Runner's World South Africa Edition May/June 2021

8 BE S T S UPE R-S H OE S +

Crazy Fast Hi Tech

BEAT BLISTERS FOR GOOD PAGE 48

World's Most Popular Running Songs

PAGE 80

SA's Top-Selling Running Publication since 1992 www.runnersworld.co.za

E X C L U S IV E

THE FORDYCE DIARIES

How SA's Greatest Ultra Champion Started Running PA G E 7 2

PAGE 21

REACH YOUR PEAK!

AN E XPERT 4-WEEK PL AN TO BOOS T SPEED AND ENDUR ANCE!

QUICK , E ASY FUEL

Tasty Eats For Busy Runners PA G E 3 4

DEATH THREATS AND CELEBRITY PARTIES The Real Story of Mtolo's '92 NY Marathon Victory PA G E 6 4

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HIGHLIGHTS REGULARS

WARM-UPS

HUMAN RACE

WARM-UPS

MAY/JUNE 2021

NUTRITION

COACH

FEATURES

GEAR

48

THERE’S THE RUB

ON THE COVER Photographer: Paul Ward Runner: Micheala

P21 Running Songs These are the most played running songs in the world. Recognise your favourites?

4 RUNNER’S WORLD ISSUE 3

• 2021

P34 Fast and Easy Runners tend to eat in a hurry. Here’s a quick way to make a fast, healthy and tasty choice.

P44 Reach Your Peak Reached a running ceiling? Time to break through to the next level.

P72 The Fordyce Diaries The King of Comrades has just released a book – and you should buy it and read it!

I L L U S T R AT I O N : J O E WA L D O N

For centuries, blisters have been the runner’s Achilles heel.

Have we finally got a handle on what to do so we never have to deal with these painful inconveniences again?

“NOTHING’S WEIGHING YOU DOWN.”

“NOTHING’S WEIGHING YOU DOWN.”

“NOTHING’S WEIGHING YOU DOWN.”

“NOTHING’S WEIGHING YOU DOWN.”

38

80

WE’RE FIRST FOR NEW GEAR For all the latest news, views on training, events and gear, visit runnersworld.co.za Here’s what’s trending...

P36 Whatever Floats Your Oats They’re a good start. Now take your oat game to the next level.

REGULARS P10 Rave Run Brand se Baai, somewhere on the West Coast.

COACH

P16 The Inside Lane with our Editor, Mike Finch.

P42 Ride Every runner who wants to get stronger should have... a bicycle?!

P90 Back Marker A torch is passed; and one day, it will be passed on again.

P44 Plan Ditch those aimless kays and give your running some structure.

P46 Less is more, they say. For some, this is true for mileage too.

WARM-UPS P19 Sisters Pursued It By Themselves Men = hunters, women = gatherers? Maybe not.

FEATURES

Jogging by Bill Bowerman, p59.

P21 Mind+Health Time to give yourself a good talking to.

P64 Guest Star Willie Mtolo broke the rules, in hotels and in running – New York the Saffa way.

P23 Injury Sure you can treat yourself to a new pair. But... it’s not about the shoes.

P72 My Future Started Slow Hasn’t he done well! Hard to believe Bruce Fordyce was once a beginner – and Comrades fame looked less than likely back then.

HUMAN RACE P27 The Brave New (digital) World of Heleen Mills.

Yum. See p36.

• 2021

P38 The Test Zone Are the vibrations in my skull bothering you?

P40 What We Wear Don’t come between Solly Malatsi and his running cap.

NUTRITION

6 RUNNER’S WORLD ISSUE 3

AGE-DEFYING STRATEGIES Here’s how to run strong, no matter what your age...

GEAR

P32 Five Golden Years when South Africa was on top of the world.

P34 Take The Wrap No, really; wraps are simpler than you think.

P48 There’s The Rub Our long and painful war with blisters – and who’s winning.

P56 A History of Running in 34 objects: the story of our sport, through the things it has created.

P22 Nutrition Spice up your running (and your health) with ginger.

P30 Cannabis Truth Prof. Ross brings us back down to earth.

Stuart McConnachie does the hard yards organising the Ultra Trail Cape Town trail race.

Fast and light – see p80.

P80 Super-Shoes They’ve never been more technologically advanced.

Here are eight of the best.

SUPER-SHOE SJOE ?!

Do super-shoes threaten the integrity of running?

P H OTO G R A P H S : A F T E R S H O K Z | M I K E F I N C H | A M A ZO N

P20 Fitness The run/walk method works. No shame in that.

ROUTE MARKER EXTRAORDINAIRE

“MAPMYRUN CONNECTS TO MY SHOES.”

“MAPMYRUN CONNECTS TO MY SHOES.”

“MAPMYRUN CONNECTS TO MY SHOES.”

Join The Movement

Scan the QR code and be part of the conversation...

South African Edition

A licence venture between Hearst Magazines International and QuickBrownFox (Pty) Ltd EDITORIAL Editor-In-Chief MIKE FINCH (mike@qbf-agency.co.za)

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ON THE COVER

ISSUE 3 / 2021 8 BE S T S UPE R-S H O E S +

Crazy Fast Hi Tech

PAGE 80

M E M B E R O F TH E AU D IT B U R E AU O F C I R C U L ATI O N BEAT BLISTERS FOR GOOD PAGE 48

World's Most Popular Running Songs

SA's Top-Selling Running Publication since 1992 www.runnersworld.co.za

EXCLU SIVE

THE FORDYCE DIARIES

How SA's Greatest Ultra Champion Started Running PA G E 7 2

PAGE 21

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REACH YOUR PEAK!

AN E XPERT 4-WEEK PL AN TO BOOS T SPEED AND ENDUR ANCE!

QUICK , E ASY FUEL

Tasty Eats For Busy Runners PA G E 3 4

DEATH THREATS AND CELEBRITY PARTIES The Real Story of Mtolo's '92 NY Marathon Victory PA G E 6 4

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“PROPELLING ME FORWARD.”

“PROPELLING ME FORWARD.”

“PROPELLING ME FORWARD.”

“PROPELLING ME FORWARD.”

RAVE RUN

BRAND SE BAAI, WEST COAST

THE LOCATION Brand Se Baai, a salt pan which marks the start of a series of great camping spots for many kilometres along the West Coast.

WHEN TO RUN Evenings are a good time to head out of camp, as the sun sinks into the sea and the rocks take on a golden hue.

Although the sun can often be relentless above this barren coastline, there is also a substantial haze to cool things down much of the time.

WORDS Ryan Scott

PHOTOGRAPHS Greg Miller

RUNNERS Ryan Scott & Michael Arbuthnot

ISSUE 32

• 2021

RUNNER’S WORLD 11

RAVE RUN

GPS COORDINATES: 33.5982° S, 18.4526° E

TERRAIN Sand is the order of the day.

Thankfully, most of these flowing stretches of beach are sturdy, hard-packed sand, with not much camber. There are rocky sections that join one beach to the next, and these also have to be run over, around or through, if you can find a natural path. Often the petite paw prints of small wild cats will show you the most efficient way through the rocky bits.

CONFIGURATION Every run is an out-and-back affair.

The beaches run north-south, and you can keep going for hundreds of kilometres if you want to. It’s mostly government land, and even the land that’s private is mandated to allow access to the coastal sections – a ruling which suits runners perfectly. There is also a long jeep track which runs the full length of the coastline, if you need a break from the beach.

THE RUN The simple beauty of lacing up and running out of camp is liberating.

At first glance, the starkness of this flat, relentless coastline seems

as though it could be monotonous.

But with every step, the abundance of life around you becomes more noticeable; and the reliability of the seemingly endless path ahead is comforting. Camp life complements the simplicity; there were occasions when we would run three times a day.

THE WEST COAST The vast stretches of coastline as you head towards the Namibian border are magnificently uncomplicated and lacking in man-made structures. The continued allure of diamonds and precious metals means there is still mining in places, unfortunately; but for the most part you have just the roaring ocean, seagulls, and breaching whales for company.

PL ANNING A RUN-CATION? FOR MORE INSPIRING PL ACES TO RUN, VISIT RUNNERSWORLD. CO.ZA / TRAVEL.

ISSUE 3

• 2021

RUNNER’S WORLD 13

THE INSIDE LANE Mike Finch Editor-In-Chief @MikeFinchSA

Bruce: (still) The Man! I REMEMBER 1986: standing on the side of the road in Kloof, as the news began to filter through the excited crowd that the leader of the Comrades Marathon was close.

As we did every year, my dad and I had driven up to Kloof Main Road to watch; and all the talk, naturally, was about the chances of Bruce Fordyce crossing the line first again.

Fordyce had already won the Comrades five years in a row, and every newspaper article and TV sports story in the preceding week had led with predictions about who would challenge the blonde-haired flyer this year.

As it happened, it was the tall, lanky figure of Bob de la Motte who came through first, with Fordyce, Danny Biggs and legendary shuffler Hoseah ‘Horse’ Tjale all running together some two minutes behind.

But by the time De la Motte reached Westville, Fordyce was within striking distance. And then it happened: famously, Fordyce strode past De la Motte on the run up towards 45th Cutting, to be the first and only person to win more than five Comrades Marathons and establish a new ‘Down’ record.

I had grown up idolising Fordyce, and as a teenager I would try to emulate his running style during my own training runs…

Over the years, I’ve been privileged to get to know Bruce. I was a young journo when I covered his final

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• 2021

1990 win, and stood shyly behind the older, more experienced journalists at the post-race interview, honoured to be within touching distance of the man.

I had grown up idolising Fordyce, and as a teenager I would try to emulate his running style during my own training runs; while imagining myself in a future Comrades, pulling ahead through Kloof and on to a famous victory in front of my adoring family.

Since I started at Runner’s World in 2000, Bruce and I have collaborated on many stories, commentated together during the Comrades broadcast on TV, and spent a few evenings sharing a beer (or a few).

But my familiarity with Bruce has not been at the cost of my admiration.

I remember a few years ago that Nelson Mandela and Fordyce were voted the two most recognisable faces in South Africa; and there’s little doubt that his name carries a weight of expertise, knowledge and charisma that few sportsmen or -women can match.

That’s why I was so excited to run an extract from his book, Winged Messenger, in the magazine.

As much as it offers tons of insightful advice on how to tackle an event like the Comrades, the real magic of this book is the extracts from his running diaries over the years.

In our extract (page 72), we’ve focused on 1976, when Fordyce first started to run. Like most beginners he battled early on, but he understood that training smart was always more sustainable than training hard. It became the hallmark of his running career.

Quite simply, Winged Messenger is a book that should be part of every runner’s collection. It’s a classic ‘dip in, dip out’ read, but every page is a mixture of history, advice and motivation.

Just like Fordyce’s running career, it’s a winner!

FORDYCE WISDOM “The problem once again is that I was putting pressure on myself to get faster every time I ran.

I was going to be disappointed if the next run wasn’t quicker still.

Eventually, for a variety of reasons, it just can’t be faster.”

“The beauty of running, unlike so many other sports, is that its simplicity allows us to squeeze in short, quick runs when time is limited.”

“Not every run is pleasant, and sometimes we have to grit our teeth and just get them done.”

“The veterans told me that sleep the night before the race isn’t critical. It’s the night before the night before that getting a good night’s sleep becomes important.”

From Winged Messenger, by Bruce Fordyce, published

by Kwarts Publishers Turn to p72 for more

LOOKING FOR A BACK ISSUE? JUST DOWNLOAD IT!

R ’S GUID

Olympic 10 000m Runner Dom Scott

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RUNNING & ALCOHOL

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Why We Overdo It PAG E

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SA's Eccentric Trail Phenom on Running & Life

2020:

F ROM WOR L D R E C OR D S T O V IRT UA L R ACE S A ND BE YOND...

Here's How

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" The Ecstatic State Of Being "

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HOW WE RAN

YES, YOU CAN RUN FASTER!

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Trail legend Kane Reilly in full flight.

*Five are from SA

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BEST RACES IN THE WORLD

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He Trains The Best... & Can Make YOU Faster Too!

How Running Makes You Happy

YOUR BEST YEAR EVER!

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H ARN E S S THE JOY!

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BUST THE RUT! AR EWA OC HR KYOOUUTR PNLEAXNT TLOE V E L

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20 21 22 23 FITNESS

MIND + HEALTH

NUTRITION

INJURY

WARM-UPS

WO R D S : R I C K P E A R S O N . I L LU S T R AT I O N : JA S O N LYO N . 1 . S C I E N C E ADVAN C E S

The TIPS YOU NEED to GET UP to SPEED

SISTERS PURSUED IT BY THEMSELVES New evidence suggests women were the original persistence hunters.

UNTIL RECENTLY, scientists believed it was ancient man who patiently ran down the antelopes and other luckless ungulates, while ancient woman gathered the berries. Not so, according to a new study.1 An excavation of ancient burial sites has led to the conclusion it was often women, not men, who were buried next to a hunting toolkit – suggesting these objects belonged to them. The relatively small difference between men’s and women’s performance in long-distance events has also been attributed to the theory that women were, in fact, the original ultrarunners – they were just hunting down dinner, not PBs.

ISSUE 3

• 2021

RUNNER’S WORLD 19

WARM-UPS

FITNESS

WALK TALL The run/walk method is ideal for your first 42.2.

WALK OF NO SHAME

Run/walk method works as well as running alone for marathon first-timers.

FOR SOME RUNNERS, the idea of walking sections of a long run or – even worse! – a race is a sign of defeat, or a lack of grit, or inadequate training. But it shouldn’t be. A new study has found that the run/walk method (also known as ‘Jeffing’, in recognition of one of its biggest advocates, US Olympian, author and RW contributor Jeff Galloway) can reduce muscle soreness and get you to a marathon finish line in roughly the

same time as continuous running. For the study, published in Science of Medicine in Sport, non-elite male and female participants covered 42.2km, either run/walking or just running. The run/walkers reported less muscle fatigue and pain afterwards, and surprisingly, achieved broadly similar finishing times to the run-only group. The run/walkers’ times ranged from 4:14-4:34, compared with the runners’ 4:07-4:34.

RUN LIKE THE KENYANS (WITHIN REASON…) Seven of the last eight men to win the London Marathon have been Kenyans, and six of the last seven women. A new study1 suggests that one of the reasons for their dominance is they do more tempo runs and short intervals than European runners. Here’s a short interval session to try. You won’t beat the Kenyans, but you will improve.

20 RUNNER’S WORLD ISSUE 3

• 2021

DISTANCE

REPS

SPEED

RECOVERY

400M

8-16

5K PACE (8/10 EFFORT)

1 MIN

When scientists2 studied the lab data of the Breaking 2 runners (which preceded the Ineos Challenge, in which Eliud Kipchoge ran the first sub-2 marathon), it was found participants had an average VO2 max of 71 – high, but not extraordinary.

What does this mean for the everyday runner? Success in distance running is about more than just the size of your engine; it’s about making the most of several variables, including running economy and good old-fashioned grit. If we harness these elements, we can all achieve our running goals.

20%

Extra kilojoules burnt if running using trekking poles

WO R D S : R I C K P E A R S O N . I L L U S T R AT I O N : JA N N E I I VO N E N | T I M E S / U K

MAX C RE D I T

MIND+HEALTH

WARM-UPS

ONE GOOD TURN If you’ve willed it, you will run.

WO R D S : S T E P H E N G L E N N O N A N D R I C K P E A R S O N . P H OTO G R A P H S : R OWA N F E E , G E T T Y I M AG E S | U N S P L A S H /A N D R E A P I AC Q UA D I O

MO ST POPUL AR R UNNI NG TR ACKS You’re galloping along, favourite tracks in your ears, and you can’t help but join in with an air guitar solo. Or you start smashing those imaginary drums – only to remember you’re in public, and everyone is swerving to avoid the strange runner who is having a seizure. We can all get lost in music from time to time, so don’t be too concerned. But what are the most popular tracks to listen to while running? A recent study analysed Spotify playlists to find out.

TOP 5 RUNNING SONGS 1 / Work B**ch BRITNEY SPEARS

2 / Blinding Lights

THE POWER OF COGNITIVE THERAPY

Your sense of control over events has a huge bearing on how well you run.

SELF-EFFICACY – broadly speaking, your belief in your ability to accomplish a specific task or handle a situation – is a well-established model for helping people cope better with stress and face challenges; and it might improve your running, too. “Two of the strongest influences on our self-efficacy are knowing we have done that thing well before, and knowing we have prepared really well,” says Dr Josephine Perry, sport psychologist at Performance in Mind. “So we will feel much more

confident about a race if we have already run that distance, and if we’ve been training hard. Other influences, such as having a great coach you trust (social persuasion) or seeing other people similar to you doing well (vicarious confidence) will also help boost your self-efficacy.”

Having confidence means you can maintain focus, keep going for longer, and see a race as a challenge, not an ordeal. Give yourself a good talking to!

THE WEEKND

3 / Roses SAINT JHN

4 / Eye of the Tiger SURVIVOR

5 / Titanium DAVID GUETTA

TOP 5 RUNNING ARTISTS 1 / Calvin Harris 2 / Eminem 3 / David Guetta 4 / Drake 5 / Kanye West

14

Percentage of treadmill owners who report high motivation to run.

READY, STEADY, GLOW A study has shown that running may have a lasting positive impact on skin health. Researchers found the skin of active people over the age of 65 more resembled the skin of 20- to 30-yearolds than more sedentary over-65s.

Just three months of working out twice a week was enough to produce these product-free results.

ISSUE 3

• 2021

RUNNER’S WORLD 21

WARM-UPS

NUTRITION

WE’RE INTO GINGERY TIME Spice up your life with ginger – your head, knees and stomach will thank you.

GINGE BENEFITS HEAD Headaches can disrupt your whole day and get in the way of your training. In a study published in Phytotherapy Research, ginger was shown to help reduce migraine pain as much as prescription medicine.

“A small amount of powdered ginger may do the trick and get [runners] back on the road,” says Sonya Angelone, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

IT ’S NOT AS COOL AS COCONUT OIL or as Instagram-friendly as artfully sliced avocado fanned out on Royal Copenhagen plates, but ginger deserves its place in every runner’s diet. The thick, tuberous rhizome (the sexiness never ends, does it?) of the ginger plant has a citrus-like, floral scent; but it’s also earthy and has a hint of heat.

It’s a versatile spice – raw, cooked, powdered, pickled or preserved (stem) – that elevates food and drinks; and it has many health benefits, too (see right).

STOMACH Ginger has beneficial effects on some of the enzymes used in the digestive process. Other studies have found it can help calm an upset stomach and ease nausea (especially in pregnant women). If you are pregnant, seek medical advice before using it for this purpose.

TAKE ROOT Ginger is packed with goodness.

A-GRADE NUTRITION

Once winter is upon us, as happens with tedious regularity, it can be difficult to find the motivation to get yourself out for a run. This year, of course, we have also had lockdown restrictions to contend with.

But there is some good news: a new study has come up with findings that may be of interest to those of us who

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• 2021

run for weight loss. It found that cold temperatures increase vitamin A levels, which helps stimulate fat burning and heat generation.

Eggs, dairy products, liver, spinach, carrots and sweet potatoes are all good sources of vitamin A; so if you see someone galloping in the snow while chewing a carrot and some liver, you’ll know what they’re up to. Most probably.

THREE

You’re nearly three times more likely to lose weight if your spouse joins in.1

WO R D S : R I C K P E A R S O N A N D E M I LY S H I F F E R . P H OTO G R A P H S : LU C K Y I F S H A R P, G E T T Y I M AG E S .

KNEES In a study published in the journal Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, it was found that fresh ginger may help to reduce pain and disability from arthritis. “Because arthritis is a condition of wear and tear, runners may find that ginger can help knee pain; and it’s safer than taking non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory medications,” says Angelone.

