personalities with potent willpower force the standards of others onto themselves . We need to be as fast as him , as rich as her … We cannot possibly be everything to everyone . Make peace with that . Balance is truly everything .

We hope that this issue provides you with some great advice and inspiration .

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING OUT South Africa ’ s new homegrown running mag . We appreciate your support and look forward to hearing what you feel we can do to improve your reading experience .

Our starting premise for producing this large-format , coffee-table mag was that runners deserve to feel as proud of their passion as say , surfers or mountain bikers do . Somehow ultradistance races have become a rite of passage in SA and the benchmark of who can claim to be a ‘ real runner ’. By the same token , entry fees to races governed by Athletics South Africa have led runners to expect highvalue experiences for what organisers are then forced to rely on volunteer services and sponsorships to provide .

Neither of these trends are healthy for the sport and lockdown has made us realise that racing does not define our sport of choice . As such we celebrate running for its own sake . Whether you run races or simply run around your hood for peaceful time out and to stay in shape , we aim to inspire you to keep at it . Consistency is key , and if we can motivate you to keep moving , our work is done .

There is no doubt that running remains the most accessible and timeefficient sport . Wherever you are in the world , an extremely healthy run is just

a lace-up-and-go away . Whether that run is a medically recommended 20 minutes per day or a whole lot more is entirely up to your personal goals , and your physical and mental condition . The fundamental question that only you can answer , is why do you run ?

We are all born different . That is what makes people interesting , and keeps the world ticking , as we each have different skills and interests to share for the greater good of a functional society . Taller people make better basketball players while shorter people tend to excel at gymnastics . Flowers are more colourful than resilient grasses , but both have natural beauty and are critical to the ecosystems that sustain our spectacular outdoor playground .

It ’ s embracing our differences and accepting our unique genetic strengths and interests that makes for inner peace with the choices we make to live the one life we have . Chasing other people ’ s expectations will only lead to frustration . Do what you love , always .

We want to inspire and assist you in achieving your goals but remain conscious not to project the dangerous belief that longer beats shorter , or eating is cheating . The rise of social media has added cognitive dissonance to our already stressed sense of self-worth . Body dysmorphia and depression are on the rise as type A

Some gems to look forward to :

• Run slower to speed up on page 118 is a powerful message . Your fastest 5km may be ahead of you , regardless of your age .

• The sad story of Luvo Manyonga , page 76 , proves that even freakish talent will not guarantee success .

• The places our feet can take us is limitless . So many trails , so little time . We visit destinations near and far that we hope will inspire you to explore our magnificent planet .

• Everyone seems to be raving about them but do YOU really need carbon running shoes ? Find out on page 90 .

• And to end it all , an amazing big unit reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously on page 146 .

Run free , enjoy the time out , endorphins and year-round outdoor weather that we are blessed with . Smile at other runners and , if you can pick up one piece of litter each time you run , we will all make the best country in the world an even more spectacular place to live .

Please send us your feedback and suggestions on how we can improve your reading experience : runmag @ electricink . co . za Follow us now ! @ runmagsa Get more news and views at bikeruntri . co . za

PHOTOGRAPH MATHIS DUMAS / RED BULL CONTENT POOL , OAKPICS . COM

12 | RUN FOR YOUR LIFE