Category: Columns

Leading South African automotive manufacturer Toyota has come on board as the sponsor of the official 2017 Comrades Marathon headgear. Toyota has been a sponsor of The Ultimate Human Race for the past seven years and this year’s race cap has been designed with the Comrades runner in mind. It is manufactured from lightweight material with moisture management properties to ensure the most comfortable, cool headgear on race day – Sunday, 4 June 2017.

Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) General Manager, Chris Fisher says, “We extended an offer to Toyota to sponsor this high visibility element – the Comrades branded keepsake. We felt that for seven years now Toyota had sponsored not only the vehicles but the ‘Last Mile’ as well, so for us it was the natural extension to their sponsorship rights.”

Fisher adds, “According to the rules, the Toyota Comrades cap is the preferred (but not compulsory) branded headgear permitted on race day. With 20-thousand caps being presented to runners at either of the two registration points in Durban and Pietermaritzburg, this new look cap will definitely make a statement on race day – this year they will be white and red with the Toyota brand on the sides.”

Runners can collect their Toyota Comrades cap and New Balance Comrades race t-shirt together with their Bonitas race numbers, final race instructions, the official Comrades souvenir magazine and goodie bag at the Comrades Expo in Durban or the Pietermaritzburg registration venue between 1 and 3 June 2017, depending on which registration point they had selected on the entry form.

The 2017 Comrades Marathon will be the 47^th uo-run in Comrades history, starting at the Durban City Hall at 5h30 and ending 12 hours later at the home of the Golden Horse Casino, the Scottsville Racecourse on Sunday, 4 June 2017.

As part of its Runners First initiative, the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) will once again host its Underprivileged Runners Project over the Comrades weekend. CMA Marketing Manager, Thami Vilakazi says, “An important aspect of the Comrades Marathon’s vision is to retain its position as South Africa’s most inclusive sporting event and this entails accommodating runners across the socio-economic spectrum and affording them an opportunity to experience the camaraderie of being part of The Ultimate Human Race.”

The CMA have decided to initiate a programme whereby runners could apply to be housed and nourished prior to and after participating in the race. This saw the start of the CMA’s Underprivileged Runners Programme which was launched over a decade ago. Through the Underprivileged Runners Programme, the CMA will once again demonstrate its spirit of humanity by providing this support to needy runners wishing to participate in the 2017 Comrades Marathon.

The Comrades Marathon Association will be providing up to 800 runners with accommodation, a comfortable mattress and blankets for a good night’s rest, ablution facilities as well substantial meals on the evenings prior to and after the race.

There is no charge to the runners for this facility; however for planning and logistical purposes, runners who benefit from this programme are asked to apply early in the year. Spaces are limited, strictly needy runners will be accommodated. Transportation will be provided for runners collecting their race packs at the Durban Exhibition Centre on Saturday, 3 June to the venue in Pietermaritzburg where they will be accommodated and served a scrumptious dinner.

On race day, runners will be provided with breakfast and then transported to the start in Durban and back to the accommodation facility after the race. After the event, the CMA will donate the blankets and mattresses to various charity organisations in Pietermaritzburg and surrounding areas.

For more information, please email Nonkululeko: nonkululeko@comrades.com

Stephen Mokoka will compete in the first World Marathon Majors race of his career next month when he takes on a field of world class athletes at the Tokyo Marathon. The South African athlete was recently named in the elite men’s line-up on Friday for the annual contest to be held on Sunday, 26 February 2017.

The field, spearheaded by former world record holder Wilson Kipsang of Kenya includes 10 men who have run faster than Mokoka’s best over a 42km – 2:07:40, which he clocked at the Shanghai Marathon in 2015. As a former track athlete, Mokoka set the South African 10km road record of 27:38 in Manchester in 2015 and then the national 15km mark of 42:44 in Cardiff last year. He has also run under 2:11:00 every season since making his 42km debut in 2010.

This will be his maiden appearance, however, in one of the six races that form part of the prestigious World Marathon Majors campaign. Although he is up against a quality line-up, should he cause an upset, Mokoka will become only the second athlete to win the Tokyo Marathon after national record holder Gert Thys in 1999, and the first to do so since the event was relaunched to form part of the Majors series.

The women's field will be led by former Commonwealth Games 10km champion Lucy Kabuu of Kenya, the only lady in the line-up to have dipped under 2:20:00.