INJURY

WHAT TO WEAR In terms of injury, it doesn’t matter as much as we thought.

WARM-UPS

O N YO U R F E E T!

1 2

Footwear can ‘modify’ runners’ training loads, so they can tolerate more kays before getting injured.

Many runners will benefit from motion control, particularly excessive overpronators. Not sure if this applies to you? Get a gait analysis at a running shop, if you’re not in lockdown.

3

Shoe age does not affect injuries. Those takkies that have been gathering dust in the cupboard since the summer of 2006? Give ’em an outing – no excuses.

4

Expensive shoes don’t necessarily offer more protection than cheaper options. However, there may be performance benefits to wearing certain footwear.

WO R D S : R I C K P E A R S O N . P H OTO G R A P H : U N S P L A S H / D E V I N -AV E R Y

5 DON’T BLAME THE SHOES A major study suggests footwear is not the cause of most running injuries.

Shoes with a low heel-to-toe drop increase injury rates among everyday runners.

Anything with a drop of 6mm or less should be used sparingly at first, so your muscles have time to adapt.

OF ALL THE AT TEMP T S to reduce the chances of picking up a running-related injury, buying a new pair of shoes is by far the most attractive.

But a new study from Danish research group RUNSAFE suggests shoes aren’t the cause of, or solution to, most running injuries. Thanks, Denmark. Thanks so much.

The researchers looked back at 40 years of studies on running injuries and concluded “footwear does not cause injuries”. They did acknowledge that footwear is important because it “can modify the global training load a runner can tolerate before sustaining injury”, but also concluded “it is possible the role of running-shoe technology in injury prevention has been overrated”. Here are the seven key takeaways from the study (right):

6

Barefoot or minimalist running does not decrease injury risk.

Sorry, Born to Run fans: it seems kicking off your shoes and running barefoot is not the route to an injury-free life.

7

Alternating pairs of shoes does reduce injuries. Create a nice rotation of shoes: one for speedwork, one for trails, one for the long run. Maybe you do need a new pair, after all...

ISSUE 3

• 2021

RUNNER’S WORLD 23

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HUMAN( )RACE NEWS, VIEWS, TRENDS and ORDINARY RUNNERS doing EXTRAORDINARY THINGS

WO R D S : R YA N S COT T. P H OTO G R A P H S : M A R Z E L L E V D M E R W E

BRAVE NEW WORLD Heleen Mills is at the forefront of a running revolution – using digital platforms to innovate your running experience.

C

‘Creative adaptability’ are the first words you’ll read on Heleen Mills’ website. Her business provides digital marketing and social media solutions to events and brands, and has already seen great success in the new world of non-event, ‘organised’ running.

But Heleen is not a sit-behinda-desk-and-create kind of person; rather, she’ll be the one leading the pack up the climb, cell phone in hand, living the life of the sport she loves while promoting it too.

Runner’s World In your chickenor-egg scenario, what came first: your love of running, or working with running events and brands?

• Heleen Mills: Wow – I really had to think about this one.

I’m actually a swimmer and synchronised swimmer, and never used to do anything more than promenade runs.

Then in 2016 I was introduced to Mina Guli, and was asked to be the media manager for her 7 Deserts Run and 6 River Run expeditions. She uses her running

I’ve Learned The Importance Of Creating A Personalised, Real-World Experience For Participants – Whether It’s A Virtual Event Or Not. to explore areas affected by the global water crisis.

I became so inspired by her story, her running and message, that I started running on the prom at night, and in the rain! I finally plucked up the courage to drive to the Run Store in Bree Street [Cape Town] and bought a running pack and toe socks – which I used to run laps around the 10km jeep track in Jonkershoek.

Working on Mina's campaigns – especially on the 6 River Run – I

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came to understand the power of social media as a force for good to build community, to inspire people and to change lives.

RW: What was your involvement with events before you became a runner, and how has that changed now?

• HM: Events are actually the latest addition to my work portfolio. The majority of my work before that was designing and executing campaigns

ABOVE The most valuable piece of equipment could be the vesrsatile smartphone.

for brands and NGOs. The first event I took on was Ultra-Trail Drakensberg (UTD), in Feb 2019. My goal was to double the number of entries before they closed at the end of March – which I did, and I found the process incredibly rewarding. Then came race weekend & all the live updates… and I loved every second of it!

UTD was the first big trail race to be cancelled after lockdown was announced. It was a huge blow.

But as soon as we realised that UTD’s original event date coincided perfectly with the last weekend of lockdown level 5, we decided to host a Lockdown Edition, and make everyone’s garden running worth it!

I wanted to send each runner a race number; although I knew it would be a huge challenge, I was dead set on doing it. Whatever it takes, I thought, every person will get a snazzy, personalised race number.

Enter Armand [du Plessis], my partner, who also happens to be

H

R

WO R D S : R YA N S COT T. P H OTO G R A P H S : M A R Z E L L E VA N D E R M E R W E , K E LV I N T R AU T M A N , S I M O N P O C O C K

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Running for water awareness; sold out UTCT; Gone2Gone finisher photos – Linda Doke and Jana Trojan; on the trails to get the shots.

an amazing software developer and problem solver. He casually mentioned to me that he could create personalised numbers for everyone; and the ‘Numberator’ was born. To date, we’ve generated and emailed nearly 12 000 race numbers to runners!

I’ve learned the importance of creating a personalised, realworld experience for participants – whether it’s a virtual event or not.

I’m currently working on a 6 000person virtual event for World Water Day. People from over 60 countries are participating.

RW: How would you diagnose the current state of running in South Africa?

• HM: Both trail and road running (as with many other outdoor and adventure sports) have been in a strong growth state since 2019; but the lockdown of 2020 really intensified and accelerated this growth. I think we’ve only seen the start of it.

You only need to spend 10 minutes scanning Strava’s 2020 Insights Report, or a few clicks on Google Trends, to see the increased interest and search volumes on keywords like ‘trail running’.

RW: You also teach digital communication, and created Africa’s first graduate Digital Quotient course, launched at Stellenbosch Business School in 2015. What’s your goal with this platform?

• HM: I designed and taught the module for three years, from 2015 to 2018; and then handed it over to an internal lecturer at the Business School, to focus on my own business.

I came up with the term DQ (digital quotient) during my time teaching at Stellenbosch University. As a lecturer, I was so inspired to teach students about the world of digital and social media – none which was actually in any of the textbooks.

So I started giving talks at conferences about the importance of preparing MBA students for a digital world of marketing… and about the fact that students’ DQ is as important as their IQ and EQ. RW: The Gone2Gone campaign stood out as a fresh new way of running in 2020. What made it such a success?

• HM: With Gone2Gone, over

MEDIA MAGICIAN

Just some of the events for which Heleen has worked her digital magic.

Ultra-Trail Drakensberg Sani Stagger Giant’s Cup Trail Run Whale of Trail (2021) Hobbit Trail Runs (2021) Ultra-Trail Cape Town (Oct-Nov 2020) #Gone2Gone #Run4Rivers #Plogathon #Sweat4Soap

and above sending every person a personalised race number, I also made sure that every finisher had their photo taken at the finish line.

And I made an Instagram Story with those pics, tagging each and every runner.

It took hours upon hours, and I was blocked by Instagram daily because of the volumes I was posting – celebrating runners at the finish line, like in a real event.

RW: When and how do you actually get out to run?

• HM: Now that I have so many of my favourite local running events as clients… it’s tricky to race. Since I have clients in different time zones, I’m often working 12-hour days. It’s only on the weekend that I’m able to reach my running goals.

RW: Having promoted running all over the country, where’s your favourite place to run?

• HM: My home stretch. From the front door in Llandudno, to Sandy Bay, to Oude Schip.

Follow Heleen’s running world on Instagram: @heleenmills

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The Sports Scientist

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BY R O S S T U C K E R

CANNABIS TRUTH Is CBD oil the cure-all for running aches and pains? dose of CBD oil after the training session. On the other, a dose of placebo, an oil that contained no active ingredient.

This bout of exercise was both unfamiliar and severe enough that it would cause major muscle damage in the 13 men; and so the researchers followed them up over the next three days, to check whether taking the CBD oil had improved any measures of that muscle pain.

It hadn’t. Perceived soreness was the same. Arm circumference, a measure of swelling in the muscle, was the same. The men were asked to perform muscle contractions in the days after the damaging bout, and those too were the same, whether they’d taken the CBD oil or the placebo.

The conclusion from the paper was that at the “current dose and schedule, CBD oil may not be beneficial for untrained men as a recovery aid after exerciseinduced muscle damage”. Studies often produce equivocal results, where some measures differ but others do not. This result was very clear; and very negative.

Incidentally, the reason that CBD oil would have been thought

“The internet is awash with testimonies and articles that extol the anti-inflammatory properties of CBD oil...” contraction, which is particularly severe, causing microscopic structural damage to our muscle fibres. This is repaired over the next few days, but sensitised nerve endings plus fluid in the muscle mean a few days of pain while doing even normal activities.

So, does CBD oil help prevent this pain? The short answer from the research above, published in January this year, is an emphatic no.

A group of 13 men performed 60 maximal elbow flexions (think bicep curls) on two separate occasions. On one, they received a

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to have these beneficial effects on muscle damage is because clinical studies as far back as 2015 have found that CBD oil has anti-inflammatory effects on our immune cells, reducing the degree to which they trigger the inflammatory response to muscle damage. Since inflammation is part of the muscle repair process, a hypothesis was created that CBD oil might reduce the markers of damage.

In practice, however, that doesn’t appear to play out. It’s possible that the degree of muscle damage simply overwhelms any

possible small effect, or that the dosage of CBD oil used in the study above was too small to combat the body’s immune response.

Proponents of CBD oils will perhaps argue that a single dose after damage is not reflective of how they use it, and suggest that future studies should look at chronic use. Larger studies would also be useful, because it is possible that some people are more sensitive to CBD oil than others, and only a larger pool of people will reveal whether some people derive the benefits.

Regardless, the study shows

the disconnect between theory and scientific evidence. The internet is awash with testimonies and articles that extol the anti-inflammatory properties of CBD oil, but at least one well-conducted (if small) study drew a giant blank in support of those theories.

Given the size of the CBD oil industry, more studies are inevitable; but then, so are more marketing claims. As is often the case with supplements, discerning customers will be necessary!

Prof. Ross Tucker is one of the world’s top sports scientists, and the co-host of the Real Science of Sport podcast. Follow him on @scienceofsport

P E X E L S / K A R O L I N A G R A B OW S K A

C

Cannabidoil.

You’ll know it as CBD oil, the new miracle supplement for athletes.

At least it would be, if even half the claims made by the many manufacturers who now produce supplements containing it were true.

As yet, however, the evidence has been weak; even for the many psychological conditions it has been offered as a solution to, including anxiety and cognition, as well as physical conditions such as pain.

Most recently, the first study on CBD oil for exercise was published in the scientific journal Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise. The researchers asked a very specific question – does CBD oil affect degree of muscle damage after a bout of severe exercise?

We know all about muscle damage – it’s what causes our (sometimes intense) stiffness for days after we run too hard, or too long, or for the first time after a long lay-off. It happens because every time we land, the muscle has to perform an eccentric

You, but faster.

Engineered with elite athletes and built for everyday runners, the Endorphin Collection features revolutionary SPEEDROLL Technology, which propels you forward with the feeling of continuous momentum. The result? Faster speeds. Better times. And more good runs for all.

Endorphin Speed

Endorphin Pro

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Good Times

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BY A L E C R I D D L E

FIVE GOLDEN YEARS NEW RECORD Gerda Steyn’s national marathon record in April has put her firmly on the international marathon map.

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When South Africa was finally readmitted to international athletics in 1992, after 32 years of isolation, the world was ready to welcome our athletes with open arms; and their achievements thereafter were so powerful, John Brant of Runner’s World in the US dubbed 1992 the “year of the South African”.

There were many marathon wins and podiums, but for the purpose of this story, I’ll focus on the bigger international marathons between 1992 and 1996.

David Tsebe and Willie Mtolo got the ball rolling in ’92, winning the

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Berlin and New York marathons respectively, while Colleen de Reuck finished a respectable ninth at the Barcelona Olympic Marathon. In the same year, the late Michael Scout also won, in Japan, and Joseph Skosana was victorious in Taipei. Amazingly, Tsebe topped the world rankings in 1992, with his 2:08:07 victory.

In 1993 another SA running icon of the ’80s, Xolile Yawa, won the Berlin Marathon, while Tsebe had to settle for third. Gert Thys showed his mettle finishing second in Fukuoka, and Mark Plaatjies (running for the USA) won the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart.

In 1994, it was Elana Meyer

who excelled in her marathon debut, finishing third in the Boston Marathon in 2:25:15.

Meyer returned to Boston in 1995 and finished second, while Yawa finished fourth in the London Marathon and sixth in Berlin.

And all that was just the calm before the storm…

1996 will forever be the biggest year of all for SA marathoning.

Who will ever forget the diminutive Josiah Thugwane, stunning the world to win the gold medal at the Atlanta Olympics? I can’t deny, I shed a tear watching his courageous three-second victory over Lee Bong Ju of Korea.

As the late Madiba said, Thugwane “reinforced our pride and confidence as a nation”.

In the same year, Colleen de Reuck won the Berlin Marathon, in a new national record – 2:26:35 – and Gert Thys was victorious in Beppu, in Japan. A glorious 12 months for SA. While there have been some great victories since 1996 – from Hendrik Ramaala (New York), to Gert Thys (Tokyo; at the time, his 2:06:33 was the second-fastest in history), Josiah Thugwane (Fukuoka), Stephen Mokoka (Shanghai) and Lusapho April (Hanover), among others – it’s true we’ve gone off the boil somewhat.

Though recently, Mokoka finished fifth at the 2019 world championships, and Gerda Steyn broke De Reuck’s 25-year national marathon record in April, clocking 2:25:28 in Siena.

WHY ARE WE FALLING BEHIND IN WORLD MARATHONING?

There are many reasons; but I would rather focus on the positives and the possibilities than the negatives.

While we pin our future hopes on the likes of Mokoka and Steyn, we also need the current crop of enthusiastic coaches and small pockets of excellence around the country to start rising to the occasion.

Our young road runners and potential marathon runners need competitive races, like the national championships of a couple of

decades ago – especially over 10km.

I distinctly recall the SA 10km championships in 2000, witnessing two runners sprinting for ninth and 10th in a speedy 28:24.

Michael Meyer introduced the FNB series, which was exactly what the country’s runners needed, just as the Spar ladies’ races have provided opportunities for such talents as Rene Kalmer, Irvette van Zyl, Mapaseka Makhanya, Glenrose Xaba and Steyn.

Michael Mbambani and EP Athletics have been putting on the Legacy Series for a few years now; and this series of road races, with substantial prize money, has attracted many SA road runners seeking the opportunity to run fast times.

Another factor is that training has progressed internationally.

Just look at the performances over the past decade: a lot of this has to do with coaching. Wouldn’t it be great if Athletics South Africa could bring in an international coach – or consult one virtually, as that’s a common option now?

Italian coach Renato Canova (now 75) springs to mind. Imagine our up-and-coming coaches learning from the likes of Canova, who is more than willing to share his training philosophies!

Then we need to understand the advances made in sports science. As an example: in the past, if we knew we needed to replenish kilojoules in a marathon, we focused almost solely on trying to source them from sports drinks (and further back, through carbo loading).

More and more often now, we see coaches able to use testing and training to improve a runner’s aerobic ability – which means the athlete may not need to replenish as much as before, because he or she is trained to use less glycogen.

We will explore this topic further in future issues.

Alec Riddle is a former elite ultra runner, well-known race commentator and athletics expert.

P H OTO G R A P H : S A R A H S T I E R /G E T T Y I M AG E S )

When SA was on top of the world – and where we are now

TIME HEALS ALL WOUNDS

LOVE BREAKS ALL BARRIERS AND SPEED

DOES NOT

D I S C R I M I N AT E

WHY DO YOU RUN?

FORERUNNER ® FOR RUNNERS SPOTIFY and the Spotify logo are among the registered trademarks of Spotify AB. © 2021 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries.

TAKE THE WRAP

Getting the most from a wrap is not hard: what you do is get a pile of nutritious ingredients, wrap them up, and eat them.

Salmon and egg As well as doing its bit to boost bone health, vitamin D (in salmon and eggs) has been shown to aid weight loss.

1 674kJ / 18g protein / 19g fat / 23g carbs / Serves 2

½ avocado ½ tsp finely chopped red chilli Squeeze of lemon juice 2 eggs, soft-boiled and peeled 40g low-fat mayonnaise 2 wholemeal flatbreads 60g hot smoked salmon 30g rocket Pinch of chilli flakes

1 / Mash the avocado, chilli and lemon juice together in glorious guacamole style. Season and set aside.

2 / Roughly chop the eggs, mix with the mayonnaise and season to taste.

3 / Spoon the guacamole onto your flatbreads, followed by the egg mayo and large flakes of hot smoked salmon.

4 / Finish it all off with rocket, lemon juice and chilli flakes.

HELPS TO BURN FAT

Lamb kofta One portion of lamb contains 45 per cent of your daily zinc needs, which helps to keep your immune system working well.

2 029kJ / 27g protein / 34g fat / 27g carbs / Serves 2

200g lean lamb mince Handful of oreganum, chopped Handful of thyme, chopped Pinch each of ground cumin, ground coriander, ground cloves and ground cardamom ½ tsp yellow mustard seeds ½ tsp chilli flakes 1 garlic clove, crushed Drizzle of olive oil 80g red cabbage, shredded Squeeze of lemon juice 2 wholemeal flatbreads 1 plum tomato, sliced 5g fresh chilli, finely sliced Handful of mint leaves, chopped

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f o r t h e t z at z i k i : 50g natural yoghurt 30g cucumber, grated Pinch of smoked paprika

1 / Heat the oven to 200°C. Mix the mince, herbs, spices and garlic and roll into kofta balls.

2 / Drizzle a baking tray with olive oil, add the koftas and roast for 10 mins or until cooked through.

3 / Dress the cabbage in lemon juice and a little oil.

4 / Tzatziki time. Mix the ingredients and season.

5 / Load the flatbreads with the koftas, tzatziki, tomato, chilli and mint.

AIDS THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

FUEL

Roasted butternut and red onion This serving of butternut helps your digestive system to work smoothly, thanks to its generous fibre content.

1 724kJ / 11g protein / 17g fat / 59g carbs / Serves 2

1 butternut 1 red onion, chopped 1 tbsp olive oil Pinch of ground cumin Pinch of ground coriander Pinch of sumac Pinch of chilli flakes Pinch of black sesame seeds 40g natural yoghurt 5g mint leaves, chopped ½ tsp pomegranate molasses 2 wholemeal flatbreads 4 chicory/kale/watercress leaves 5g sliced almonds 1 tbsp mixed seeds

1 / Heat the oven to 200°C, then prepare the butternut.

Peel the skin, then halve the butternut, remove the seeds and cut it into chunky wedges.

2 / Toss the butternut and the onion in the oil, spices and sesame seeds, then season; place on a tray to bake for 25 minutes.

3 / Combine the yoghurt, mint leaves and pomegranate molasses. Dollop on to the flatbreads and pile with the roasted butternut, chicory leaves, almonds and whatever seeds you like – pomegranate and toasted sunflower make a tasty combination.

GOOD FOR DIGESTION

Vegan green fritters

WO R D S : A M Y G R I E R A N D G A B R I E L L A B LO C K . P H OTO G R A P H S : L U C K Y I F S H A R P

The broad beans in one serving of this contain 6.5g of protein.

– they’re also high in fibre, which can help lower cholesterol.

