then I saw the Publisher ’ s Letter by the mag founder , Mike Bray , accompanied by an advert saying that they were looking for more staff , so I dropped him a mail , and two days later I was on a flight to Joburg for an interview . I flew back to Cape Town the same day with a new job , and the rest is history , including 171 editions of this magazine !
In December 2018 , I joined two of my colleagues , Richard Laskey and Roxanne Martin , in buying the business from then owners Craig van der Westhuizen and Jen Law , and we have spent the last six years building the brand into so much more than it was before , including ‘ extras ’ such as event digimags , media campaigns and event commentary . I ’ m proud of what this small team has achieved in those years , including surviving COVID , and I take many fond memories with me as I make my exit .
Special Thanks
I can also look back on working with terrific people in my years at Modern Athlete , and while I don ’ t like singling people out , there is one colleague that I would like to say a special thank you to . An editor of a magazine often has a close relationship with his or her graphic designer , and since October 2014 , I have been fortunate to be able to call on Caroline Collings for more than 150 deadlines . Caro , a huge thank you for 10 years of superb creativity , the utmost patience , and the most incredible work ethic . You really are a superstar !
I would also like to thank all the columnists , contributors and photographers who were part of the mix over the past 15 years , some of whom I worked closely with for many years . I always appreciated the different areas of expertise , writing styles , opinions and ‘ voices ’ that you all brought to the editorial mix in this mag , and I hope that I get to work with you again in the future .
Looking Ahead
After 15 years and well over 200 deadlines , I leave Modern Athlete with a tinge of sadness , but also with a sense of excitement and adventure , as I feel it is time for a new challenge . I wish the Modern Athlete team all the best for the future , and I will continue to read the mag in coming years . Finally , I hope you will forgive me for signing off one last time as editor of Modern Athlete , with one of my favourite Ed ’ s Letter sign-offs …
Lace ‘ em up !
Sean Falconer
!
PS : My many running friends and colleagues are welcome to stay in touch with me via seanfalconer1910 @ gmail . com . As I said , I ’ m still going to be in the running world , so don ’ t be a stranger !
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