Category: Racing

The main ultra-marathon season will soon be here, and you may be plotting an ultra PB in the coming months. Here’s what you need to know now in order to go after that new PB.

In SA, there are many ultras on the calendar, with distances going from just over the marathon distance of 42.2km all the way up to several hundred kilometres. We also have 24-hour races, multi-day or multi-stage events, and informal races limited only by the imagination, with runners taking on challenges like 50 marathons in 50 days, running across the country, or the Sahara, or even 10 Comrades in 10 days.

The ultra is there to challenge us, both mentally and physically – and anyone who thinks that an ultra is simply going to roll over and hand out PB’s is horribly mistaken! So here are some essential tips to follow when chasing that new ultra best.

1. Get your head in the game: This doesn’t require hours on the couch talking to your shrink. Start by committing 100% to your goal. Make sure it’s realistic but challenging, and start believing that you can achieve it.

2. Planning is crucial: The difficulty with an ultra is that because of the toll it places on the body and the amount of recovery required post-race, you only have one bite at the cherry. If you build up and train to run a fast 10km and things don’t work out on race day, picking another race the following week is not a problem, but if things don’t quite go according to plan in an ultra, you can’t simply choose to run another one soon thereafter. This makes planning a crucial part of success, and you’ll need to answer these questions when doing your planning:
• What do I need to do to achieve my goal?
• Do I have enough time to build up injury-free?
• Which races am I going to do between now and then that will help me reach my goal?
• What are the entry criteria for my target race? (Because these days many races sell out early!)
• What do I need to do differently this year?

3. Adapt: Training is all about adapting the body physically, metabolically and biomechanically in order to achieve your goals. Make sure that you’re training for your goal race and nothing else. If you’re training for an ultra, then you need to be running at paces that will best prepare you for it, and not training at paces that are preparing you for a marathon, or worse, something even shorter and faster.

4. Get going: Once you’ve chosen your target ultra for the PB attempt, stick to your training programme and make it happen. Only you can train for and achieve that PB, nobody can do it for you, so go get it.

Use these handy tips and workouts to keep your legs ticking over this December, because going on holiday doesn’t mean you have to stop training or lose your fitness. – BY RAY ORCHISON, REGISTERED COACH

Holidays are a great time to rest, relax and recover from the year’s work and stress, but they’re unfortunately also a great time to get unfit! That’s because we end up consuming copious amounts of food, unhealthy snacks and far too many drinks, while not running as often, but the solution is simple: Keep an element of training in your holiday.

Also, for those planning a marathon or ultra early in the year, the holiday period is a crucial part of your training, and having a few extra hours in your day is great for getting some solid training done. Personally, I find it motivating getting up early on my holiday to get my training done in new surroundings, before the rest of the family wakes up, and I can then devote the rest of the day to them.

Surviving the holidays
Getting through the holidays without losing all that hard-earned fitness and keeping the bathroom scale from groaning is not as hard as it sounds:

1. Make it count: Where time is an issue and your training session has to be short, get the most bang for your buck by keeping the intensity up. Just because it’s a shorter session doesn’t mean you can’t get a lot out of it.

2. Be disciplined in your binges: No need to suffer a case of FOMO because you can’t eat biscuits, chocolates or your Gran’s shortbread… Allow yourself some treats, but that doesn’t mean eat everything!

3. Eat less, enjoy more: We tend to go overboard when it comes to the amount of food prepared over the Festive season, but instead of eating until you pop, dish up smaller amounts. You still get to try everything, and you will enjoy it far more than if you’re so full you feel sick for hours afterwards.

4. Allow yourself time to de-stress: This is probably the most important aspect of a holiday, so take time out, allow the cortisol levels in your body to return to normal, and give yourself the chance to dream about the exciting year ahead.

Maintaining fitness
There’s nothing worse than trying to get back into your training when it feels like everything you’ve worked so hard to achieve has disappeared, so you ideally want to start the new year having maintained a decent level of fitness, and training on just three to four days per week during your holiday should be more than sufficient to keep things ticking over.