1 021kJ / 14g protein / 5g fat / 42g carbs / Serves 2

200g broad beans, podded 50g peas 1 bunch of mint, chopped Pinch of ground cumin Pinch of cayenne pepper Pinch of nigella seeds Zest and juice of ½ lemon 1 tsp plain flour Drizzle of olive oil 2 wholemeal flatbreads 40g lamb’s lettuce 5g toasted seeds, such as sunflower, sesame or linseed

1 / Heat the oven to 180°C. Put the broad beans in a food processor with the peas, mint, spices and lemon zest and juice, and pulse. Add the flour to bind the mixture.

2 / Scoop it out and roll into small balls, then gently press them to flatten slightly.

3 / Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat and fry the fritters until crisp on the outside.

4 / Transfer to a baking tray and cook in the oven for five minutes.

5 / Load the flatbreads with lamb’s lettuce, seeds and the fritters.

BUILDS MUSCLE

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• 2021

RUNNER’S WORLD 35

F UEL FAST FOOD

NUTRITION ADVICE FOR HEALTHY, HUNGRY RUNNERS

BY KIM PEARSON

WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR OATS

Here’s how to take your humble bowl of oats to the next nutritional level.

• Protein

• Superfood powders

While ‘superfood’ is more of a marketing term than a nutritional definition, there are super-healthy powders you can add to your porridge to boost its health benefits and provide a flavour kick. Cacao powder is rich in polyphenols to reduce

CHOCOLATE ALMOND PORRIDGE WITH RASPBERRIES

inflammation and aid run recovery, and will taste great in your porridge. Green spirulina powder is one of the richest natural sources of antioxidants, and aids post-run recovery. Don’t be alarmed by the colour it turns your porridge!

• Healthy fats

Healthy fats are an essential part of your diet, providing slowrelease energy to fuel your run.

Adding them to your porridge is a great way to improve the nutrient density and taste of your breakfast. Try mixing in a tablespoon of coconut oil to add creaminess and provide lauric acid, which is understood to decrease brain inflammation. Nuts and nut butters are also great in porridge. Almond butter, for

70g oats 1 cup unsweetened almond milk 2 tablespoons Wazoogles Peanut Butterlicious

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example, is a source of vitamin E, phosphorus and magnesium. Or top with a tablespoon of seeds, such as flax, chia or hemp seeds, for a fish-free omega-3 boost.

Protein Blend 1 tsp cacao powder 1 tbsp almond butter Topping: Handful of raspberries 1 tbsp cacao nibs

Kim Pearson is a qualified nutritionist, with more than 12 years experience. Web: kim-pearson.com; Twitter & Instagram: @kimmypearson

• Fruit

A sliced banana on your porridge is a classic, but switch it for a handful of berries for an even healthier sweet treat.

Strawberries, blackberries and other berries contain antioxidants that have anti-inflammatory effects, providing a range of health benefits and helping to counteract damaging free radicals produced while running.

Heat the oats with almond milk in a pan over a mediumto-high heat. After 2-3 mins, as the oats start to bubble, reduce the heat and add the

protein powder, cacao powder and nut butter. Stir well. Once cooked, remove from the heat, pour into a bowl and top with raspberries and cacao nibs.

P H OTO G R A P H : M I K E F I N C H / S T Y L I N G : A L A N A M U N N I K

Oats contain a small amount of protein, but adding a protein powder to your porridge is the best way to transform your breakfast into a nutritionally complete meal. Protein is crucial for runners, because muscles are largely made up of protein (actin and myosin). Including enough in your diet is vital for recovering from runs and building muscle to improve performance, so adding some to your pre-run or post-run porridge is a great move. Try a naturally flavoured option such as Wazoogles Peanut Butterlicious or Unicorn Berry Superfood Protein Blend (R320 for 500g, wazoogles. com).

PARTNER CONTENT

Recovery Done Right To replenish glycogen stores, repair damaged muscles and stimulate recovery, it’s important to consume the right protein-rich foods after a workout.

“Consuming protein after a workout, whether it’s some peanut butter or a protein meal solution, is a great way to help your body and muscles recover,” says Arthur Ramoroka, corporate nutritionist at Tiger Brands. “This is not only true for fitness enthusiasts working towards a goal, but also for those just wanting to lead a healthy lifestyle.”

“An easy post-workout meal solution that tastes great and is convenient to prepare.”

That’s why easy-to-make, healthy meal options have always been a priority for Jungle. Foods like Jungle Plus – a multi-grain, high-protein porridge – offer an easy post-workout meal solution that tastes great and is convenient to prepare. The protein contributes to the maintenance and growth of muscle mass and the supply of energy to fuel your body.

And post-workout meals don’t have to be timeconsuming. With Jungle Plus, you have the option to enjoy in a shaker with some water or milk – or add a scoop to your breakfast smoothie. Good recovery is as easy as that.

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RUNNER’S WORLD 37

TEST ZONE FROM VIBRATIONS IN YOUR SKULL, TO STATISTICS ABOUT YOUR FEET.

ButtaNut Milk (Almond, Macadamia or Oat)

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R39.95 per litre / buttanut.co.za

Cow’s milk for humans is not as popular as it once was. The creamy, sweet taste of these nut- and oat-based milks mean you won’t miss the animal version at all.

Our testers were pleasantly surprised at the subtle sweetness, and inspected the ingredients for added sugars and gums; but were happy to discover that both the delicious flavour (especially the almond milk) and the creamy texture are the result of adding natural oats as part of the process.

We can also be proud that all the almonds are locally harvested from the Klein Karoo, and all the macadamias are from Mpumalanga.

E

Head to Toe Aftershokz Open Move R 2 499 / iStore

It’s like a little piece of magic. But in fact, listening to your music, podcasts, app feedback and phonecalls through the bones of your head is actually making use of an impressive natural ability your skull already has: bone induction. Aftershokz have harnessed this biological marvel and added a transducer to give the best balance, volume and bass.

Nothing covers your ear, and nothing goes inside your ear – leaving you fully aware of your surroundings, and safer for it. The promised six-hour battery life took care of our tester’s Spotify playlist (twice, back to back); and at 29 grams, the Open Move is light and comfortable enough never to cause any issues.

Wahoo Elemnt Rival GPS Watch R8 999 / sportsmanswarehouse.co.za

As watch tech has improved, the amount of data made available to you has become overwhelming. So the idea behind this data-capturing watch from Wahoo was to make your experience of it really simple – you don’t want to spend all your attention on watch functionality when you should be focusing on your run.

The 240x240 resolution with 64-colour LCD display is customisable, too, which makes the screen easy to glance at in a variety of conditions. The free app for your phone is where you can set up your profiles – and unlike many other manufacturers, Wahoo invites you to link your watch to other fitness apps and wireless sensors, outside of their own brand.

Craft CTM Ultra Carbon Shoes craf tsportswear.com

Swedish brand Craft’s 292-gram CTM Ultra Carbon running shoe could easily pass unnoticed among a herd of zebra. Although not available in South Africa, the shoes are making a black-and-white splash around the world.

Designed for fast running, the shoes are hand-dyed with a unique process that applies artwork to the entire shoe in one pass. As a result of this artisanal method, every single shoe has a unique pattern – just like our own zebras.

Structurally, the shoe is a high-performance model designed for both road and light trail running. But quite frankly, we’d buy it just for the looks we’d get while wearing it.

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RUNNER’S WORLD 39

WHAT WE WEAR

COOL HEAD SOLLY MAL ATSI, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT AND CANDIDATE FOR PROVINCIAL

LEADER OF LIMPOPO, DOESN’T START A RUN WITHOUT HIS TRUSTY CAP.

THREE STYLES BEYOND THE NORM

SOLLY’S ASICS LIGHTWEIGHT RUNNING CAP R239 / TAKEALOT.COM

The North Face Trucker Cap / R399 One tester uses the extra bulkiness and added weight of the trucker cap to wear hers loosely. The cap's own weight keeps it in place, without having to tighten up too much; so you don’t feel a lot of pressure around the brow. driftersshop.co.za

for me it’s definitely my cap. It’s something I’ve become attached to over time.

“Initially it was just for the comfort of beating the early-morning sunrise, but now it’s evolved into an essential piece of gear for my runs. I kind of feel naked running without one, regardless of the weather.

“At every race, be it Comrades or Two Oceans, putting on my cap marks the final piece of the puzzle before take-off. That brief moment of adjusting the cap reinforces my will to conquer the big challenge ahead.”

KEEPING COMFORTABLE

Whether you’re going for a light jog in the rain or a longer run on a hot, sunny day, the best way to keep

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Hat Tips

• Like a bicycle saddle, a running cap is best once it’s ‘worn in’.

• Comfort is key; so if the cap doesn’t feel just right, adjust or buy a new one.

yourself feeling comfortable is by throwing on a running hat. They keep the elements – rain, sun and wind – out of your eyes, and they’re also designed to wick away moisture and stop sweat from dripping down and impairing your vision.

Just like Solly, professional runners keep a running hat as a part of their signature look. Plus, a lot of running hats have built-in UPF protection, so the sun won’t damage your skin.

For longer-haired runners, especially those with bangs or hair too short to pull back, running hats serve double duty – moving moisture, but also keeping strands and flyaways from distracting you mid-stride. A running headband will also work wonders.

Because the last thing you need is to have to stop and sort out your hair.

Ciele GoCap Birkenhead / R800 The iconic soft-brim running cap, now available in South Africa, with UPF+40 protection on the brim, front panel and back panel. The multipanel construction allows for a sleek, comfortable fit. And the soft, bendable brim and reflective accents are bonus features that both roadies and trail runners will appreciate. flatmountainliving.com

P H OTO G R A P H S : I N S TAG R A M | M I K E F I N C H

“WHEN IT COMES TO A CAN’T-DOWITHOUT-IT ITEM of running gear,

Salomon XA Cap II / R259 The Legionnaire’s Hat – named for its origins, when it was employed by the French Foreign Legion in desert conditions – is an underused but worthwhile option for extreme weather conditions. A protective neck flap to keep the heat out is something more runners could benefit from; and it’s so lightweight, you quickly forget it’s there. salomonsports.co.za

IIII T H E U L T I M A T E R U N N I N G W E I G H T- L O S S P L A N IIII

, N A E L & G N O STR D E T A V MOTI !

S K E E W IN JUS T 12 BLE // A C H I E V A G N TRAINI ES SCHEDUL TE MEAL // C O M P L E E L O P E D V PLANS DE DING A E L BY NS DIETICIA TH// S T R E N G T O TRAINING RE BUILD MO MUSCLE

S TA R T T OD AY !

D. V IS IT R U N N E R S W O R L C O .Z A /R U N IT O F F

IS G N U P N O W A N D G E T

!

F F O % 20

‘SMASH2021’ E D O C O M O R P E US

EXPERT T R A IN IN G A N D N U T R IT IO N A L A D V IC E

PEANUT BUTTER DEVOTEE DECADE-LONG HEALTH/FITNESS REPORTER AND EDITOR; 15X HALF-MARATHONER

SAMANTHA LEFAVE

GO -T O RUNNING SHOE S ASICS DY NAFLY TE 4

A D V ICE F OR RUNNE RS W HO R IDE DON’ T UNDERESTIMATE THE TR AINING POWER OF A SOLIDLY PROGR AMMED RIDE .

HOW TO RIDE YOUR WAY TO A STRONGER RUN WHEN TONY CHIN, 50, HAD BACK SURGERY IN 2017 ,

he had already stopped training for races, thanks to an arthritic back and knees.

Craving the cheers of a crowd and the thrill of a racing clock, he talked to his doctor about a training plan that would help his back heal and prep him for a return to the road that would last for years to come.

His doc’s solution: an indoor bike.

As a big fan of low-impact cross-training, Chin’s doctor had him running just twice per week – once on a track, and a weekend long run – and pedalling through five workouts on a Peloton while training for the 2019 California International Marathon.

42 RUNNER’S WORLD ISSUE 3

• 2021

FAV OUR I T E WAY T O CROSS -T R A IN CYCLING AND HIK ING

INDOOR C Y CL ING E SSE N T I A L PEARL IZUMI QUEST STUDIO SHOES + LULULEMON FAST AND FREE TIGHTS

E X E RCISE P HIL OSOP H Y SHOW UP, WORK HARD, AND DO WHAT MAK ES YOU FEEL GOOD.

“Indoor cycling helped me replicate the same cardio workout I needed from running in a low-impact way,” Chin says. Come race day, he crossed the finish line 15 minutes faster than in the five other marathons he had completed. “I could ride any time of day, lost 12 kilos, and I felt the best I had in years.”

Chin isn’t the only one swapping his running shoes for cycling cleats. In the six months following March 2020, year-to-date sales of at-home fitness equipment increased to nearly 300 per cent of those from the prior 15 months, according to data research and analytics firm M Science, and Peloton reported a membership increase of 1.6 million since May 2020. Here’s how you, too, can get in on the indoor action.

• Why runners should ride inside As Chin learned himself, hopping in the saddle boosts your aerobic fitness without the impact of running, explains Meghan Kennihan, certified personal trainer and running and cycling coach in La Grange, Illinois. It also works complementary muscle groups – more quads and glutes in cycling; hamstrings and calves in running – so you build muscular strength and fix imbalances, reducing your risk of injury.

Of course, you can get all those benefits from an outdoor ride, but when you move indoors, you also eliminate some risk. “[A lot of ] things can happen outside; your head has to be on a swivel looking for cars, people, dogs. Riding indoors removes all that,” says Matt Wilpers, certified personal trainer and

Peloton Bike and Tread instructor.

Taking a virtual class is a bit like running on the treadmill: it puts all your metrics in front of you. Having that allows trainers to get very granular with athletes. “It’s basically like having someone in a laboratory with all the variables isolated,” Wilpers says. “When that happens, we can get really specific with training, giving us the ability to get very specific results.” And if there’s a leaderboard (à la Peloton’s popular class structure, or Apple’s Fitness+ Burn Bar), there’s a burst of extra motivation to compete.

Plus, as everyone around you battles for a slice of your time, there’s the convenience of being able to squeeze in a more intense workout in a shorter period. Unlike riding outdoors, “you don’t have to wait for a hill, you just change the tension,” Kennihan says. “You don’t have to slow down for traffic lights or coast on a downhill. You can do short sprints in or out of the saddle to spike your heart rate and build speed.”

• How to rework your routine To best incorporate riding into a running plan, Wilpers operates by one golden rule: all your

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T R A INING

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quality workouts should be in your sport of choice. So if you’re training for a race, you need to clock those important workouts – the speed sessions, the long runs – on your feet, rather than in the saddle.

Wilpers says those moments aren’t just improving your fitness; they’re also building the biomechanics of running fast. So cycling should be supplemental, helping to build volume and base work at a low intensity. An easy strategy is to replace recovery runs and easy runs with indoor cycling sessions.

But few rides should be arduous climbs up virtual mountains. “I always tell runners: cadence high, and resistance low,” Wilpers says. “When you do that, you’re putting more work on your cardiovascular system, which is what you want to develop as a runner on the bike, versus muscular strain and stress.”

If you did the opposite, you’d build more biomechanical efficiencies for cycling, which is not the end goal.

The exception: injury-prone runners like Chin. Given his arthritic back and knees, the emphasis on indoor cycling – and choosing the right classes throughout his training – allowed him to get aggressive on the bike

in a way he couldn’t on the road, in turn improving his running while minimising the risk of further injury. Peloton’s Power Zone and Heart Rate Endurance rides, for example, helped him maintain a sustainable heart-rate zone similar to his running, while the HIIT and Climb classes built strength and power to tick the kays off faster.

Because indoor cycling workouts are lower impact, but can be higher intensity, start slowly and build up your endurance. If you’re used to running for an hour, don’t jump right into a 60-minute cycling session. Start with a 30-minute ride to see how it feels. You’ll need to give your body and mind time to adjust to the new modality. Over time, you can make small increases to your ride time, the same way you slowly build up your weekly mileage when training for a race.

Keep in mind this really only applies if you’re training. If you’re simply running and riding to avoid injury and maintain both your physical and mental health, Kennihan says your main focus should be fun. “What kind of rides do you enjoy? Hills? Intervals? Mix it up and find the rides that are most exciting for you.”

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ISSUE 3

• 2021

RUNNER’S WORLD 43

DON’T STOP! RUNNER’S WORLD COACH, STRENGTH COACH, OVERALL BADASS

JESS MOVOLD

M Y FAV E PA R T OF T HE RUN WHEN I FIND M Y GROOVE AND SE T TLE IN

I NE E D M Y RUNNING BUDDIE S T O . . .

BRING THE GOOD VIBES. AND K NOW WHEN TO TALK , AND WHEN TO JUST CRUISE .

L ONG RUN OR SP E E D W OR K ?

SPEEDWORK

F R E NE M Y W OR K OU T DE ADLIF TS AND LONG TEMPOS

SC A R IE S T RUNNING GO A L 5K SUB19, AND MAR ATHON SUB-3 HOURS

DO YOUR KAYS FEEL AIMLESS? LET’S BUILD A TRAINING PLAN!

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• 2021

run faster. Some may even do both.

If you’re stuck in a running rut, I want you to start by asking yourself one thing right now: do you want to run faster? Or do you want to run longer?

Excellent. Now, let’s build a plan that will help do just that – no race required.

I like to joke that training plans are like cheap takeaways: the same basic ingredients make up several different dishes. (And as with cheap takeaways, if you mix-and-match incorrectly, your body pays a price.) So, there are four simple running ingredients that make up a variety of different plans. Here’s a primer on each one, why they’re essential, and a monthlong plan for running with purpose. Let’s go! → The Easy Run / It makes up the majority of a training plan. You should do it at a conversational pace, or 1:00 to 1:30 minutesper-km slower than your 5K PB pace. These kays still help build up your aerobic system, without the intensity of the other workouts.

Easy runs can be anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, depending on your typical mileage.

They should leave you feeling fresh, relaxed, and ready for more intense training ahead.

→ The Tempo Run / This is a faster and sustained effort over a set period of time.

The goal here is to push to the upper limit of your aerobic system without crossing your anaerobic threshold, where you start building up lactate faster than you can clear it. This is typically between your 10K and half-marathon race pace, or about 20 seconds-per-km slower than your 5K race pace. These runs are not as conversational as an easy, aerobic run, but they’re not max effort, either. Mixing in a 20- to 45-minute run at threshold pace once a week is a staple of any good training plan. These efforts can be intimidating, mentally daunting, and easy to skip. I encourage you to embrace them.

Even with no race on the calendar, they help you mentally navigate tough workouts. → Intervals / Essential to developing speed, intervals come in all shapes and sizes: on hills, on a track, or out on the roads or trails.

They are typically 1:00 to 3:00 minutes long, and range from 90 to 95 per cent of your max heart rate. That can be equivalent to your 5K PB pace or even faster. If you can hold a conversation while running intervals, you’re

P H OTO G R A P H : P E X E L S / R F S T U D I O

A few weeks ago, one of the runners I coach contacted me. She felt discouraged. Her running was unstructured, inconsistent, and, she felt, pointless. She genuinely loves running; she just felt stuck. Like most of us, she’s had no races to train for.

I estimate 99 per cent of the runners I coach only follow a training plan if there’s a race at the end of it. In the Before Covid Times, this was fine. They’d train, race, and recover – then repeat.

But it’s been a year without most major running events, so I imagine you too have felt similarly discouraged.

But here’s my little secret: you don’t need a race to follow a training plan! Races don’t have to dictate your training. Plans serve many objectives, and you can simply follow one to bring purpose, satisfaction and improvement back to your running life.