Patellofemoral pain is a very common condition. In fact, this pain around or under the kneecap is so common among runners, that it has earned the alternative name, Runner’s Knee. Here are the causes and treatments you should know about. – BY ERNEST COOPER, BIOMECHANIST

Runner’s Knee pain is usually felt during walking, running, squatting and stair climbing, and is often worse when walking or running downhill. Adolescents and young adults tend to be more prone to Runner’s Knee than older adults, and females are at greater risk than males. Runner’s Knee has a number of causes:

• Training overload: When starting with a running programme, or advancing a current programme, it is very important to progress gradually. A sudden increases in running distance and speed places a runner at risk of developing injuries, as the runner requires sufficient time to become accustomed to the load they experience. Novice runners, in particular, are at risk of wanting to do “too much, too soon.”

• Muscular weakness: The hip muscles, in particular the gluteal muscles, control hip motion during the single leg stance. These muscles need to be strong enough to prevent the pelvis dropping to one side and the thigh shifting inwards. Meanwhile, strong thigh muscles (quadriceps) are needed to provide support around the kneecap. People suffering from Runner’s Knee often have weak quadriceps, and strengthening programmes that focus on both the hip and thigh muscles have been shown to decrease pain and improve function.

• Running mechanics: The way we move influences the way forces are applied to different parts of the body, which can lead to certain types of injuries. Over-striding (making contact with the ground too far in front of the body) changes the impact forces that a runner experiences in such a way that it places increased load on the knee. If the pelvis drops to one side on landing, and the thigh collapses or twists inwards, this leads to a change in the alignment of the kneecap and thigh bone, which increases the pressure between bones in the knee and is one of the mechanical features of Runner’s Knee.

So, in addition to strengthening the muscles around the hip and knee, it may be necessary to analyse your running mechanics and then make changes to running technique as part of the treatment for Runner’s Knee. Excessive pronation (where the foot rolls inwards) can also contribute to knee pain. The knee is therefore often the victim of what happens above (at the hip) or below (at the foot).

Since Runner’s Knee may be experienced due to several causes, and each cause is treated in a different manner, every athlete should be managed as an individual. For this reason it is imperative that runners seek the assistance of a qualified professional in order to identify the root of the problem and prescribe the appropriate course of action.

About the Author
Ernest is a biomechanical, video, and running gait analyst at the High Performance Centre (HPC) of the University of Pretoria.

As aspirant Comrades runners prepare themselves for peak performance in this year’s up-run, the Comrades Marathon Association has announced the official distance of the 2017 Comrades Marathon as well as marginal changes to the route.

Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) Race Director, Rowyn James says, “The officially measured and certified distance is 86.73km. With regards to the route changes, we will return to the original up-run course through Pinetown without any detours and follow the traditional route from the start outside the Durban City Hall all the way to Pietermaritzburg, except for the last 7km or so.”

James continues, “Just after the top of Polly Shortts, a revised route will be followed to the new finish venue of Scottsville Racecourse. The route is similar to the one of the 1998 and 2000 Comrades Marathons, with a few minor tweaks here and there.”

The 2017 Comrades up-run will be slightly shorter than the two most recent up-run routes. The 2013 route was 86.86km long while the 2015 route measured 87.72km. In line with the Safety at Sports and Recreational Events Act 2010, James also confirmed that the Scottsville Racecourse would serve as the finish venue for this year’s race.

James says, “Aligning with the requirements of the Events Act necessitated the move to the racecourse. The landmark location served as the finish venue of both the 1998 and 2000 editions of the Comrades Marathon.”

James says, “We are working closely with the owners of the Scottsville Racecourse Gold Circle, to ensure that the facilities and other arrangements are in keeping with Comrades Marathon standards and to meet the needs of both our runners and spectators on race day.”

It all goes down on Sunday, 4 June 2017. For entries and information visit www.comrades.com or www.championchip.co.za.

The saying goes, “Remember that a 12-minute mile is just as far as a six-minute mile.” Well, over the past couple of months I have developed new respect for this quote. – BY RENÉ KALMER

Four months post my hip surgery, my orthopaedic surgeon finally gave me the green light to start training again. This time, I actually cried happy tears in the corridors of Fourways Life Hospital. The circle was finally complete after a very frustrating 18 months of battling with a mystery hip injury. I was overwhelmed with joy, but at the same time terrified to take the first step of my comeback! What if my hip was still sore? Where do you begin after a five-month layoff?

