R
unning alongside a pacesetter offers structure, encouragement and the camaraderie of common goals. Sometimes referred to as“ bus drivers”, pacesetters lead groups of runners aiming for specific finish times. The benefits of joining a pace bus include:
• Consistency: by maintaining a constant speed, pacesetters help you save energy and steer clear of the dangers of starting too fast.
• Support: being part of a team offers emotional and mental support, particularly on difficult race sections such as Chapman’ s Peak.
• Knowledge: pacesetters often share tips about the course, from how to handle inclines to when to hydrate.
The selection process
Paul Murphy co-ordinates the Western Province Pacesetters and has been the official Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon pacesetter co-ordinator for more than 10 years. He shares how a team is selected for race weekend.
“ South Africa is fortunate to have a thriving running community, and from this, large pacesetting teams have been established over many years in the Western Cape, Gauteng and KZN, with smaller teams in other areas. There is also a national pacesetter leadership team.
Pacesetters earn their stripes at various races throughout the year. Experienced pacesetters are invited to apply to pace the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon via an online form. A selection process is then conducted, matching available slots to pacesetters and the times they can run – all while striving to balance experience and the introduction of new pacesetters as well as ensuring fair geographic and gender representation.”
Experience counts
Fahiema Daniels, who will be running her 10th Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon Half in 2025, has joined the pacesetting team for the first time. She share her favourite race memory.
“ In 2012, I ran my first ever Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon
Half. The cut-off time for the 21.1km was then a strict three hours, gun to gun. I had just started getting into running and was particularly slow, so three hours was going to be a challenge. There was rain predicted, so being the newbie that I was, I had packed just about everything into a little drawstring bag, and put on warm track pants. A rookie mistake!
“ Just before I got to the bottom of Southern Cross Drive, it started raining. By the time I was halfway up Southern Cross, it felt torrential. Two 3h00 busses passed me before I got to the top, so I knew I was in big trouble. I always have( and still do) enjoy the downhills, so the second I got to the top of Southern Cross, I was ready to go for it and catch up with those 3h00 buses. But it had been raining so hard, my nice warm track pants were now completely drenched and slipped down every time I wanted to pick up the pace. I somehow managed to get my first finishers medal in 2:57, but I tiptoed over the line trying not to trip over my pants and fall in the mud.”
Pacesetter Ashraf Orrie, or Mr O, leads a team of pacesetters on training runs.
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