I have built hundreds of specific training plans, to meet goals from finishing a first 5K to a sub-2:45 marathon. No matter what the experience of the runner, weekly mileage level, or intensity of the workouts, all plans have one of two things in common: either they train you to run longer, or they train you to

T R A INING

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

WEEK 1

• 30-40 minutes

• 20-minute warm-up, 8-12 x 400m with 90-second recovery, 20-minute cool-down

• 40 minutes

• 15-minute warm-up, 15-minute tempo, 15-minute cool-down

• Rest, or 30 minutes

• 90 minutes

• Rest

WEEK 2

• 30-40 minutes

• 20-minute warm-up, 4-6 x 800m with 2-minute recovery, 20-minute cool-down

• 40 minutes

• 15-minute warm-up, 4 x 5-minute tempo with 1-minute jog recovery, 15-minute cool-down

• Rest, or 35 minutes

• 90 minutes

• Rest

WEEK 3

• 35-45 minutes

• 20-minute warm-up, 10 x 2 minutes hard with 2-minute recovery, 20-minute cool-down

• 50 minutes

• 15-minute warm-up, 3km tempo, 5minute jog recovery, 2km tempo, 15-minute cool-down

• Rest, or 40 • 110 minutes minutes

• Rest

WEEK 4

ONE MONTH TO RUN WITH PURPOSE MONDAY

• 30-40 minutes

• 20-minute warm-up, 3 x 400m, 800m, 1200m, 2-minute recovery for all, 20-minute cool-down

• 50 minutes

• 15-minute warm-up, 2 x 10-minute tempo with 5-minute jog recovery, 15-minute cool-down

• Rest, or 40 • 110 minutes • Rest minutes

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

(long run)

(rest)

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

WEEK 1

(easy)

• 20-30 minutes

• 30-40 minutes

• 60 minutes

• Rest

• 30 minutes

• 90 minutes

• Rest

WEEK 2

(tempo)

• 20-30 minutes

• 30-40 minutes

• 60 minutes

• Rest

• 30 minutes

• 100 minutes

• Rest

WEEK 3

RUN LONGER

→ The Long Run / My personal favourite, the long run should be done at the same intensity as your easy run (conversational, 70 per cent of your maximum heart rate), but – you guessed it – longer! An effective long run should be at least 60 minutes, and up to three hours if you’re training for a marathon or you’re deeper into your training plan. The 90-minute mark is vital, because that’s roughly the point at which you’ve

(easy)

MONDAY

• 20-30 minutes

• 30-40 minutes

• 70 minutes

• Rest

• 30 minutes

• 110 minutes

• Rest

• 20-30 minutes

• 30-40 minutes

• 70 minutes

• Rest

• 30 minutes

• 120 minutes

• Rest

(easy)

not going hard enough! Intervals are crucial in every training plan for which the goal is to build speed, whether you’re training for 1 600m or a marathon. Make sure you warm up well before any interval workout, and do a proper cool-down afterwards.

(interval)

WEEK 4

RUN FASTER

(easy)

(easy)

(long)

depleted the glycogen stores your body uses for energy, and you must take in fuel or shift to burning fat. Training your body in that zone is the only way to improve your body’s lipid metabolism, meaning, you’ll become more efficient at burning fat over time. This is an essential tool for any distance runner to have in their arsenal, since (for most of us) a marathon and a half marathon take longer than 90 minutes to complete.

You have the ingredients. Now, let’s cook.

You’ll find the bones of two basic one-month plans above, aimed at the goal you picked.

Each follows a simple schedule. To run faster: each week, perform three easy runs, one interval workout, one tempo, one long

(rest)

(easy)

(long)

(rest)

run, and one rest day. To run longer: each week, perform three easy runs, two long runs, and two rest days. Increase your mileage by no more than 10 per cent week to week.

The plans above are designed for runners comfortable completing 30-plus kilometres a week and running for at least 60 minutes at a time. If you’re just starting out, feel free to cut back the running time and interval workouts by up to half, or have a look at our fantastic training plans for beginners on runnersworld.co.za/training.

Races are coming! We must be patient, but we’ll all be at a finish line again soon. For now, I hope you do one thing: find purpose in each and every kilometre.

ISSUE 3

• 2021

RUNNER’S WORLD 45

STRENGTH & STRIDES

GO -T O RUNNING SHOE SAUCON Y ENDORPHIN SPEED

FREELANCE WRITER, 10X MARATHONER

FOR SOME RUNNERS, LESS MILEAGE IS MORE In today’s age of social media and (virtual) group training, it’s hard not to notice that the majority of runners shaving down their marathon and half-marathon times are running a lot of kays in their race build-ups.

Many runners get caught up in the idea that in order to see gains, you have to do more – myself included.

At 33, I’ve run 10 marathons and more than 30 half marathons, with personal bests of 3:45 and 1:39 respectively. Along the way, I’ve experimented with varying levels of volume and intensity, often simply based on what I saw my running peers doing. Ironically, I had some of my worst marathon performances with high-​mileage training, feeling fatigued by the time I made it to the starting line.

In contrast, I’ve run my best marathon and half times with lower-mileage training.

Th i s le d m e t o won de r : c o u ld s om e runners just be better suited for lower-​ mileage training cycles?

Experts say yes. Running truly is an individualised sport, and the volume and intensity you’re better suited for to perform optimally can depend on fast-twitch and slowtwitch muscle-fibre predisposition.

A 2020 study in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that runners with more fast-twitch muscle fibres – which are better suited for short bursts of power – were more likely to suffer from short-term performance dips after periods of higher-volume training.

As a quick refresher, fast-twitch fibres have more powerful force, but fatigue quickly; slow-twitch fibres are less powerful, but more fatigue-resistant. Our muscles contain both types, but your personal ratio can vary

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• 2021

depending on factors such as genetics, muscle function, age, and training history.

“This shows that physiology can vary greatly between two athletes who seem the same on the surface in every way,” says David Roche, a US-based coach who – along with his wife, Megan – works with a wide range of recreational and elite runners. “So if you’re a fast-twitch athlete trying to push the same training as a slower-twitch athlete, it may have the opposite effect and actually make you slower, in the short term.”

In other words, for some runners, less truly is more.

The tricky part is that it’s hard to know what your specific muscle-fibre ratio is, and thus what type of athlete you are. Plug a recent 5K time into a race equivalency calculator, and compare it to your marathon results. If your 5K time suggests you can run a 3:59 marathon, but your best marathon time is 4:10, you may be stronger at shorter races that require more fast-twitch muscle fibres. But if your best marathon time is actually 3:50, you may have more slowtwitch fibres.

Also, consider your race history and the training approach you used to get there, Roche says. If you ran a 4:10 marathon with a high-mileage training plan, but clocked a 4:05 on a lower-peak plan, that’s valuable info.

Neither of these methods is foolproof, but they can help you estimate your strengths and where you fall on the spectrum.

Even professional long-distance runners can fall on different levels of the spectrum.

Nell Rojas, who placed ninth at the 2020 US Olympic Marathon Trials, is coached by her

T Y P IC A L W E E K LY MIL E A GE 55K M

CUR R E N T GO A L QUALIF Y ING FOR THE BOSTON MAR ATHON

F IN A L- K AY M A N T R A IT ’S SUPPOSED TO BE FUN; IT ’S JUST ANOTHER LONG RUN. FAV OUR I T E WAY T O R E CO V E R NOTHING BE T TER THAN A POSTLONG-RUN NAP. T R A INING P HIL OSOP H Y RUN FOR THE PERSONAL SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT, FOR YOURSELF AND NO ONE ELSE!

father, former professional runner Ric Rojas, who trains his athletes with the mantra ‘undertrain and overperform’. Before setting her PB of 2:28:06 at the 2019 Grandma’s Marathon, Rojas trained on a lower-volume plan in which she peaked at around 130km in a week (a stark contrast to the 190- to 210km weeks most elite marathoners complete).

“My dad has been coaching athletes for about 50 years, so he’s seen a lot of runners overtrain and then either not get to the line, barely get to the line, or not finish the race,” Rojas explains. “He understands that the most important thing is that you get to the line healthy and ready to run hard.”

• Lifestyle factors matter Hot tip from Rojas: most runners aren’t suited for higher mileage, simply because they aren’t elite athletes.

Professionals and elites work on mobility and activation before every run, stretch and foam-roll after, eat well, nap, then do it all over again, because pretty much everything in their lives revolves around running, she explains.

“The average person with a full-time job and family is likely to be stressed and not sleeping enough, and they’ll quickly see that trying to put in that much quality or volume just isn’t sustainable,” says Rojas.

Rebeka h Mayer, an athletics coach, agrees. Mayer has run three sub-3-hour marathons, two of which came after lower-

P H OTO G R A P H : P E X E L S / R F S T U D I O

EMILIA BENTON

T R A INING

mileage training cycles with a peak of 80km in a week. She credits her training decisions to life circumstances dictating what her body could handle. Before her first sub-3, Mayer didn’t have kids yet, and had the time to devote to building up to a 110km peak; but with the latter two PBs, she dealt with curveballs like a difficult pregnancy and a car accident. “ The a dju s t m e nt s i n t r a i n i n g f elt

addition to preventing injury and improving efficiency and form,” she explains.

Mayer agrees, saying strength training is essential for lower-mileage runners to stress their legs and build strength off the run. “Higher-mileage runners, on the other hand, are usually loading in a lot more hills and a higher volume, which means they’ll probably get most or all of the strength they need just from their run training,” she says.

The most important thing is that you get to the line healthy and ready to run hard. appropriate for where I was in my life,” she says. “A lot of it comes down to working within your lifestyle, and what your body can manage to do and still recover from.”

• Quality over quantity and comparison When it comes to creating lower-mileage training plans for her athletes, Mayer focuses on polarising their training, with two harder but longer-distance sessions per week and a recovery run the next day that’s shorter and very easy. Rojas, who coaches a range of athletes from high-school students to recreational and sub-elite runners, typically gets her clients to run four or five days per week with just one hard workout – anything from a threshold workout to 200m intervals – and one long run as the key quality sessions.

Rojas incorporates reg ular streng th workouts, too, which she credits as a key component of her own strong performances as an elite marathoner. “The purpose of strength work is to recruit more muscle fibres and produce more power in each stride, in

SIGNS YOU MIGH T BE OV ERTRAI NI NG , AND WHAT TO DO

Key signals that your body is craving more rest and recovery include: • heavy legs during easy runs • constant soreness, physical fatigue, or overuse injuries • burnout and mental fatigue • increased resting heart rate • decreased immunity • abnormal hunger responses and cravings • loss of menstruation in women.

Lower-mileage runners should also stay focused on their own training. Even seasoned runners struggle with second-​g uessing themselves around their peers. I know I did.

But I’ve come to learn that comparison is the thief of joy in both life and running.

Rojas, Mayer, and Roche all emphasise that it’s key to remember that social media only tells a small part of the picture. Breaking 1:40 in the half marathon was huge for me, and I spent a year and a half chipping away at that goal. The idea that I (or anyone like me) might not be considered a ‘real runner’ because I met my big goal by training at a much lower volume than my peers is absurd.

“We continually forget what works for us, get scared or insecure based on what we see others doing, and then fall into the same vicious cycle of injury or overtraining mistakes,” Rojas says. “I’ve had to learn that hard lesson of not comparing myself to other athletes over and over again, and remind myself that it’s about what works for me. I have to just trust the process.”

If you experience any of these, dial back your training and get more sleep. If symptoms persist, talk to your doctor, who can perform blood tests to check for hormonal irregularities and iron levels that give clues for a diagnosis. The most common issues are nutritional – like not taking in enough kilojoules for athletic expenditure – and can be fixed with a smart nutrition plan, or working with a sports nutritionist.

– Dr Jordan Metzl

ISSUE 3

• 2021

RUNNER’S WORLD 47

THERE’S THE RUB The complete story of our long and painful war with that ancient enemy – the blister – and how we might be able to win it for good.

BLISTERS UNCOVERED

IN OCTOBER 1982, LARS BACKSELL WAS SITTING ON A TRAIN FROM STOCKHOLM TO GOTHENBURG.

Words: Simon Akam

T H E 2 8 -Y E A R - O L D, who worked for medical-device firm Coloplast, was a runner; and he often developed blisters.

“I had tried almost everything with Band-Aids,” he recalls. “But even with the most careful preparation, that simply wasn’t good enough.”

Coloplast had diversified from abdominal-surgery and incontinence products to making dressings for wound care. Comfeel was a ‘hydrocolloid’, a newly developed substance that could absorb liquid without losing flexibility or adhesiveness. Backsell had experimented with putting Comfeel on his heels when he ran, and found it reduced blistering.

Now, on the train, he found himself sitting next to a medic who worked for the Swedish army.

The two discussed the problems the military experienced with blisters. “I took the chance to sell the concept of trying my idea on soldiers,” Backsell remembers, and they agreed to run a test.

Two weeks later, in Gothenburg, Backsell and the nurse put Comfeel – framed with Elastoplast tape – on the heels of 25 soldiers. A control group had ordinary Band-Aid plasters. A third group wore no protection.

Backsell set up an aid station in a forest, along the soldiers’ planned march route. “I had never seen so many ugly feet – and never smelt such a smell,” he recalls. Soldiers not protected in advance were treated with Comfeel for the rest of their march. Backsell says the result was overwhelming. Everyone who tried Comfeel (preventive, or after developing blisters) was able to continue without problems.

Backsell put the used ‘bandages’ in a shoebox. He phoned Folmer Halskov, the president of Coloplast in Denmark, to explain that he had a product idea. A week later, Backsell entered the president’s office with the shoebox of used bandages…

This story tells you everything you ever wished to know about the runner’s eternal nemesis – the blister. From here, we will see how attempts to avoid them have varied over centuries. We’ll explore

Illustrations: Joe Waldron ISSUE 3

• 2021

RUNNER’S WORLD 49

the physiology of their formation and outline the thinking on prevention. And we will show how the latter, in popular imagination and clinical reality, has failed to correspond to the former. As Rebecca Rushton, a podiatrist who specialises in blisters, says, “Blister management is in a terrible state.

Everyone’s doing different things.”

Today, numerous products claim to prevent or treat blisters. And there are many to treat – one pharmaceutical company found that approximately one in four people suffer from a blister each year. Meanwhile, blister incidence during marathons is as high as 39 per cent.

Folklore surrounds best practice to prevent blisters. But the range of approaches also shows none is truly effective. “When there’s a bunch of different treatments out there, it means nothing probably really works,” explains Dr Martin Hoffman, professor at the University of California’s medical school, who has published research on blisters.

However, we may be in a better position today to handle blisters than ever before.

LESSONS FROM BLISTERY

→ O U R Q U E S T T O AVO I D blistering is a long

one. In September 1991, two tourists found a frozen body on a mountain on the AustrianItalian border. Investigations revealed that the corpse, christened Ötzi, lived between 3350 and 3000BC. Researchers probed Ötzi’s diet, cause of death and clothing. Czech academic Petr Hlaváček looked at his feet.

Hlaváček, who had once retrospectively diagnosed a 17th-century Austrian general with syphilis from the uneven wear patterns on his boots, reconstructed Ötzi’s shoes. The leather on the sole came from a bear; deer hide formed the upper; straw served as insulation, and moss as lining.

Hlaváček persuaded Czech Alpinist Vaclav Patek to test his replica Ötzi-shoes in the Alps; and he also found the peak pressure points of Ötzi’s footwear to be half as high as in modern hiking boots and 75 per cent lower than in running shoes. “It is a miracle,” said Hlaváček in 2005. “In these shoes, you can practically not obtain the blisters.” Unfortunately, the need to regularly replace the moss lining limited commercial opportunities for Ötzi-shoes.

Three millennia after Ötzi’s death, a Roman soldier on Hadrian’s Wall received a package. “I have sent you ... pairs of socks from Sattua, two pairs of sandals and two pairs of underpants,” reads an accompanying message. Roman soldiers wore leather sandals called caligae, with straps designed to avoid rubbing certain parts of the feet.

But, as the sock delivery showed, sandals alone were not ideal for chilly climates.

Later Romans wore an enclosed boot, termed by archaeologists the ‘Ramshaw style’. As with Ötzi’s footwear, ancient

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BLISTERS UNCOVERED

ROAMIN’ ROMANS They came, they saw, and they were conquered – by the runner’s oldest enemy.

technology was not necessarily inferior to modern. In 2004, 12 students attempted to march across the Alps dressed in Roman apparel. Five of the 12 switched to modern footwear, but the others stuck with the Ramshaws. “Surprisingly, the Ramshaws caused fewer blisters than the modern boots,” wrote Florian Himmler, the academic who organised the trial, in the Journal of Roman Equipment Military Studies in 2008.

By the First World War, the management of blisters was still a key part of military life.

Officer-poet Siegfried Sassoon recorded the ritual in startling verse: Those stupid, trustful eyes stare up at me.

Yet, while I stoop to Morgan’s blistered toes And ask about his boots, he never knows How glad I’d be to die, if dying could set him free From battles.

During the Second World War, the management of soldiers’ feet became the target of intense research. You can still buy, on darker corners of the internet, unused, foil-wrapped cakes labelled Hirschtalg, which were issued to German troops.

Literally translated as ‘deer tallow’, Hirschtalg is a preparation, indeed made from animal fat, long used to treat feet in Germany. (Today it comes in tubes, courtesy of Scholl).

The global nadir of blister work, though, came at Sachsenhausen concentration camp, north of Berlin.

Sachsenhausen, which came to hold over 200 000 people, had a ‘Shoe-walking unit’ with a 700m track made of concrete, cinder path, loose sand, mud, chippings, coarsely gravelled path and cobbles.

As author Norman Ohler explained, “This was designed to provide a cross-section of all the roads in Europe that German soldiers walked on during their campaigns.”

The unit assessed alternative materials to construct boots; inmates were forced to walk the track in trial footwear that was sometimes deliberately ill- fitting. Up to 20 people died on the track each day.

polythene and silver to rub study subjects’ skin to create them.

Naylor found variation in how long the same rubbing motion took to raise a blister in candidates (i.e. some people are more blister-prone than others). He also identified the role played by friction, the resistance that one surface encounters moving over another, rather than just the pressure the perpendicular force applies to a surface.

“There is an inverse relationship between the frictional force and the number of rubs required to produce a blister,” he wrote.

“Factors which increase the coefficient of friction [CoF], such as moisture, reduce the number of rubs which the skin can withstand.

Factors which decrease the coefficient of friction, such as grease or powdered talc, increase the number of rubs which the skin could withstand.”

Naylor’s work was continued on the other side of the Atlantic by Marion B. Sulzberger.

Born in New York, Sulzberger studied dermatology in Switzerland, and spent the Second World War studying, among other subjects, the impact of chemical weapons on human skin. Post-war, Sulzberger turned his energies to blisters. From 1964 to 1970, in the words of his fellow dermatologist William Akers (inventor of the SPF scale for sun cream), Sulzberger “mounted a scientific assault against this plebian [sic] disease”.

Sulzberger also blistered human subjects with rubbing machines – refining Naylor’s apparatus so he could determine when blisters began to form while rubbing was still in process. His research found that dry and ‘flooded’ skin produced less friction than moist skin. He determined that despite vigorous rubbing, the temperature in the skin never rose more than 3.5°C, so friction blisters are not a burn. He also determined that blister formation took place within the skin, not on the surface. “It is the differential movement of the upper layers to-and-fro over the lower ones which produces the shearing effect between the more superficial and the deeper epidermal structures,” he wrote in 1972.

Sulzberger saw his work on blisters as part of a wider theory he termed ‘Idiophylaxis’, which held that, via vaccines and other biotechnology, the US could create supersoldiers to prevail against communism. Still, despite the element of mad Cold War pseudo-science, Naylor and Sulzberger laid the foundation for a scientific understanding of blister formation that still largely holds.

Research in the last 40 years led to more nuance. A study on US army officer cadets in 1999 found that the skin of black Americans

BLISTER INCIDENCE DURING MARATHONS IS AS HIGH AS 39%

SCIENCE FRICTION

→ B L I S T E R R E S E A R C H N E V E R again plumbed

such depths, but experimentation continued.

Conducted without the approvals required today, some studies were alarming.