It took me four days to call my coach to share the good news, and I made peace with the fact that I was once again a beginner runner, starting off with 1min jog/1min walk intervals. Then I was upgraded to 4min jog/1min walk intervals. I was over the moon when I started to hit 4:30min/km pace in my intervals. I haven’t seen Mr 4min (forget about the seconds…) for a really long time on my Garmin watch!

Taking Baby Steps
After four weeks of slowly getting back into running, I was finally allowed to do a 20min non-stop run. Normally, 20 minutes is just part of my warm-up routine, so this was quite an adjustment. Added to that, the first 20min run was scheduled on my birthday and I was all pumped, but my excitement only lasted a few steps. I was 20 weeks pregnant at that time and baby just would not allow mommy to have a comfortable run. I barely dipped under a frustrating 7min/km! A few days later I met hubby, Andre, after work for another shuffle, but after 2km I was begging him to rather walk the rest of the way. Andre could not believe that he would ever hear those words come from my mouth. I now have new respect for beginner runners and finally understand why they sometimes don’t enjoy running as much as I always have: It is hard to run when you are a bit overweight, your joints are hurting, and you find it difficult to breathe.

Thankfully, some runs are definitely more pleasant than others. I enjoyed my first parkrun at Delta Park five months after my surgery. I look back to where I was five months ago, stuck to a Game Ready Ice Machine for two weeks and being on crutches for five weeks. Still, as a former Delta parkrun record holder, it was quite tough to be one of the backmarkers huffing and puffing up the hill – I didn’t even count how many dogs were in front of me, and Andre is enjoying every moment of this pregnancy-joint-comeback attempt, as he says he can finally keep up with me on a run now – but I have learnt to celebrate the small victories on my road to recovery, and to be grateful for mobility again.

Facing a New Reality
Most importantly, I have made peace with the fact that I won’t be able to be one of those mommy’s to be that runs right until they are about to give birth. That’s why I’m really grateful to Uday Raniga for helping me out with an Elliptigo. Basically it is a cross between a bicycle and an elliptical gym machine, designed to simulate the movement of running without the impact on your knees and hips. I truly believe in the benefits of staying active throughout my pregnancy, even if it is just to keep a positive state of mind. The Elliptigo allows me to get my heart rate up without impact on my joints, and the opportunity to train outside instead of stuck inside a gym.

I have also figured out that morning runs are more comfortable. Maybe it is just my imagination – or wishful thinking about the future – but I think my baby enjoys sleeping in as much as her daddy. And even though the ‘Watermelon Lady’ is attracting a lot of attention when training, I’m planning to keep going as long as my body allows it.

Thanks to major sponsor Bonitas, the Comrades Marathon Association will be hosting the Bonitas Comrades Women’s Seminars across the country in a bid to empower female runners to conquer The Ultimate Human Race come Sunday, 4 June 2017.

The Bonitas Women’s Seminars will be hosted between February and March in Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg, as per the dates and venues below. Thesewomen-specific interactive sessions will be packed with all the resources and advice necessary to help steer them in the right direction when preparing for The Ultimate Human Race.

A panel of experts in various fields will be available to discuss significant topics targeted at women who will be running this year’s up-run or who plan to participate in the Comrades Marathon in the future. CMA Marketing Coordinator, Nonkululeko Mdlalose says, “We encourage the attendants to engage in the discussions so that they can get the best out of the seminar. The idea is that these women are empowered with necessary information.”

A delicious breakfast buffet is part of the deal. Early booking is recommended as these sessions are limited to either 100 or 120 people per seminar, depending on the venue.