The first robust investigation of blister formation in a controlled environment came in the 1950s. At the British army’s Operational Research Group at Byfleet in Surrey, Dr Paul Naylor developed an interest in blisters. He went on to use mechanised heads made of

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was less likely to blister than that of Caucasian, Asian or Hispanic Americans. Other rubbing experiments found skin temperatures as high as 50C, but that did not change Sulzberger’s finding that blisters do not resemble seconddegree burns. Another US army study found that the use of an antiperspirant solution on feet for five nights before a 21km march more than halved blister occurrence. However, the chemical used, aluminium chloride hexahydrate, also caused significant problems with skin irritation.

Despite these advances, the heart of the matter remains as Naylor and Sulzberger showed: blisters aren’t just caused by pressure; a second critical factor is repeated friction forces, causing internal shear within the skin. A shear force is produced where there is a lateral friction force across a surface.

“Pressure does contribute directly to damaging stresses, but it’s wrong to think of it in the absence of friction-induced shear,” explains Marty Carlson, who designs orthopaedic and rehabilitation equipment. To envisage this, place a finger on the back of your hand, apply pressure, and move it from side to side. The finger stays on the same piece of skin. There is no movement between skin and finger. Yet the skin itself stretches. That is shear.

These forces, repeated many times, create a ‘fatigue effect’. At points in the running-gait cycle, shear forces peak on vulnerable, usually bony, areas of the foot. After a certain duration of activity, the damage caused by each shear cycle increases. And blisters appear.

To understand more about the how, why and where of the blistering process, you need to know that the epidermis – the outer part of your skin – has four layers. From the surface down these are the corneum, granulosum, spinosum, and finally, the basale, where skin cells generate.

Shear forces cause clefts in the spinosum layer, which is why calluses on the surface don’t protect you. “People think that if we build up calluses, we’re not going to get blisters,” says Rebecca Rushton. “That assumes it’s a superficial-to-deep wear injury.

But it’s not. It’s a shearing of the internal skin layers that is the actual cause of the blister damage. So calluses have no impact.”

(However, there is evidence that, given a sustainable amount of use, skin can become more resistant to blistering over time.)

Friction blisters occur mostly on plantar or palmar skin, found on the base of the foot or the palms of the hands. The reason blisters

form on plantar skin is that plantar’s upper two layers are tougher. On the forearm or torso, all layers of the epidermis fracture at roughly the same rate, so an abrasion will form – and eventually scab over – rather than a hollow blister with a ‘roof’. On palms or feet, the outer layers stay intact while the underlying cleft forms. That fills with clear serous fluid – there are no blood vessels in the epidermis. Hence the fluid-filled form of the blister.

This role of shear and friction in blister formation is accepted in the scientific literature. But the broader medical establishment – and us runners – have yet to catch up.

In his boss’s office north of Copenhagen, in spring 1983, Lars Backsell opened the shoebox containing the bandages. A stench emerged.

“Either he likes it, or I will get fired for having moved totally outside my job description,” he remembers thinking. The boss said he would consider the idea.

Three days later, he phoned Backsell and asked him to form a team to see what Coloplast could do in the ‘sports consumer business’. They hand-sewed the first plasters, adding polymer backing to the hydrocolloid. When it came to naming the new product, Backsell’s team wavered between two options: Achilles or Compeed.

They settled on the latter.

In 1984, Backsell took an early iteration to the Swedish ski resort of Åre. He handed Compeed to sports shops for free to see if they sold. The test price was 10 Swedish kronor, which today would be about 25 kronor, or R40.

They were a success. An article in Apoteket, the journal of the Swedish pharmacy industry, was the breakout. In 1984-85, Compeed sales for Coloplast were around 40-50 million Danish kroner (the Danish currency is spelled differently). That is roughly 88-109 million kroner in today’s values, equivalent to R205-253 million. Given they were not selling direct to individuals, the consumer market was considerably larger, around 150-200 million Danish kroner. That is around 328-438 million kroner today, or R763-1 018 million. Johnson & Johnson acquired Compeed from Coloplast in 2002 and held it for 15 years, before selling it to Paris-based firm HRA Pharma in a 2017 deal estimated to be worth more than €100 million (R1.7 trillion).

Compeed is now the world’s leading antiblister brand. While much of its marketing still concentrates on sport, the manufacturers have also found that women buy them for ill-fitting formal shoes. “This has prompted a

IT FEELS LIKE THE BOTTOM OF MY FOOT IS ONE BIG BLISTER

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lot of work making the bandages as discreet as possible,” explains Tune Bjarke Bonné, a physicist who works for Coloplast.

Compeed, with its carefully designed backing and aesthetic clamshell cases, is as elegant as it is dominant. However, in the world’s most intense laboratory for blister treatment, it is disregarded…

PEAK FORCE

→ THE MILE 55 AID station in the Western States Endurance run – the original 100-mile (160km) ultra – is a collection of tents at Michigan Bluff, high in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains. Over the past decade, two individuals have provided footcare at mile 55.

One is John Vonhof, an American runner, former paramedic, and emergency room and orthopaedic technician whose book Fixing Your Feet is now in its sixth edition. His

BLISTERS UNCOVERED partner is Tonya Olson, who is a Floridabased physiotherapist, ultrarunner and footcare specialist.

The race starts at 5am and the leaders reach mile 55 by early afternoon. These are elite pros, and their well-acclimatised feet experience few problems. “They’re not out there as long,” says Olson.

The carnage comes later. Blisters are common on toes, heels and the sides and balls of the feet. In extreme circumstances, Vonhof and Olson see complete ‘delamination’ of the sole, with the top layer of the epidermis coming fully away from tissue below it. “They’ll say it feels like the bottom of my foot is one big blister, or the ball of my foot is on fire,” Olson explains. ‘You can touch the skin on the bottom of the foot and wiggle it.’

Olson and Vonhof’s weapon of choice is kinesiology tape, which has a two-way

stretch and shapes to the contours of toes and feet. In cases of delamination, they tape over the compromised tissue, making sure to smooth the skin and ensure that the tape edges won’t rub on the sock or shoe. If the damage is on the heel, they tape from there to the midfoot. This treatment generally enables athletes to carry on running. When it comes to toes, Vonhof and Olson tape first from the bottom to the top of each toe. Then they overlap that with another strip from side to side, to avoid the edges of the tape rubbing on neighbouring toes. A butterfly shape can be used to tape in between toes.

They ignore Compeed. “It’s horrific for endurance events, because it attracts water [and] balls up,” says Olson. “Compeed is made to be placed on top of a blister and to stay there until that blister, the skin underneath the blister, has healed enough to

SMELLS LIKE SUCCESS The unlikely beginnings of an industry eventually worth trillions.

be exposed to the air and not be painful. It is not created to withstand the stresses and frictions of being inside a shoe in an endurance event.”

When they encounter athletes who have applied Compeed themselves, it tends to have become a gelatinous ball that’s almost impossible to remove. “I have to cut around that, and now we have a higher friction point over the damaged skin and we have to just do damage control,” says Olson. She will only apply Compeed at the end of a race; then it has a chance of staying on long enough to permit healing.

Both Tune Bjarke Bonné, the current Compeed developer, and Lars Backsell, its creator, push back at the notion that attempts to remove Compeed can rip off skin. “I have not heard about that,” the former says, adding that, “It’s all a question of how much force you’re putting on, of course.” Backsell acknowledges the saturation issue – pointing out that Compeed can absorb 11 times its own weight in water. It can “get sort of attached to the sock”, he says. Yet, Backsell suggests, if you “frame it with Band-Aid”, it becomes more resilient for long events.

Elsewhere in ultrarunning, the rejection of Compeed seems universal, but treatment varies greatly. Marathon des Sables runners are advised to buy oversized shoes to accommodate dressings and swollen feet, and to use gaiters to keep sand out. They are also counselled to prepare feet in advance.

Starting six months before the race, options include either a mixture of 60 per cent alcohol, camphor and formalin, lemon juice or a commercially available hardening solution such as Akileïne Tano. For the last month, an ‘anti-chafing’ cream such as NOK or Pédirelax is recommended.

Each evening of the six-day Sahara event a mini-clinic springs up. Runners wait for the medics with their feet in baths of disinfectant.

“The first two days are OK – just small blisters on toes or under the sole,” says Alice Gavet, a French doctor who has served on the medical team at the MdS. “The real problems start on the third and fourth days.” In the case of severe blistering, the medics take a syringe loaded with eosine, pierce the blister, drain the fluid and reinject the antiseptic. “That dries it and disinfects it,” says Gavet.

The real danger is infection – notably from streptococcus pyogenes. The doctors respond aggressively with antibiotics. They cover blisters with dry gauze compresses held in place with tape. “We don’t use Compeed because they’re very difficult to take off,” says Gavet. Runners sleep with dressings applied, ready for an early start.

At Racing the Planet endurance races, each runner is asked to carry their own safety pin.

Whether to pierce blisters at all is a vexed subject. Conventional medical wisdom warns against, pointing out that an intact blister ‘roof’ prevents ingress for infection.

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HUMANS VS BLISTERS

↘ 4 million BC

Our primate ancestor first stands on two legs.

RUNNING REPAIRS Marathon aid stations: ideal testing grounds for blister solutions.

However, in reality, if a blister is full and you have to keep using your feet, drainage is usually required. (A 1968 study found that if blisters were drained three times within the first 24 hours, or once at 24 and 36 hours, blister roofs were most likely to remain intact.

(By contrast, removing the blister roof before 48 hours resulted in the greatest discomfort, inflammation, and in one case, secondary infection). In RTP events, medics swab blisters with alcohol, then use the runner’s

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pin to pierce the ‘distal end’.

“The end furthest away from the body,” says Stanford University doctor Patrick Burns, who works on the RTP series medical team.

“So that when you run, it creates that kind of constant pressure to squeeze out the juices in it.” They use gauze to absorb fluid and cover that with thin micropore tape, before applying adhesive spray. For blisters on the toes, a “special kind of origami taping job” may be needed. Elsewhere on the foot, they

install highly woven tape called Elastikon on top of the paper tape.

Compeed does not feature. “They’re kind of expensive when we’re dealing with that many feet,” says Burns. By contrast, a study conducted during Racing The Planet events found that simple 3M micropore paper tape reduced blisters by 40 per cent.

The current state of the blister business is complicated. Compeed is ubiquitous but expensive, and disregarded in ultrarunning.

BLISTERS UNCOVERED

↘ One hour later

↘ 3300BC

↘ 100 AD

↘ 1972

↘ 1984

↘ Today

First blister appears on sole of said primate’s foot.

Prehistoric antiblister footwear involves a mesh of braided linden bark and moss lining.

Roman soldiers’ caligae sandals feature straps designed to avoid rubbing certain parts of the feet.

Marion Sulzberger finds shear forces within the layers of the skin, not friction on the surface, are the cause of blisters.

First Compeed anti-blister plasters hit the market.

Armaskin socks and Engo skin patches may finally give us victory over our old enemy.

Traditional treatments can be alarming.

Rushton, for instance, warns against heating a pin in a cigarette lighter flame to ‘sterilise’ it before piercing a blister. “You’re just leaving carbon in there,” she says. “And then carbon will become an irritant.” Duct tape is also problematic. “It doesn’t stretch,” says Tod Schimelpfenig of the National Outdoor Leadership School in the US. “The adhesive can really irritate.”

Choice of footwear is crucial. Tom Scales, a technician at Profeet in London, explains that paradoxically, modern running shoes are less amenable to personalisation than traditional leather walking boots. Leather ‘wears in’; synthetic material will not.

With running shoes, Scales advises understanding the variance of the last used to construct the shoe. The traditional width fitting for men’s shoes is a D-width. Within this category, Adidas and Hoka tend towards narrow. Asics used to be narrow but “they’re starting to widen up”. Saucony are broad, and brands that offer a wider fitting – 2E and 4E – include Brooks, Asics and New Balance.

Lacing can compensate for pressure points. A ‘heel lock’ – using the secondary top eyelets – sits the ankle more firmly to reduce rubbing on the Achilles area, says Scales.

Leaving the bottom eyelets unused creates a more relaxed medial fit in a shoe that is blistering across a big toe. A ‘window technique’ – missing out several central rungs of lacing – reduces pressure on the navicular and medial cuneiform bones on top of the foot. “It gives you a little more accommodation over that,” says Scales.

With lubricants, the way powder or grease can reduce friction was identified by Naylor in the 1950s. However, a later study, in 1981, found that while mineral oil, petroleum jelly and glycerin all initially reduced the coefficient of friction, after one hour of rubbing, the CoF had returned to baseline; and after three hours, it was in fact about 35 per cent higher. (The researchers hypothesised that as the test substances were absorbed into the skin, there was a slow and prolonged hydrating effect; this in turn increased friction and decreased the lubricating effect.)

The change in recent years is the advent of new substances – dimethicone for liquids and Polytetrafluoroethylene, better known as PTFE or Teflon, for solids. Compared with talc or petroleum jelly, these appear to lower

friction for longer. US brand 2Toms, cofounded by a runner with a PhD in surface chemistry, produces a liquid roll-on called Sports Shield, which contains dimethicone and aloe vera extract. Their ‘Blister Shield’ foot powder combines PTFE with wax.

THE SILVER LINING

→ T W O O T H E R N E W P R O D U C T S seem closest

to bridging the gap between the scientific understanding of the role of friction and practical blister prevention. The first is Armaskin. Liner socks are nothing new. They operate on the principle that if you create an intermediary boundary with a lower friction than the skin-sock join, then shear will take place there, not within the skin. However, while most liners are similar to standard socks, Armaskin combines a grippy silicone lining with a slippery outer surface. ‘The lower friction level is 100 per cent going to be between the two sock layers,’ claims Ian Bridger, the firm’s marketing manager. An independent study found a ratio of 3.3 to 1 in the CoF between the internal and external surfaces of the Armaskin sock. That compared with a 0.98:1 ratio with the study’s point of comparison, a Dunlop ‘Performance Sports Sock’ made of a cotton, polyester, nylon and elastane blend. Armaskin is also quicker to use than the construction of a preventative taping job and is more resistant to water.

However, the issue with all-over foot solutions – lubricants or liner socks – is that they are not targeted.

They reduce friction all over the foot, but in some sites, friction is key. Without it, the shoe will not stay in place and traction can be reduced.

The search for a ‘targeted’ solution inspired Marty Carlson, who spent 16 years as Director of Habilitation Technologies at a Minnesota, US, hospital, to develop a self-adhesive film that combines slippery

PTFE with adhesive backing like a Compeed.

The resulting ‘Engo’ patch comes in shapes designed to fit the heel and other areas, such as under the instep.

Crucially, unlike Compeed, you do not apply an ‘Engo patch’ to the skin. Instead, it goes directly on the shoe, creating a more durable alternative than materials affixed to sweaty feet. Engo, Carlson says, “allows the skin in that at-risk location to ‘glide’ a small amount back and forth, experiencing less friction-induced shear”.

The coefficient of friction of materials typically used in shoe insoles, uppers and the material at the back of the heel is typically between 0.5 and 0.8; Engo patches, by contrast, have a top surface-to-sock interface CoF of 0.2. Carlson claims that they can reduce the maximum possible surface friction/traction on foot skin by approximately 60-75 per cent in blister-prone locations.

Unlike with other approaches, moisture also makes little difference. With virtually all insole surface materials, moisture in the 0-30 per cent range by weight will increase the CoF. But the CoF between a sock and an Engo patch is consistently close to 0.2 or less.

That’s great news for us runners, who know well how what some dismiss as a minor irritation can be a painful dasher of dreams, something the inventor of what is still the world’s leading treatment also understands: “The reality here is that this small, annoying problem, which people didn’t really want to talk about, was more annoying than people really want to confess,” says Backsell. “It is sufficiently severe to prevent you from doing what you want to do.’

Now, though, with the latest products finally following the science to deal more effectively with the underlying issue, it seems that – more than 5 000 years after Ötzi filled his shoes with moss – we may finally be on the verge of winning the war with our old enemy.

FOR BLISTERS ON THE TOES, A SPECIAL KIND OF ‘ORIGAMI TAPING JOB’ MAY BE NEEDED

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A HISTORY OF RUNNING

1

IN OUR BONES PYRAMID SESSIONS

3100 BC

1.6 MYO

2

From evolutionary biology to female emancipation and four per cent footplates, THIS IS THE STORY OF RUNNING, as told by the things it has created Putting one foot in front of the other to get from A to B is one of the oldest human behaviours. Our go-to tonic for fitness and physical and mental well-being can be traced back to an essential survival skill, when our ancestors roamed across the plains at tempo pace some two million years ago, and it’s inextricably linked to human evolution.

From the time when Homo

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Erectus subsistence-hunted dinner to Eliud Kipchoge chasing a sub-two-hour marathon, running has been a constant part of the human story. It’s been a force for change in society, culture and technology, with an incredible history that can be traced through the artefacts left behind by athletes, inventors, trailblazers, pioneers and us everyday runners. Step

this way for a tour of our specially curated collection of objects that have shaped the way we run, and the world we run in.

1 / IN OUR BONES

Turkana boy

Were humans born to run? Or did running give birth to humans?

Some researchers think that fossil evidence such as Turkana Boy, a nearly complete 1.6-million-year-old fossil,

suggests the latter.

Brought to the masses by Christopher McDougall’s 2009 bestseller, Born to Run, Daniel Lieberman and Dennis Bramble’s study of early human fossils presents the case that some adaptations in human form are required only for running. It argues that the emergence of humans is bound up with the development of an ability to run, with features such as long legs and large Achilles tendons seen

GAME CHANGERS

IN 34 OBJECTS

“

Pharaohs were required to run laps of palace race tracks.

3

GREECE LIGHTENING

M E T R O P O L I TA N M U S E U M O F A R T, W I K I CO M M O N S

WO R D S : K I E R A N A LG E R . P H OTO G R A P H S : T H E T R U S T E E S O F T H E B R I T I S H M U S E U M ,

as crucial to human evolution.

These evolutionary upgrades helped our distance-running ancestors to chase down prey and compete for meat with speedier carnivores on open plains. The theory even suggests that our disproportionately large buttocks – our primate relatives are not as blessed in this department as we are – are critical to stabilisation while running. Another reason not to neglect the glute work.

2 / PYRAMID SESSIONS

Oil-jar label from the tomb of King Den at Abydos

If you thought running skirts were a modern invention, think again. An oil-jar label found in the tomb of the pharaoh King

PUMP IT UP

1890

100 BC

5

Den shows slipping into an athletic A-line for a running fitness test dates back more than 5 000 years to Ancient Egypt.

During Sed festivals for the renewal of the king’s health and rule, pharaohs were required to dress in short kilts with tails, and run laps of specially constructed palace race tracks. All to prove their strength and fitness to rule.

and protect their skin (though not to combat chafing against sports-toga seams, as they ran completely naked).

The strigil (an elaborate instrument with a curved blade, the example shown made of bronze) was used afterwards to scrape the accumulated oil, dirt and sweat off the body before a dunk in the communal baths.

3 / GREECE LIGHTENING

4 / GRIPPING STUFF

The earliest evidence of competitive running for sport comes from the Ancient Olympians. Before competing, athletes covered themselves in oil to warm up their muscles

One of the earliest examples of spiked running shoes dates back to 1865, in Northampton.

Made of leather, weighing in at a surprisingly lightweight 280g and featuring a band for added lateral support, they have the

Bronze strigil from the British Museum

The Spencer shoe

rather dapper look of a man’s dress shoe – with spikes on the bottom – and were probably used for cross-country running.

5 / PUMP IT UP

Harold Abrahams’ running pumps

In 1890, a company founded by Joseph William Foster (it later became Reebok) started making production running shoes. A keen runner, Foster wanted shoes that could help him go faster. Later, the leather ‘running pump’ spikes were worn by British athletes, including the 1924 Olympic 100m champion Harold Abrahams — whose achievements were immortalised in the Oscarwinning film Chariots of Fire. •

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“

In 1966, running found a voice in print.

11

7

Vintage Glucozade bottle

These days, you can’t get 10 metres into a 5K fun run without someone offering you a sports drink. Many people point to Gatorade as the godfather of energy drinks, but Lucozade – then known as Glucozade – got there first, back in 1927. However, it took until 1982 for it to be marketed as an energyreplacement drink, rather than a tonic for the poorly. It wasn’t until 1990 that Lucozade Sport was launched, aimed directly at exercisers and runners.

7 / PERSONAL VEST

Roger Banister’s Iffley Road vest and bib

Sir Roger Banister ran his

• 2021

sub-four-minute mile at Iffley Road in Oxford in 1954 in a pair of running spikes that looked like someone had hammered nails through a pair of old Oxfords. But his three-stripe vest and 41 race- bib combo has become the iconic image of one of running’s most historic moments, and symbolic shorthand for the fact that we can continue to push beyond what is considered possible.

8 / TRACTION HERO

New Balance Trackster

In 1960, the groundbreaking New Balance Trackster led the way for mass-marketed running-specific shoes. It was the first running shoe with a rippled sole for traction, and it quickly became

1967

1954

6 / DRINKING HABITS

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PERSONAL VEST

DRINKING HABITS

1927

6

WOMEN’S BIB

the shoe of choice for the track and cross-country teams around its base in the US city of Boston.

9 / BARE TO DREAM

Abebe Bikila’s Olympic Marathon gold medal

In a glorious moment that inspired generations across a continent, barefoot Ethiopian Abebe Bikila became the first black African to win the Olympic marathon, setting a 2:15:16 world record in Rome in 1960.

It started a new era of inclusivity – and distance-running glory – for African nations in the Olympic Games. And 50 years later, Ethiopia’s Siraj Gena, the winner of the 2010 Rome Marathon, ran the last 300m shoeless as a tribute.

10 / PRINT FINISH

First issue of Distance Running News

In 1966, running found a voice in print with the launch of a small pamphlet, Distance Running News. The original incarnation of what would become Runner’s World started with just two issues in its first year, featuring marathon news and the earliest shoe reviews.

11 / WOMEN’S BIB

Kathrine Switzer’s 261 Boston bib

The first woman to run the Boston Marathon as an officially registered competitor in 1967, Kathrine Switzer used her initials to sneak into the then-male-only race.

GAME CHANGERS

12

BOOM TIME

1972 G E T T Y I M AG E S , A M A ZO N B O O K S

WO R D S : K I E R A N A LG E R . P H OTO G R A P H S : W I K I C O M M O N S , I F F L E Y R OA D,

The image of an angry race director trying (unsuccessfully) to shove her off the course came to represent women’s struggle for equality in running and sports, and it was chosen as one of Time-Life’s 100 Photos That Changed the World. Switzer’s 261fearless charity – named after her iconic race number – continues to use running to empower and unite women worldwide.

12 / BOOM TIME

Jogging, by Bill Bowerman

Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman’s waffle-iron sole changed what runners wore; but it was the former track-and-field coach’s hugely popular book, Jogging – a ‘light running’ manifesto for the masses, first published in 1967 –

that inspired people everywhere to lace up in search of trimmed waists and better heart health.

It helped transform running from a niche activity pursued by athletes into a mainstream pastime, fuelling the first big running boom into the 1970s.

13 / MASS START

1970 New York City Marathon medal

The first organised marathon was held in 1896 at the Olympics in Athens; the Boston Marathon has been run every year since 1897 (except 2020); and Slovakia’s Košice Peace Marathon dates back to 1924; but it was the New York City Marathon that fired the starting pistol on the craze for bigcity races. Just 127 runners picked

LONG STORY

1974

15

up the first NYC medal in 1970, but by 1979 it was 11 500. Earning a chunk of NYC bling also inspired Chris Brasher (along with John Disley) to stage the first London Marathon in 1981.

Forty years later, almost every major city in the world hosts its own marathon. The number of marathon entrants worldwide hit 1.1 million in 2018, and from 2008 to 2018, at least 19.6 million people have run a marathon.

14 / COMPETITIVE WEDGE

Nike Cortez

Although born from an earlier collaboration with Onitsuka, the first Nike-branded shoe, the iconic Cortez, which launched at the Munich Olympics in 1972, was the first running shoe to feature a

full-length EVA (Ethylene-vinyl acetate) midsole, with an obvious wedge of EVA cushioning under the heel (where previous shoes had been flat). And with that, the cushioned running shoe was born.

15 / LONG STORY

First Western States silver belt buckle

Ultrarunning is booming, growing by 345 per cent in a decade; but the story really began back in 1974, when the 100-mile (160km) Western States race evolved from a horseback event into the original trail ultra. Thanks to the event’s location and equine origins, it also established the enduring tradition of awarding cowboy-style belt buckles, not medals, to successful participants in many ultras. The •

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“

17

The Jogbra changed women’s athletics forever.

1977

first silver buckle was handcrafted in Carson City, Nevada, by family-run business Comstock Heritage.

16 / SUPPORT ACT

Jogbra

The bra has a played a big role in the story of the fight for equality.

Some women in the late 1960s symbolically discarded bras as an act of protest against enforced femininity, but a decade later, an invention by three women – Lisa Lindahl, Polly Palmer Smith and Hinda Schreiber Miller – proved a huge liberating force. The 1977 Jogbra – originally called the JockBra, because the first prototype was two jockstraps strapped together – was the first

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SUPPORT ACT

1978

16

GENDER IDENTITY

• 2021

support garment designed for general exercise. Before that, women ran in ordinary bras.

It was a huge success. Not only did it change women’s athletics forever; its impact on the lives of ordinary women worldwide has also been enormous, opening up a world of achievement that simply wasn’t as accessible before its invention.

17 / GENDER IDENTITY

Nike Lady Waffle Trainer

Bill Bowerman’s mid-1970s experiments with his wife’s waffle iron had created a revolutionary new rubber sole; but in 1978, Nike took perhaps an even bigger step by producing the first femalespecific shoes, including the Lady

Waffle Trainer. It was designed on smaller lasts to suit women’s specific biomechanics.

marathon dressed as a panda.

More than £1 billion (R20 billion) has been raised for good causes.

18 / COSTUME DRAMA

19 / RUN TO THE BEAT

Running a marathon was once revered as a superhuman feat, but as mass-participation races began to inspire recreational runners to attempt the impossible, two new ideas took hold: running for charity, and doing so in fancy dress. The 1981 running waiter, Roger Bourban, is thought to be the London Marathon’s first costumed runner; but since then, all kinds of costumed runners have conquered London, and Guinness World Records have been set – including the fastest

In 1982, Polar launched the first ever chest-strap heart-rate monitor. The Sport Tester PE2000 came in two parts: a watch and an ECG-based transmitter. For the first time, runners could track their BPM without stopping for an old-school fingers-on-wrist pulse count. It was the first step towards the modern heart-rate insights we now see as standard.

Easier to monitor, instantaneous data enabled runners – from elite athletes down to the grass-roots

Roger Bourban’s waiter outfit

Polar Sport Tester PE2000 chest strap

GAME CHANGERS

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SOCK MARKET GAINS

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P H OTO G R A P H S : H U G H TA L M A N , N I K E , G E T T Y I M AG E S

1999

plodders – to see under the bonnet and train with more precision. It has also been a crucial tool for thousands of studies that have shaped our understanding of running in the decades since.

how a carb top-up could help them hurdle it. Little did Noakes know that the industry would one day be worth $1 billion (R15 billion).

20 / SQUEEZY DOES IT

In 1996 German kit maker Falke became the first brand to produce left- and right-foot pairs of its patented anatomic-fit socks.

A potent symbol of running’s growing big-business status, and of consumer kit becoming increasingly specific and technical, and bolder with its promises of marginal gains in comfort and performance.

Leppin Squeezy energy gel

If you’re not a runner of a certain vintage, you may find it hard to believe that before 1987, people ran marathons without energy gels.

The first sachet of portable fuel, the Leppin Squeezy, was a 25g mix of a maltodextrin and dextrose.

Produced by the Godfather of goop, Professor Tim Noakes, the innovation came as sports scientists sussed out why marathoners hit The Wall and

TRACK STAR

2001

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COSTUME DRAMA

1996

1981

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21 / SOCK-MARKET GAINS

Falke L & R socks

22 / TRACK STAR

Casio ProTrek

MASS MOVEMENT

The launch of the GPS watch – the Casio ProTrek – in 1999 marks the start of the age of the quantified self runner. Or at least, runners who knew how far they’d run without having to drive the route or plot it on a map. The first Garmin Forerunner 101 followed in 2003; and since then, more and more elite-level data insights have trickled down to the everyday runner who wants to know all.

runs involved lugging a brick – and even the smoothest form wouldn’t prevent your music skipping every third stride. With its run-proof playback, the MP3 player changed everything; and the iPod, launched in 2001, was the signature device.

It also paved the way for one of the earliest run trackers – the 2006 Nike+ Sensor – and a longstanding run-focused partnership between two giant brands.

23 & 24 / POWER TUNES

25 / MASS MOVEMENT

Before the MP3 player, running with music was an unsatisfying business. If you’re old enough to remember the era of the Walkman, Discman or Minidisc player, you’ll know that sound-tracking your

The parkrun barcode is an icon of one of the world’s most successful running movements. What started 16 years ago with 13 people doing a time trial around a west London park had grown, pre-pandemic, •

iPod and Nike+ Sensor

Parkrun barcode bracelet

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“

An urban uprising emerged as a counterpoint to the traditional running club.

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RUNNING REMIXED

to nearly four million runners of all abilities turning up early on Saturday mornings to run 5K. With 2 000 events worldwide, it brings running to people everywhere.

26 / RUNNING REMIXED

Run Dem Crew vest

In the early noughties, an urban uprising emerged as a counterpoint to the traditional running club. Run crews such as Run Dem Crew, launched by DJ, poet and runner Charlie Dark in 2007, are groups for runners who don’t see themselves fitting into mainstream clubs. Mixing running, art, music and fashion, these crews translated classic running culture – such as the vest – into something with a more youthful edge. They

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attracted a new group of people to the sport and helped to drive running’s big second wave.

27 / APPY DAYS

iPhone 3G with MapMyRun

The iPhone changed our world.

But it was the app store, launched in 2008, that had the biggest impact on running, picking up the pace on the rise of the quantified runner. With GPS-toting phones strapped to their arms, runners had free access to simple runtracking apps such as MapMyRun and Runkeeper, clocking real-time pace, distance and routes without the need for a watch.

28 / WHEN LESS WAS MORE

Tarahumara Huarache sandals

2016

2007

26

FLAG BEARER

An icon of the minimalist running counterculture, popularised by Christopher McDougall’s book Born to Run. They’re worn by the ultrarunning Tarahumara, the indigenous people of Chihuahua in Mexico who were made famous

by McDougall. His book prompted runners to rethink not just how we run, but why.

The barefoot movement inspired millions, also helped to drive running’s second big wave, and has had a lasting impact in both shoe design and our focus on running form.

29 / FLAG BEARER

Eddie Izzard’s flags

In 2009, despite having no record of endurance running, comedian Eddie Izzard ran 43 marathons in

51 days around the UK for Sport Relief. Seven years later, he was back at it, running 27 marathons in 27 days across South Africa, in honour of Nelson Mandela.

On both occasions, tales of this unlikely running hero’s feats made headlines, and images of a weary Izzard carrying the flags of the countries he was running through were splashed all over the media.

Izzard wasn’t the first celebrity to take on a tough endurance challenge, but his incredible efforts brought the idea of the mega running challenge to the masses. The fact that he wasn’t a young, super-fit athlete or ultrarunner undoubtedly inspired more ‘normal’ runners to pursue their own challenging goals.

GAME CHANGERS

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GREEN SHOOTS

2019

2020

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30 / TOUGH GOING

Tough Mudder headband P H OTO G R A P H S : T U M B L E R , A M A N DA S E A R L E /C O M I C R E L I E F/ PA , A D I DA S , N I K E

CARBON FOOTPRINT

In 2010, some runners started going offroad in search of different adventures. Not to the trails, but to army-style obstacle courses, for long runs punctuated by physical and mental tortures.

Tough Mudder and Spartan Races became big business; and the Legionnaire’s headband has become a famous reward for conquering various Tough Mudder events.

31 / SIX APPEAL

Abbott World Marathon Majors Six Star medal

Since 2013, the Abbott World Marathon Majors Six Star medal has been awarded to anyone who completes the London, New York,

Chicago, Tokyo, Boston and Berlin marathons. This medal of medals represents big-city marathon running taken to the max, and it is a symbol of the globalisation of running and the non-elite pursuit of increasingly lofty goals .

32 / GREEN SHOOTS

adidas Futurecraft Loop

Unveiled in 2019, the first fully recyclable running shoe was groundbreaking, though only a few hundred pairs were released.

Produced from recyclable polyester, the ‘made to be remade’ design was an acknowledgement of the need – from one of the world’s biggest brands – to face up to the running industry’s environmental responsibilities, and a sign that the challenge to

come will be to develop an industry that leaves a lighter footprint on the planet.

their own take on the carbonpacking super shoe.

33 / CARBON FOOTPRINT

Nike Alphafly Next%

The Nike Vaporfly 4% propelled carbon-plated shoes into the mainstream consciousness, but it was Eliud Kipchoge’s Alphafly Next%, worn to break the twohour-marathon barrier, that earned super-shoes a place in history. But running has also been forced to confront the effects of technology: amid arguments over what should be legal in competition, the World Athletics Association changed the rules on footwear.

Of course, that hasn’t stopped other brands from bringing out

34 / GOING SOLO

Iconic medals – 2020 style

The Covid-19 pandemic decimated the 2020 race calendar, creating unprecedented challenges for our sport. But we runners are an adaptable bunch.

Forced to reboot, runners have embraced the virtual. Races such as Comrades and the London Marathon captured the imagination; some events had over 40 000 runners participating in their virtual versions. So, although real-life races are starting to make a comeback, 2020 certainly made its mark.

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EXCLUSIVE

GUEST S TA R B O M B T HREAT S, P OL IT ICAL IN T RIG U E, FAX M ACHIN ES A N D P HU T U P AP – H O W W ILLIE M T O LO M AD E IT T O T HE N EW Y O RK CIT Y M ARAT HO N.

By David Moseley

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UNLIKELY HERO Willie Mtolo’s groundbreaking victory at the 1992 New York Marathon is one of South Africa’s greatest sporting stories. It is a tale of friendship, dedication and belief, and is being told here for the first time.

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In 1992, Willie Mtolo stunned the athletics world – and almost certainly, the majority of South African sports fans – when he burst to victory at the New York City Marathon.

Mtolo wasn’t exactly an unknown going into the race, having attended the NYC Marathon in 1991 as a non-participating guest of the event; but such was the novelty of South Africa’s return to international sport that more than once, race commentators mistakenly identified him as ‘the Kenyan runner’.

Earlier in 1992, having missed out on the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona due to illness and for personal reasons, Mtolo had run his debut international marathon, claiming first place at the slightly less celebrated Enschede Marathon in the Netherlands.

The New York City Marathon, already in existence for over 20 years and championed as the biggest marathon in the world, was a different beast altogether, with a larger, more aggressively talented elite field.

But fuelled by emotion, the belief that victory was his destiny, and his beloved phutu pap (which Mtolo, his wife and his manager Ray de Vries had smuggled into the United States), Mtolo won the NYC Marathon, dramatically announcing South Africa’s return to international sport.

The politics

From the mid-1960s onwards, various world sporting bodies began imposing sanctions on South African teams and athletes, due to the then government’s apartheid policies.

In an athletics and road-running context, South Africa was formally expelled from the International Olympics Committee (IOC) in 1970; while in the same year, World Athletics (then known as the IAAF) also suspended South African participation at IAAF-sanctioned events.

When apartheid legislation was repealed on 17 June 1991, sporting bodies around the world began to lift their sanctions on South African athletes and teams. A whole new world opened up for our sportsmen and -women. The South African cricket team were the first national team to travel overseas, invited by India to a One-Day International series in 1991. India in turn became the first foreign team to tour post-apartheid South Africa, in 1992.

Told linearly, and without the gripping titbits about behind-the-scenes machinations, South Africa’s return to international sport would appear to have been a reasonably straightforward affair. Of course, as with almost everything

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happening in South Africa at that time, wheeling and dealing was the name of the game.

For Willie Mtolo and numerous other athletes, a return to international action took slightly longer than for their cricketing counterparts – largely due to issues of timing, as well as a squabble between the IAAF, the IOC, and various foreground and background players.

The meeting of men

Mtolo’s story is inextricably linked with that of his former manager, Ray de Vries: a one-time hotel owner who stumbled into the world of distance running by simply being the white guy in the right place – at the weirdest time.

De Vries, now a Cape Town-based entrepreneur, likens their partnership, friendship and incredible success to something bordering on the mystical, something that could never have been predicted or scripted (ironically, a Hollywood production has been scripted, but has been stuck in development hell for longer than it takes a backmarker to finish Comrades).

In the mid-1980s De Vries owned the Hillcrest Hotel, which sat on the 32km mark of the Comrades Marathon down run. At that stage of his life, De Vries’s involvement in road running was limited to Comrades race-day functions at his hotel (“It was the only day we made any money,” he says), and the semisponsorship of a local running crew, aptly named – rather typically, for a KwaZulu-Natal crowd – Jog & Grog.

That all changed when Willie Mtolo arrived unannounced at the Hillcrest Hotel, and asked the receptionist for a room. He’d been sent there by the chairman of a running club in the area who had noticed Mtolo’s potential.

This being the mid-1980s, with apartheid laws such as the Group Areas Act in full swing, De Vries was not allowed to have black guests at his hotel. But he cared little for the laws of the day, and checked Mtolo in. “I’ll never forget: Room 11A. We put Willie in there.”

Soon after, De Vries received a call from the

running club chairman, asking him to take care of Willie. He duly obliged, but saw little of his guest for the first month.

“Then, one morning, I get a knock on my office door. Willie is standing there – this little Zulu guy, with an envelope in his hand. I look at it, and I can see it’s an invoice from my hotel, for his month’s stay as a permanent resident. I look at it again: R125 for rent, dinner, bed and breakfast, GST – 11 per cent, in those days. And I say, ‘That looks right to me.’

“Then Willie says to me: ‘But you said I could stay here!’”

In that moment, De Vries realised this was a meeting of two very disparate worlds. Mtolo believed he was staying at no cost, while De Vries thought he’d been doing his bit to stick it to the apartheid government by allowing a black man to be a paying guest in his hotel.

“We were both on totally different wavelengths. I remember thinking, ‘That’s what’s wrong with this country, no one is connecting on the same level.’

“Anyway, Willie was such a warm character, with an honest, open face; so I said to him, ‘What are you doing here, anyway? Why do you want to stay here?’

“And he said: ‘I want to be the first black man to win the Comrades Marathon.’”

By this time, Mtolo had run a 2:08:15 at the Port Elizabeth Marathon (still his 42km PB, set in 1986). But De Vries was blissfully unaware of Mtolo’s running pedigree.

“When he told me he wanted to win Comrades, I immediately thought, ‘This kid has delusions of grandeur.’ But there was something about his determination that spoke to me. So I said, ‘Okay, Willie – I’m going to support you.’”

With the political drama unfolding in the country at the time, De Vries and Mtolo’s new partnership soon raised the hackles of the less enlightened Hillcrest residents. De Vries was harassed at home in the evenings, and a fake bomb was found in his hotel the night before municipal elections (where De Vries was running

STAR SPANGLED UNION The story of Willie Mtolo and his manager Ray de Vries turned the two into instant celebrities before Mtolo had even run a step.