For bookings, please follow this link: https://secure.onreg.com/onreg2/front/step1.php?id=3410

SAT 04 FEB 2017

PRETORIA SOUTHERN SUN PRETORIA (CULLINAN A) CNR. PRETORIUS & STEVE BIKO STREET, ARCADIA, PRETORIA 25°44'43.36'' S | 28°12'13.86'' E

SAT 18 FEB 2017 CAPE TOWN GARDEN COURT NELSON MANDELA BOULEVARD (LILLIEBLOEM) CNR. MELBOURNE & CORONATION ROADS, WALMER ESTATE, WOODSTOCK, CAPE TOWN 33°56'5.88'' S | 18°26'54.56'' E

SAT 25 FEB 2017 JOHANNESBURG SOUTHERN SUN MONTECASINO (VERONA 2 &3) MONTECASINO BOULEVARD, MONTECASINO ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX, FOURWAYS, JOHANNESBURG 26°1'24.46'' S | 28°0'56.68'' E

SAT 04 MAR 2017 DURBAN SOUTHERN SUN ELANGENI HOTEL DURBAN (TUGELA ROOM) 63 SNELL PARADE DURBAN 29°50'43.58'' S | 31°2'5.96'' E

SAT 11 MAR 2017 JOHANNESBURG SOUTHERN SUN OR TAMBO AIRPORT (ILANGA) AIPORT GOUNDS, JONES ROAD, O.R. TAMBO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
KEMPTON PARK 26°8'4.78'' S | 28°13'35.69'' E

For more information, please contact nonkululeko@comrades.com

Reigning Cross Triathlon Junior Elite Men’s World Champion, Michael Ferreira will make his XTERRA “long course” debut on Saturday, 21 January 2017 when he takes on the Fedhealth XTERRA at Buffelspoort Dam.

“I took part in my first XTERRA Lite at Buffelspoort in 2014,” says Ferreira.  “Although I tried my hand at a couple of road triathlons, I was always a mountain biker at heart. I was able to make a name for myself in the XTERRA Lite Series. In 2017, however, I will be turning 20, which makes me old enough to move on to the long distance XTERRA. XTERRA Buffelspoort will be my first long distance triathlon and I plan to take part in all three XTERRA SA races: Buffelspoort, Nelson Mandela Bay and Grabouw.” 

“The XTERRA Buffelspoort route is definitely world class,” continues Ferreira.  “The swim is always pleasant, the bike course is challenging but also fun, with a lot of single track. The run is slow going and tough, exactly what a trail run should be like. The trick is to pace well so that you aren't over extended going into the run. The XTERRA Lite is a good introduction to the sport of XTERRA. The course is of such a nature that the faster you go the harder it gets.  Newcomers to the sport can take it slow and it will be a fun, easy race to participate in. My goal at the 2017 Fedhealth XTERRA will be to achieve an overall top ten position.”

With the big Ironman races just around the corner, we look at the latest news in the remarkable story of visually-impaired DARE TO TRI athlete Helen Webb’s journey to becoming an Ironman. – By DTT Coach Derick Marcisz

The Modern Athlete DARE TO TRI Programme welcomed the 2017 season in having just completed an eight-week peak training block for the Standard Bank IRONMAN 70.3 SA in Buffalo City on Sunday 29 January. This event will consist of a 1.9km swim followed by a 90km bike ride and a 21km run, and January will see our athletes follow a four-week sharpening and taper programme to put the finishing touches to their race preparation

The tenth anniversary of this iconic event is going to be fantastic, with Dare to Tri well represented by a good mix of both novice and experienced athletes. After that, our 70.3 athletes who have entered the Standard Bank Ironman South Africa in Port Elizabeth will have to recover quite quickly, as they start the final two-month preparation for the “big dance in PE,” taking place on Sunday 2 April.

INSPIRING DEBUTANT
This year our DTT athlete Helen Webb is attempting to become the first visually impaired South African female to compete in an Ironman. I met her just before the 2016 Comrades Marathon and she asked me if I had any experience in coaching disabled/para-athletes, and could I possibly help her? I explained that I did not have this experience, but would love to help, and her progress as a triathlete has been nothing short of phenomenal!

I doubt that readers can actually imagine the task that lies ahead of Helen in attempting to swim 3.8km in the sea, ride a hilly 180km on a tandem bike, and then finish with a 42km marathon run, tethered to a guide in all three disciplines, and with just 10% vision! But the great news is that after using several guides in her previous races, Helen has found the perfect regular guide in Desi Dickinson, who is a top age-group triathlete. We asked both of them to tell us their thoughts as the big day gets closer.

HELEN: WITHIN MY REACH
“Sjoe, I cannot believe how quickly time is flying. When I started my journey six months ago, Ironman seemed very far away, and now it is just around the corner. I am amazed at how far I have come, but also how far I still have to go. In the space of three and a half months I completed two sprint and two Olympic distance events and I am maintaining the running fitness I came out of Comrades with, my cycling is getting better, but my swimming is still awful.”