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as an independent candidate).

“Hillcrest was a tiny little place, and people were just pissed off with me. But we persevered.”

The Comrades makes comrades

Over time, Mtolo became part of the hotel furniture, and also grew more popular in the local community. On the eve of the 1989 Comrades Marathon, the Daily News dispatched a reporter to interview Mtolo – with De Vries still largely oblivious to the runner’s talent.

“I said to the journalist, ‘Does this guy even have a chance?’”

The journalist replied with a story: when Mtolo first arrived in Hillcrest, he ran (and won) the local time trial; and was immediately accused of cheating, because of the scorching time he had set. So the next time Mtolo ran the time trial, he was monitored closely. And duly broke the club record that he had set the previous time.

The journalist also told De Vries of Mtolo’s battle with Zithulele Sinqe at the 1986 Port Elizabeth Marathon (also the South African Marathon Championships), where Sinqu pipped Mtolo to the post by a matter of seconds.

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THIS PAGE (above) Willie Mtolo came from humble roots, deep in the Valley of a Thousand Hills in KZN. But his talent was undeniable.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Ray de Vries today, as he recounts his memories of Mtolo’s greatest moment and the role he played in making it happen.

“Although this all sounded impressive to me, being a complete running outsider I still had no real concept of just how good Willie was.”

On Comrades Marathon race day De Vries and his staff were overwhelmed by thirsty, hungry patrons, eager to be part of the Comrades action at the Hillcrest Hotel. But while feeding and watering guests, the hotel staff were also keeping an eye on Mtolo’s progress.

“One of my staff, Lucas, comes to me; and says, ‘Mnumzane, you won’t believe it. The guy from room 11A? Willie? The chef from the Rob Roy Hotel says he phoned the wine steward from the Botha’s Hill Hotel, who then phoned us to tell us our guy is winning!”

Much like it is today, but with its fame even further heightened in the 80s due to ongoing international sporting restrictions, the Comrades Marathon was the biggest show in town.

“We were packed – but my staff just upped and left to support Willie. We saw him coming up the rise; Willie was buzzing. Everyone was screaming and shouting, slapping him on the back.

“Now, all those people who’d been giving me shit because I was a white guy harbouring a black guy, suddenly Willie was okay, and I was okay, because he was doing well.”

Mtolo ran towards the crowds, lapping up the cheers; but when he saw De Vries, he almost came to a standstill.

“I said, ‘Willie, for fuck’s sake! Run, man!’”

As scholars of local running will know, Mtolo was destined not to go into the history books as the first black Comrades Marathon winner. That honour went to Sam Tshabalala, who had run a neckand-neck race with Mtolo on the day; and who eventually passed him one final time when, due to cramps, Mtolo was reduced to walking, with only a handful of kilometres to go.

De Vries raced to the finish to meet his man.

“I found Willie in the medical tent. The first thing he says is, ‘I’m sorry.’ I say to him, ‘For what?!’ Willie says to me, ‘I said I would win, and I didn’t. I’m sorry.’

“I think he might have been worried that I was going to give him a bill for the room!”

NOT JUST ABOUT RUNNING Mtolo’s win attracted comment from all sides... and so did his Zulu habits.

The first steps to New York

De Vries drove Mtolo back to the hotel that day.

And this is where the long journey to New York City Marathon glory truly began, with as many uphill battles as could be found on the Comrades route. During the drive, the pair opened up to each other – “The conversation of my life,” De Vries calls it.

Despondent after his second-place finish, Mtolo doubted his ability to claim the Comrades title. “In that moment, I said to Willie, ‘Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody is prepared to die. Today, you died; so you’ve bought the ticket to heaven. The future will be good.’”

Mtolo then asked De Vries to manage him full time. “I like the way you talk,” he told De Vries.

“It helps me.”

The next morning De Vries agreed to take on the manager role full time, insisting they put people before business as a guiding principle, and telling Mtolo that they needed to get to know each other better. This, he reasoned, could be achieved by moving with Mtolo to his home village of Kilimon in Kwasmashayilanga (‘the place that hits the sun’, in Zulu), near Underberg.

“I was also looking for something deeper than selling beer to pisscats in a hotel; and I reckoned, this could be it,” says De Vries.

Comfortably ensconced in his new surroundings – after meeting the rest of Mtolo’s clan, and convincing Mtolo’s father, Ndabazabantu, that he had the runner’s best interests at heart – De Vries began to learn more about Mtolo. He learnt that as a youngster, Mtolo had asked for a bike to ride the 16km to school and back.

Unable to afford one, Ndabazabantu told his son to run to school. When Mtolo asked what he should do if he was going to be late for school, his father replied sagely: “Run faster.”

Ndabazabantu bestowed a clan name on De Vries: Bafo, meaning ‘brother’. And De Vries

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in turn reiterated his commitment to Mtolo’s goals by impressing upon the runner and his father that although Mtolo was exceptionally talented, to reach the top he would need a partner.

“I called this the ‘un-alone’. I knew you couldn’t get to the top without a partner or being a team. You look at the best teams, the top achievers; they all have a confidante, or a partner, who helps them on their journey to the top. When Willie and I were together, we were ‘un-alone’.”

During this time, De Vries contacted the New York City Marathon. South African athletes were still banned from competing internationally; but rumours and rumblings suggested that apartheid’s days were numbered, and that sporting sanctions would be lifted soon.

“My plan was to take Willie to the world. So in 1989 I contacted the New York City Marathon, and told them I had a runner who would set the race alight. I sent off a fax – nine rand a fax, back then! – and the reply I received didn’t explicitly laugh me off, but… the tone was, ‘Ag, shame – thanks for getting in touch, we appreciate it.’” De Vries shrugs his shoulders.

The tug-of-war

But Mtolo’s legend was growing; and partly thanks to the political instability in South Africa then, prominent foreign media – embedded in the country, and covering local conflict – picked up on his story. The Washington Post ran a feature article on Mtolo, while the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) started filing a documentary.

“ABC was our big breakthrough. They were covering the riots in South Africa at the time, and they heard about me and Willie. They wanted to come to the hotel for an interview – but instead, we took them to Willie’s village. The scene, the setting and his story just blew them away. It would eventually put us on the map.”

In February 1990, Nelson Mandela was released from prison.

“Things were happening, things were changing; so I got on to the New York City Marathon again. I got a slightly better response this time, but sanctions were still in place, so they weren’t quite welcoming us with open arms. The communications between us were cordial, but it was all very official. I’d yet to make an actual connection with someone at the event.”

At the same time, many others in South African sport were also seeing light at the end of the sanctions tunnel. In the world of local running, it created an environment with many previously unknown (or even non-existent) athletics bodies and clubs popping up and claiming to represent athletes – all so they could eventually claim a prized seat on a possible, yetto-be-formed future committee.

“I had never heard of half these people,” says De Vries. “But now they were crawling out the woodwork. And I had been at every race, with Willie and the other athletes, so I knew it was

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all bullshit.”

It was around this time that the politics of the day intruded on the De Vries and Mtolo partnership. Within South African running, the groups that now contested for power included the then-official South African Amateur Athletics Union (now the actual official body known as Athletics South Africa), the new fly-by-night groups and clubs, and the self-appointed South African Road Running Association (SARRA).

“SARRA had somehow formed, and started to call the shots on road running – even though they were never recognised by the IAAF,” says De Vries.

In the middle of the power struggle were the athletes, who simply wanted to participate on the world stage; and De Vries, who by now had become a sounding board for many disgruntled local road runners. As negotiations around South Africa’s return to international athletics

THE PHUTU COOKING HAD SET OFF THE SMOKE ALARMS. HUNDREDS OF HOTEL GUESTS WERE PILING OUT ONTO THE PACKED NEW YORK STREETS. . progressed, a further power struggle developed between the IAAF and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

The IAAF – at that stage, headed by Primo Nebiolo – and certain factions in South Africa favoured South Africa’s appearance at the 1991 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo; while the IOC and the Interim National Olympic Committee of South Africa (INOCSA), headed by Sam Ramsamy, advocated for South Africa’s return to be scheduled for the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. From owning a hotel in Hillcrest and serving beer to thirsty locals, De Vries now found himself one of the central figures in a global tussle.

Through an intermediary, De Vries met with Sam Ramsamy at the Wanderers Club, on the eve of a scheduled appearance on the TV show

Agenda. “Sam told me that Juan Samaranch, the president of the IOC, wanted South Africa to be at Barcelona, and for that to be the official return to international athletics. He said that his (Ramsamy’s) job was to ensure we got the team to Barcelona.”

At the same time, Nebiolo was pushing for South Africa to appear at the 1991 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. And as De Vries would discover that evening, after his meeting with Ramsamy, the agenda of the Agenda TV show was also to push for South Africa’s involvement in Tokyo – Nebiolo himself even appeared on the show, via satellite link-up.

South Africa’s athletes had suddenly gone from pariahs to pawns in a political chess game. But when all the shouting was over, Ramsamy and Samaranch got their way: after South African citizens voted to abolish apartheid at the 1992 referendum, South Africa returned to Olympic action.

The tourists

In between all the political intrigue, De Vries and Mtolo were travelling to the Drakensberg, where Mtolo would carry on with his training.

“While all this crap was going on, I still knew that I had to be doing this. When you know, you know. By then I had sold my hotel and was fully invested in Willie’s career. My family thought I was crazy.”

De Vries had also maintained his line of communication with the New York City Marathon; and in 1991, he and Mtolo were invited to attend the marathon as guests of the organisers.

“Incredibly, Willie’s story had preceded our arrival in New York. Carl Lewis came over to greet us at the Expo, people were asking Willie to autograph things; there was a real interest in the ‘guy who couldn’t run’.”

On race day, Mtolo and De Vries accompanied the elite athletes to the start area.

“We were chatting to the runners, then we moved over to the media bus. Just as the race was about to start, the elite pack turned in unison and waved goodbye to Willie. It’s a moment that still gives me goosebumps when I think about it; we didn’t know if we’d ever be back again,” says De Vries.

After following the race from the media bus, Mtolo disembarked at the finish line to watch the conclusion of the event. At the same time, the ABC documentary crew that had started filming Mtolo’s story years earlier were filming his reaction to the finish. That night the completed documentary aired, with the final shot featuring Willie watching the end of the race, and the closing narration asking if the man in picture could have been the 1991 New York City Marathon winner.

The South African pair were alerted to the documentary’s airing, and watched in their room at the Sheraton on Central Park.

Afterwards, Mtolo asked De Vries what he thought. “I told him, ‘I think it’s great,

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS 1984 / Winner City to City Marathon (50km) 2:47:51 1986 / 2nd Port Elizabeth Marathon 2:08:15; National Marathon Championships 1988 / Winner Cape Town Marathon 2:10:18; National Marathon Championships; winner Durban Marathon 2:14:36 1989 / Winner Port Elizabeth Marathon 2:13:13; 2nd Comrades Marathon 05:39:59 1990 / Winner Two Oceans Marathon 3:10:51 1991 / Winner Peninsula Marathon 2:15:39 1992 / Winner Enschede Marathon 2:13:39; winner New York City Marathon 2:09:29 2000 / Winner Macau Marathon 2:19:25 2002 / 2nd Comrades Marathon 05:33:35

it’s bloody good.’ Then we went out for McDonalds.”

Except they didn’t make it out of the hotel. Downstairs, De Vries and Mtolo found themselves trapped inside, due to a large crowd that had gathered in the gigantic foyer.

Thinking a dignitary of significant standing must have been in town, the pair looked around to see who was causing the commotion.

After a few minutes people started shouting, “There he is, there he is!”

“Willie and I turned like TV characters, looking behind us for the ‘star’ – and realised at the same time that everyone was pointing at Willie. People had seen the show on TV, and now all hell had broken loose.”

Wanting to build on the buzz, Anne Roberts, their New York City Marathon liaison, whisked the bewildered South Africans off to parties around New York – culminating in a swanky shindig at the Waldorf on Fifth Avenue, where

they soon found themselves on stage in front of an energetic audience.

Encouraged to say a few words, De Vries introduced Mtolo, who had a simple message: “Please, let me run.”

“The crowd went apeshit,” says De Vries.

“Then I stood up, and said, ‘I’m not being arrogant, but please let him run. Because when he does run, he will win this race.’ It was the stupidest thing I could have said.”

The big lights will inspire you

A year later, and South Africa was in from the cold on the international sports scene. De Vries received a call from Sam Ramsamy at two in the morning, alerting him that Mtolo would be allowed to participate overseas, and that a South African team would be sent to the Olympics.

The next race on the international calendar was the Stockholm Marathon. But: “When I phoned them to find Willie a place, they basically told me to fuck off,” says De Vries.

Thanks to injury and illness, Mtolo never made it to the Olympics that year either; but De Vries kept looking for international races, eventually finding one in the Netherlands.

“We entered the Enschede Marathon, a small event that happens every two years. We just needed to get Willie into shape for New York – by then, they had finally invited us to run. There was quite a lot of media interest in Willie at the Enschede event, and at the finish there were locals holding up placards saying ‘Hup, Willie, hup!’ (Go, Willie, go!). It was wonderful. We even got appearance money!”

From the Enschede Marathon, which took place just three weeks before the NYC Marathon, Mtolo and De Vries travelled to the United States.

“It was pandemonium. Everybody wanted a piece of Willie. This was the story of the event.

Anne Roberts found us at the hotel, and told us she’d never seen a press conference this big at the New York City Marathon.”

And of course, De Vries’s words in 1991 came back to haunt him.

“We sit down at the press conference, and I can feel it coming. The very first question comes from the press: ‘Mr De Vries, last year you said that if Mr Mtolo ran the New York City Marathon, he would win. Do you stand by that comment?’

“I tried to be diplomatic, and say that we were just happy to be there, and that a top 10 would be great. But the journalist persisted: ‘Mr De Vries, you said Mr Mtolo would win the New York City Marathon. Do you stand by that?”

“Eventually, I just said, ‘Yes, of course – Willie will win the New York City Marathon.’”

On the eve of the marathon, Mtolo insisted on preparing his own meal of phutu. De Vries, Mtolo and Mtolo’s wife Fikile had smuggled two packets each into the country.

At the hotel, for health and safety reasons, the staff wouldn’t prepare outside food in the kitchen – but neither would they let trained cook De Vries prepare the meal. So,

epitomising the cavalier South African can-do spirit, the trio snuck a hot plate and pot into the hotel room. De Vries then moved on to the cocktail party, to help calm his pre-race nerves.

“I wasn’t the one running, but I was puking everywhere; Willie was calm as can be. So I go to the party – and the next thing, the fire alarm goes off.

“Shit, I think. We’re on the 49th floor – now I have to get Willie down 49 flights, the night before his big day!”

De Vries made his way to their hotel room, only to be greeted by dark clouds – and nothing to do with Mtolo’s mood. The phutu cooking had set off the smoke alarms. Hundreds of hotel guests were piling out onto the packed New York streets.

“The hotel staff came knocking, asking us to evacuate. I told the guy our story, explained that I couldn’t take Willie downstairs. He looked at me dead in the eyes, and said, ‘I know nothing.’

And walked off.

“While this was going on, I could hear Willie and Fikile talking in Zulu, but I missed it. Willie had asked Fikile to finish the cooking! So there we were, the night before Willie’s biggest run – cooking phutu, and dashing into the bathroom every time it started to smoke because there were no smoke detectors in there.”

On race day, Mtolo faced one final hurdle.

With the elite bunch eager to get going, they jumped the start cannon by a few seconds – meaning the start cannon could then not be fired, for fear of injuring a runner.

“Willie looked at me as the bunch started moving, and I just shouted, ‘Run, man – run!’”

De Vries and Mtolo had done their homework, and were assisted by 1987 winner Ibrahim Hussein of Kenya with some key course layout information. Hussein had warned Mtolo not to get carried away with the vibrant crowds on the narrow First Avenue.

Many an overeager runner had upped their tempo here, only to blow later in the race.

Hussein, aware that Mtolo’s strength would be in the hills, also highlighted the Central Park finish as the hilliest part of the race.

“Before the race Willie and I went to Central Park, and he ran drills up that hill. There was a blue bin, and from there he would just explode uphill.” To help Mtolo pace himself, De Vries had marked his water bottles with proteas, so Mtolo could find them in the feed station scrum and remind himself not to get carried away until the ‘hills’.

As the race entered the final few kilometres of Central Park, it was Andres Espinoza (who would go on to win in 1993) in first place and Mtolo in second. At the blue bin, Mtolo kicked and surged past Espinoza – to win. De Vries bolted from a nearby restaurant, where he had been watching the race on television.

“He ran into my arms, and we cried. We just stood there, and we cried. It was impossible. It should never have happened. I let a guy stay in my hotel, and now we were crying on the finish line of the New York City Marathon.”

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WO R D S : B R U C E F O R DYC E | P H OTO G R A P H S : C O U R T E SY O F B R U C E F O R DYC E

SLOW START Nine-time Comrades champion Bruce Fordyce started his running career running laps around a rugby field at Wits.

He would become one of the world’s greatest endurance runners.

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1976

MY FUTURE STARTED SLOW

Bruce Fordyce is one of South Africa’s most celebrated runners. In this extract from his newlypublished book, Winged Messenger: Running Your First Comrades Marathon, he takes us through his first stuttering steps on the road to becoming the most successful Comrades winner of all time.

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8 Ju ne 1976

The journey had begun, and it was not the most auspicious of starts; but the journey must start somewhere for all of us.

Initially, I recorded the time I spent running or walking. Later I switched to the distance covered.

Amazingly, I wrote this in my diary: “I must try and make each run a challenge. The essential thing is motivation. I must keep myself interested. I must keep the flame burning. I am going to have to train in a manner I have never trained before.

I am going to have to cover long, time-consuming distances and I am going to have to organise my time. The goal for the next few weeks is to get used to running regularly.”

Importantly, I made that first run extremely easy and gentle. By restricting my first run to a few laps of a flat rugby field, I ensured that I would have no problem with running again the next day, and for the days and weeks after that.

Too many novices run

too fast and too far when they start running. As a result, they find running an unpleasant experience.

Most would honestly describe running as a chore. “I don’t enjoy running. I enjoy having run.” As a result, the first half-decent excuse they have not to run (foul weather, work commitments, or lack of motivation) brings their running ambitions to a grinding halt.

I didn’t realise it at the time, but those first running steps were the greatest gift I have ever given myself. Running was to become a vital part of my life; and 44 years later, I still run almost every day, and have run well over 200 000 kilometres.

Most importantly, I still derive great joy from my running. I sincerely hope that you, the Comrades novice, will also start a lifelong love affair with our sport.

There were three venues that I ran to and from in those early days.

One was the College House, Men’s Hall of Residence at Wits University. This first run described above was from my room in residence and around the nearby rugby fields.

The second venue was my parent’s house in Homestead Avenue, Bryanston; and the third venue was my girlfriend Elaine’s house in Northcliff. During the holidays I ran from my parent’s house, and during the term from the residence. Most weekends, I was at Elaine’s house. (I hope you, the reader, will forgive me the confusion.)

One thing was constant: all three venues were situated in Johannesburg’s beneficial high altitude, and hills surrounded all three. I could not have selected a better training environment.

9 Ju ne 1976

I recorded all physical activity in my training diary. I still do. In fact, I have always taken note of the complete physical exertion of each day. If some other activity has taken its toll, I will trim my running plans or

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adjust my schedule.

It’s interesting that I found it very cold. Our winters are without a doubt not as intensely cold as they were in the seventies. At that time, I also ran at night, because I was embarrassed to be

• 2021

seen running. Runners were not the common everyday sight they are today.

I wrote, “It has been absolute rubbish that I have not had exercise as part of my life for so long.”

I M UST TRY A N D M A K E E ACH RU N A CH A LLENGE . TH E E SSEN TI A L TH I NG IS MOTI VATION. I M UST K EEP M YSELF I N TER E STED. I M UST K EEP TH E FL A M E BU R N I NG.

10 Ju ne 1976

I learned early on that not every run is fun, and that running, food and tummies often disagree.

I have never eaten anything before a race, and I never ate anything or had breakfast before any Comrades Marathon.

I am always too nervous to eat, and that awful feeling of a half-eaten banana sitting under my

Adam’s apple while I’m trying to run a major hill is something I can do without.

Besides, even the skinniest of fat-adapted athletes understands that we have thousands of calories in the form of body fat waiting to be burned.

1979 COMRADES Finished third. Here I am with Johnny Halberstadt, who came in second; and the winner, Piet Vorster.

WO R D S : B R U C E F O R DYC E | P H OTO G R A P H S : C O U R T E SY O F B R U C E F O R DYC E

1976 COMRADES The only decent photograph I have from my first Comrades. Climbing Inchanga Hill with Les Wilton.

11 + 12 Ju ne 1976

Old boys match at Woodmead, my old school. Running had not yet begun to dominate my life, but it would not be long before it grew in importance.

Surprisingly, for a small guy I was quite a good player. I loved to play

scrumhalf, and I was not afraid to tackle. I’m still a passionate rugby fan, and a brilliant armchair critic!

I did not realise it at the time, but this was to be the last game of rugby I ever played.

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1997 PRESIDENTIAL AWARDS Receiving an award from thenPresident Nelson Mandela is one of my life highlights

1974 WOODMEAD School athletics, 5 000 metres.

1981 COMRADES My first win. Here I am wearing a black armband in protest against apartheid.

LONDON-TO-BRIGHTON Supported by my sister, in 1982. I managed to win the race from 1981 to 1983.

13 Ju ne 1976

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14 Ju ne 1976 I forgot to write down the distance. As I mentioned at the start of this diary, in those early days, I often

only recorded the time I spent running. Some coaches and runners still do this.

WEEKLY MILEAGE: Approximately 20 kilometres.

WO R D S : B R U C E F O R DYC E | P H OTO G R A P H S : C O U R T E SY O F B R U C E F O R DYC E

I R ECOR DED A LL PH YSICA L ACTI V IT Y I N M Y TR A I N I NG DI A RY. I STILL DO. IN FACT, I H AV E A LWAYS TA K EN NOTE OF TH E COM PLETE PHYSICAL EXERTION OF EACH DAY.

Winged Messenger is available at all major book retailers.

15 Ju ne 1976

16 Ju ne 1976

PROTEST Braamfontein, Johannesburg, where we were marching in sympathy with the Soweto students until the police broke up our protest. Here my archaeology classmate, Christine, is bleeding after being assaulted by the police.

All South Africans know about the awful events of this day, and what can one say about one of the most momentous and terrible days in South Africa’s history? News was filtering back to us on the Wits campus that there were mass riots in Soweto, and that thousands of students and young school children were protesting against a government Bantu Education decree requiring that they be taught at least half their lessons in Afrikaans. We heard that children had been shot and killed, and that the army and the police were almost at war with the demonstrators.

I remember smoke on the horizon curling up into the air from the

direction of Soweto. All day long, Wits students were trying to get information and to mobilise to do something in support of the Soweto

children. It was a chaotic, adrenalin-filled day.

Running training laps around campus or on the Wits rugby fields seemed trivial.

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RUNNER’S WORLD 77

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ENER SH the era of

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IT’S A GOLDEN AGE OF FAST RUNNING SHOES. Combinations of carbon-fibre plating with ultra-light and responsive midsole cushioning systems have resulted in energy return and biomechanically efficient structures never seen before. This issue, we feature eight super-shoes that have changed the way the fastest runners are breaking records.

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RGY SHOES

ST HT

VALIDATING CLAIMS Shoes have always promised performance; so the claims are nothing new.

Actual evidence? For the most part, very little. But now, what has historically been a marketing claim is suddenly producing results.

The breakthrough, as it were, was enabled by new midsole cushioning that was springier than anything on the market, returning more energy with each stride; and significantly, it was considerably less dense. Low density meant that the midsole could be built up in size, creating the large ‘stack height’ that is the most notable outwardly visible feature of the new shoes, without the negative increase in mass that this would usually cause.

This turned the midsole into a kind of ‘scaffolding’ into which engineers could insert a carbonfibre plate that ran almost the full length of the shoe; and very importantly, they could curve that plate in a way that allowed even greater energy return, along with stiffness.

The end result of this foam/plate interaction was a shoe that significantly reduced the energy cost of running.

SAME SPEED, LESS OXYGEN Why does this matter? Simply because one of the crucial limiting factors during running is the amount of oxygen – and thus, energy – that the runner must consume to power their muscles to run a certain speed, according to RW ’s Scientific Editor, Prof. Ross Tucker.

If you can run at the same speed using less oxygen, then it stands to reason that you can increase your speed slightly before oxygen and energy consumption bump up against the glass ceiling imposed by your physiology, says Tucker. It’s analogous to running slightly downhill rather than uphill. Assisted by gravity, you use less energy to go downhill, and so you can run slightly faster at the same effort.

Now imagine shoes doing the same thing. The Nike Vaporfly 4% was named when laboratory testing found that wearing them, runners were consuming 4% less oxygen than when they ran in other shoe models available at the time.

SOFT RECALIBRATION Which brings us to the recalibration of running performances, and the philosophical dilemma now confronting the sport. Most of the major city marathons in the world are won in a time between 2:03 and 2:06. Those are now routine, rather than spectacular.

In 2015, the year before the ‘super’ shoes emerged, 51 men broke 2:08. By 2019, that number had doubled to 100. The 100th best time among women marathon runners in 2015 was 2:28:35.

In 2019, it was 2:25:38, almost three minutes faster.

Authorities have had notice of this, and have had opportunities to step in since – much like swimming’s governing body said ‘enough’ when swimsuits undermined the integrity of swimming times in 2009. World Athletics finally created a policy that allows a maximum thickness for a shoe, and regulates the plate design.

These new parameters, at least in terms of limiting performance advances within normal physiological levels, were too little too late. But today, most manufacturers are using some form of the new technologies, so the playing field has been levelled somewhat.

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FAST 82 RUNNER’S WORLD ISSUE 2

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The heelstriker’s dream.

← Hoka One One Carbon X2 PRICE: R3 750 WEIGHT: 238 GRAMS WHERE TO BUY: SPORTSMANSWAREHOUSE.CO.ZA A YEAR AGO, THE CARBON X HAD ALL OF US GOING FAST over mid- to long-

distance runs.

But after our wear-testers had clocked hundreds of kilometres, we determined that midfoot-strikers got the most out of the shoe. A heel-totoe roll propelled by the early-stage Meta-Rocker (Hoka’s tech that curves the sole slightly, for a rocking motion) felt quite aggressive to some testers, especially heel-strikers.

Those runners won’t feel left out with this update, though. A protruding heel similar to that on Hoka’s TenNine (though not as massive) absorbs shock and provides stability for runners who touch down on the back of the foot.

“If I raced a marathon or less, I’d go with the Saucony Endorphin Pro.” said a heel-striking tester. “If I raced a 50K or more, I’d use the Carbon X 2.”

Other heel-strikers and testers of the Endorphin Pro agreed.

As in the Endorphin Pro and Hoka’s other racing shoe, the Rocket X, a carbon-fibre plate in the midsole provides quick and snappy transitions.

The X 2 feels hardy for longer mileage, as well as versatile enough for speed training. Our test team liked the refined upper – the reinforced lacing and engineered support zones made it feel more secure.

↑ NB FuelCell RC Elite V2

On trend with increased stack height.

I N 2 0 2 0, N B PR E S E NTE D TH E I R FI R S T S U PE R - S H O E TO TH E WORLD in the form of the New Balance FuelCell RC Elite, combin-

ing a carbon-fibre plate and the best version of the FuelCell midsole compound, which is light, airy and gives great energy return together with the spoon-shaped carbon plate.

With the V2 (available May 2021), we notice NB have taken advantage of the generous parameters laid down by the ruling bodies, and have increased the stack height significantly – up to 35mm. This provides what could have been overkill cushioning; but combined with the unique auto-plating process by which the carbon is inserted, the experience is one of cushioning that is soft, but still able to provide a pop on the toe-off.

Flipping that stack over, the outsole presents significant cut-out sections of midsole, exposing that fulllength carbon plate. Our testers got a thrill from it, every time.

The light and breathable upper is also new, and the designers have clearly got into the spirit of making a shoe that not only is fast, but looks fast too.

PRICE: TBA WEIGHT: 219 GRAMS WHERE TO BUY: NEWBAL ANCE.CO.ZA

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← Under Armour Flow Velociti Wind PRICE: R3 499 WEIGHT: 241 GRAMS WHERE TO BUY: UNDERARMOUR.CO.ZA ALTHOUG H THE RE I S NO E MB E DDE D CARBON FIBRE, we welcome the Velociti Flow as a super-shoe,

due to an innovative new feature, effectively executed: a one-piece midsole and outsole, that – along with a 4mm-thick sock liner – gives the shoe a super-plush feel on the run.

So they’re cushioned enough for easy and long runs, but the weight is impressively low, thanks to dispensing with the heaviest part of the shoe: the rubber outsole. They’re also very responsive, meaning they’re perfect for tempo runs and faster sessions.

Our testers loved the upper; it was one of the features that almost everyone mentioned. Light but robust, it cradles the foot nicely while stretching and moving well in key areas. This is thanks to the supporting tapes (essentially, stringy overlays) which stiffen into tension when needed, and relax when not in play, instead of simply compressing the foot consistently.

The knitted ‘warp’ look led to fears that a) it would be hot, and b) there would be some friction, as can sometimes happen with a knitted-upper shoe – but neither situation occurred, and the breathability more than lived up to a shoe which has the word ‘wind’ in its name.

A rubberoutsole vanishing trick.

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Scan to Shop

Same record breakers as in 2020 – with a new colour.

↑ adidas Adizero Adios Pro

THERE’S A FAIR WHACK OF SUPER-SHOE HERE, that’s for sure. The stack height comes in just under the legal maximum allowed of 40mm, at 39mm. It measures 30mm in the forefoot, giving a heel drop of 9mm – not overly ‘stiletto-y’, but significant enough to get you through higher mileage runs without suffering issues your with calves and Achilles.

Instead of a plate, the Adios Adizero Pro uses five carbon-fibre rods, placed in line with the metatarsal bones. This makes the ride a little more controlled than from shoes with a full plate, which can sometimes feel unpredictable at toe-off.

So even with its towering Lightstrike Pro foam midsole, the shoe feels quick, responsive and reliable. (Plus, a part-carbon-fibre, partnylon heel plate also boosts stability at the ankle joint, which can help when your form fatigues in those final marathon kays.)

Some have criticised the spartan outsole, which is but a sliver of covering. But our testers did not feel it compromised grip so much as to make it a minus, and found it very much in line with the innovative, brave new world of the super-shoe.

PRICE: R3 999 WEIGHT: 224 GRAMS WHERE TO BUY: SHOP.ADIDAS.CO.ZA

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Scan to Shop

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The fastest Salomon road shoe available.

← Salomon S/Lab Phantasm

THE S/LAB PHANTASM RECEIVED A LOT OF HYPE

late in 2020 as Kilian Jornet attempted to break PRICE: R2 999 Yiannis Kouros’s ultra-stout 24-hour world record.

It isn’t the first road-racing shoe from the company WEIGHT: 198 GRAMS better known for its trail runners, but it is Salomon’s WHERE TO BUY: SALOMONSPORTS.CO.ZA most minimal. Ultimately, Kilian missed the record, but you can’t fault the shoe. The featherweight design gives you just enough material to keep the shoe stuck to your foot and go fast. One tester volunteered that even though there are lighter options out there, somehow this shoe feels like it weighs less. That lightweight design, however, makes the shoe better suited for shorter road races than mara­t hons or ultras. The midsole is a thin slab of ‘Energy Surge’ foam, which combines EVA with a co-polymer compound that makes it more bouncy and softer than EVA alone. Even so, the Phantasm has a pretty harsh, if smooth-rolling, ride.

And the single-layer mesh upper is so thin that we could look through the shoe and see the details on our socks. Of course, it breathes well – you’ll be cold on winter runs – and that lack of structure means you need to make sure the shoe fits.

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RUNNER’S WORLD 87

↓ Puma Deviate Nitro Elite PRICE: R3 999 WEIGHT: 263 GRAMS WHERE TO BUY: ZA.PUMA.COM BEHIND THE SCENES , Puma has been work i ng to re- est a bl i sh it self a s a manufacturer of serious running shoes.

The Deviate Nitro was the first indication that the company is on the right track.

Like just about every other brand, Puma wanted a shoe with a carbonf ibre plate, to ea rn some cred. The Deviate Nitro is that shoe. It also has a lightweight, bouncy foam – but it’s TPE, not the pricier, springier Pebax that some other brands use, and which makes you really want to kick your heels to your butt.

The foam is nitrogen-infused, however, giving it a responsive sensation underfoot, and it proved durable in our testing.

Originally the Puma Deviate Nitro was presented as the premium of four Puma Nitro cushioned shoes; a versatile option that you can use for both training and racing. Now they’ve managed to take 70 grams off, for this even more exclusive racing-flat version: the Deviate Nitro Elite.

“These shoes blew me away,” gushed one tester. “I wore them for everything from a 5:30-minute-per-kilometre cruise to a 10K PB, and they felt fully capable doing both.”

Besides the weight loss, the Elite has the most responsive cushioning, a singlelayer monomesh upper, and the same inner carbon-fibre plate.

Ready for race day.

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The nitrogeninfused midsole oozes speed.

↓ Asics MetaRacer Tokyo PRICE: R3 449 WEIGHT: 189 GRAMS WHERE TO BUY: THESWEATSHOP.CO.ZA JUST WHEN YOU THOUG HT ASIC S’ LEGACY would consist solely of stalwart daily trainers, the brand surprises with the MetaRacer, its first carbon-fibre-plated racer. This Tokyo version is a limited-edition release of the standard model and dons a crimson upper to celebrate the 2021 Olympic city, but the rest of the shoe is unchanged.

It pairs a rocker-style midsole with an aggressive toe spring that’s designed to help reduce excess movement of the ankle, saving runners some energy. That plus a carbon-fibre plate in the forefoot help improve your efficiency – increasing pace directly wasn’t Asics’ main priority. So when you’re digging for that second-half speed

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in a marathon, you’ll still have some gas in the tank to negative split.

It helps that the shoe is radically light as well, weighing about the same as the benchmark Nike Vaporfly. “Normally, Asics cushioning feels way too soft for me – but these were comfortable to go the marathon distance without becoming too cushy,” one tester said.

“And wow, I felt fast – like I was ready to put a big race on my calendar.”

A shoe that demands a cadence increase.

↑ Saucony Endorphin Pro PRICE: R4 499 WEIGHT: 212 GRAMS WHERE TO BUY: OMNI-SPORT.COM

SAUCONY’S ENTRY INTO THE CARBON-FIBRE SUPER-SHOE speed

Limited edition for the Tokyo Olympics.

wars was originally planned to have a 4mm drop, based on the geometry of the Kinvara, Saucony’s traditional fast flat.

However, the product team noticed that the shoe required more effort at toe-off, when the lower offset was paired with the stiffer forefoot geometry of Saucony’s SpeedRoll technology.

An adaptation resulted in an 8mm offset, to allow the foot to roll forward and the toe spring to become more efficient. SpeedRoll tech also combines with an S-curved carbon-fibre plate

in t he m idsole, a nd responsive PWRRUN cushioning. This midsole has a beaded construction, wherein the jellybean-like beads are pushed up against each other to create an internal lattice structure that stabilises t he foa m – ma king t he shoe more durable, and lending that propulsive spring assistance that our testers are constantly looking out for in supershoe testing.

One tester va lidated t he supershoe categorisation by explaining: “ It dem a nd s t h a t you r u n f a s t – aggressively fast. There’s a sudden rush when I take off; my cadence becomes quicker and my steps become peppier, probably due to the elevated cushioning in the heel.

“Try for an easy day in these shoes, and it’s likely you’ll be hard-pressed to slow down once you get going.”

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BACKMARKER

H

R

A TORCH IS PASSED AND ONE DAY IT WILL BE PASSED ON AGAIN

T

here are many kinds of Dads in the world. Good Dads. Bad Dads.

Funny Dads. Sad Dads. Some Dads will give you their last buck; some won’t give you their first.

As I remember mine, I think of the huge Starsky and Hutch-style knitted jacket he wore round the house, the blue-and-gold Gemini horoscope mug he drank tea out of. I remember the simple joy I felt to get the call to hop up and sit on his knee when we were watching TV. We laughed a lot; he’d stick on a Monty Python tape and we’d memorise sketches and do impressions together, or improvise obscene songs while walking into town.

When you’re a kid, your Dad is more a living myth than a human being. And somewhere layered into the whole experience is the fact that you are learning how to be a Dad yourself.

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Lessons are passed down, Moses-like, written on the tablets of the days; incrementally, values are being shaped, traditions formed.

Competition was the currency of daily interactions. The walk home from town after the weekly shop inevitably ended in an increase of pace as we took on the final hill, multiple bags in each hand. Running was a daily staple. Either he’d walk ahead and time me running between lamp posts, or we’d sprint off together, laughing. He inevitably pulled ahead at the midway point, gently mocking my efforts to keep up.

I ran all the time at that age; races between mates were common, sudden sprints and surges. It was part of the skill set you needed, along with soccer, fighting, climbing, pain tolerance, sense of humour, conker dexterity and courage.

Is there a fitter, purer state of being than that of the pre-adolescent child?

THE BIG QUESTIONS

By John Carroll Q. I want to start running, but I have this terrible fear that other runners will judge me.

What can I do?

A. When you are running, you will see runners wearing cargo shorts, runners wearing muscle tops, runners wearing Frankie Say Relax T-shirts and men wearing running tights but not shorts. You will see fast runners, slow runners and runners moving with the grace of a boozed-up puppet.

You will not be judging them and they will not be judging you.

Except the men in tights and no shorts.

Everyone judges them.

The 10- or 11-year-old, as yet unburdened by hormonal moods or tormented by thoughts of lust and thrown into the vat of hedonism that results from such confusion. That window where you feel the strength and stamina of real youth oncoming, but you still have the spirit of the child to enjoy it. You are unrestrained, without embarrassment. The body unpoisoned by booze or cigarettes, muscles bursting into life, lungs clean.

So I ran everywhere. And one day, during a race on the beach, I just ran away. Races had become closer, but the idea of beating my Dad had not entered my head. I’d noticed he’d had to try harder to beat me in recent weeks. It’s testament to his fitness that he could. He’d have been 38 at the time.

The sand was solid beneath our feet as we set off, me in my tan jeans and T-shirt, Dad in his jeans and denim jacket. We seemed to be level for longer than usual, and the usual trash-talking at the halfway point stopped as I edged ahead. His countenance changed as he realised this would take concentration; and then, just as I saw the effort he was having to put in, I felt this surge of power – my arms and legs seemed to pick themselves up and move more dynamically; I sped ahead. It was like I was being pulled by an invisible force.

I glanced back at Dad – he was laughing, bless him, but this was a new laugh, a surprised surrender. This was the first time I’d seen him failing at something. With every step I took, his mythical powers were weakened.

The end point we had settled on passed in a flash. I swept on. And then I stopped; we were breathless and a tad giddy with it all. I didn’t know what was happening, how big this moment was. But a baton had been passed.

And just how did Dad feel as we continued the walk? I would only truly understand it when it happened to me.

I L L U S T R AT I O N : P I E TA R I P O S T I

BY PAU L T O N K I N S O N

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