“I have had the pleasure of working with many guides in all three disciplines, and they have all contributed a huge amount to me physically as well as mentally. Now elite triathlete Desiree Dickinson has taken up the challenge of guiding me and will be racing 70.3 East London and Ironman South Africa with me. Although we have only known each other for a short time, we have forged an excellent bond, and Desiree’s fearlessness, energy, humour and compassion are exactly what I need. We completed the Telkom 94.7 Cycle Challenge in an excellent time of 3:37 and had a great time doing it. I am so incredibly excited about the rest of my journey, and although there is still lots of work to be done, I can see for the first time that Ironman South Africa 2017 is well within my reach!”

DESIREE: TIME TO GIVE BACK
“I have been competing in triathlon for three years and see Ironman as a beautiful gift that has come to me in my forties. In 2013, I was challenged by a colleague to compete in the Ironman 70.3 in Buffalo City. I was bitten by the triathlon bug and haven’t looked back. I did my first Ironman in 2014 and discovered that I was good at the long-distance races. The highlights of my short career are winning my age group at Ironman African Champs in 2015 and having the privilege to qualify for and compete at the Ironman World Champs in Kona, Hawaii in 2015 and 2016, where I finished 12th and 7th respectively.”

“I came back from Hawaii this year with a desire to give something back, because I felt it had been all about me for three years, and I also wanted to experience the Ironman race from a different perspective. I have always said that the real heroes are the people that are out there after dark, finishing in 13 or more hours, and I really respect and look up to those athletes. Racing with Helen will give me the perfect opportunity to experience this, as well as to help someone achieve a special goal. I am privileged to be able to ‘be her eyes’ for both races!”

For more info on the Modern Athlete DARE TO TRI Academy go to https://daretotri.canbook.me/e/view/10091 or contact the Coach at derick.marcisz@stemcor.com for further information.

I thought it best to begin my first contribution to Modern Athlete by discussing the purpose of the evaluation of running gait, and then in future issues I will discuss specific biomechanical concerns in greater depth, by referring back to gait analysis as a method of identifying the possible mechanisms of injury. – BY ERNEST COOPER, BIOMECHANIST

The purpose of running gait analysis is to identify the deficiencies and compensations in movement and stability, which potentially increase a runner’s risk of injury by reducing the mechanical efficiency of running, thus increasing the amount of stress and altering the direction in which the stress and load is applied. Typically, this analysis involves filming an athlete running on a treadmill, and should ideally include a view from the side as well as the front/rear. It could also include the use of additional instruments, such as accelerometers and pedometers.

It is important to understand that the body functions as a whole, even in a sport which focuses predominantly on the lower body, so deficiencies in one area of the body could lead to compensation in another area, and the repetitive nature of running results in an accumulation of stresses and strains, the consequence of which may be pain or injury. For this reason, no segment should be studied in isolation, as the root cause of an injury may lie elsewhere in the body.

Getting Down to the Source

The primary goal of gait analysis is therefore to identify factors which may contribute to an existing injury, or increase the risk of suffering new injuries. Key areas to be examined include the lower back, pelvis, knee and ankle. Additionally, characteristics such as stride length, stride frequency/cadence, and foot strike are assessed. As a runner makes initial contact with the ground, the stride length and strike pattern are measured. Over-striding increases the braking force applied to the limbs, increasing the load on joints, bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments. Due to the body being exposed to these greater loads, increased braking forces are likely to exacerbate any existing stability limitations. Excessive stride length has also been associated with cross-striding, where the feet cross over each other with each successive stride.

By the time a runner reaches mid-stance (the foot of the planted leg is aligned under the hips), they would have reached a point of maximal load-absorption. Ideally the hips should remain relatively level, because restricted pelvic stability and an inability to safely control the absorption of load may manifest as a ‘see-saw action’ in the hips. Also, at mid-stance the ankle joint would also have reached maximal eversion, a component of pronation, another mechanism by which the body absorbs load. Pronation is therefore not inherently bad, but it become problematic once it becomes excessive.

With a better understanding of what gait analysis looks at, in coming issues I will discuss specific concerns and how the gait analysis highlights potential risk factors which may lead to pain or injury.