Image: Fotolia

Having taken an eight-year sabbatical from race walking, Natalie Le Roux returned to competition in 2015 and her remarkable comeback continued in October with a new SA Record for 50km in her debut at the distance. Now she has her sights set on the world stage. – BY MANFRED SEIDLER

As early as 600 BC, legendary Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” He could have been talking about race walker Natalie Le Roux, who on 21 October was crowned the SA 50km Road Race Walking Women’s Champion. Attempting the distance for the first time, the KZN athlete finished in 4:54:33, not only becoming the first female walker in South Africa to break five hours, but also taking a whopping 20-plus minutes off the previous SA Record of 5:17:55, set by Sandra Steenkamp in Cape Town in October 2011. Not bad for somebody that had taken an eight-year break from competitive walking!

TALENT DISCOVERED
Natalie’s ‘first step’ was back in 2000, when she was in Matric. “I went with a friend to Bellville Athletics Club to become a registered runner, as we wanted to start taking part in road races. Then in my first race I saw somebody race walking and was immediately attracted to the sport.” She quickly showed a real talent for walking and set Western Province records in the 3000m and 5000m for Girls Under-20 in 2001, followed by a WP Senior record in the 3000m in 2003. However, as so often happens, ‘real life’ then forced Natalie to put walking on the back-burner.

“I studied Food Technology at the University of Stellenbosch and started working in 2005 at what was then Rainbow Chickens in Worcester, now RCL Foods. I also met my husband and had my son, so it was simply impossible to do any form of training. I did try briefly in 2007 and finished fourth at the SA Championships in the 20km event, but it was simply not sustainable,” says Natalie, who was married in 2008 and had her son De Wett in 2012.

Another comeback almost happened a few years later, when a former walking rival and friend, Rouzanne Harris, was teaching in Worcester and coaching the youngsters. When she left to start a new job, she asked Natalie to take over as coach, and by training with the kids, the walking bug started to bite again… but in 2014 Natalie’s husband was transferred to Durban, and the combination of the move, work and being a full-time mom once again put paid to any thoughts of competing.

However, in 2015 Natalie decided it was time to race again, and an SMS message to SA and Africa 50km Record Holder Marc Mundell saw her introduced to his father, Ollie, himself a former top walker, who began coaching her. Just a few short months later she competed at the South African Championships in Cape Town and not only won the 30km race, but also set a new South African record of 2:46:48!

DOORS OPENING
In April 2016, the IAAF announced that women would, for the first time, be able to compete in the 50km Race Walk at the 2017 World Championships in London, but with the qualification window closing too soon, and Natalie not yet ready for a shot at the distance, she and Ollie set their eyes on the 2017 SA Championships in George. In the months leading up to her 50km debut, she showed that she was in form by setting two new PBs, walking 1:43:49 for 20km at the SA Masters Champs, followed by a 25:02.99 for 5000m in Birmingham in the UK. Then it was time for the 50km.

“I wanted to give it a go and see how it felt, and the plan was to try and go under five hours,” says Natalie. “It was a long distance and it was my first race, so I’m really proud of myself. This was the hardest thing I have done, but I’m excited to try it again, and now the plan is to go closer to four-and-a-half hours. I am currently ranked 22nd in the world and I would really like to see how high in the world rankings I could go.”

These days, Natalie is fortunate to have an incredible support system that makes competing possible, thanks to her parents staying on the same property, which means she has someone on hand to look after her son when she is training. “I am really blessed to be in this position. With this support base, I am now targeting an international race for 2018, ideally in the middle of the year, and I am also keen to give the 20km another go. My biggest regret is that in 2004 I was invited onto the Olympic squad, but due to work commitments I was not able to see what I could achieve, so this is another lease on my walking career and I want to see just what can be done.”

Images: Cobus Groenewald, Cape Town Sport Photography

Ever woken up with ‘heavy legs,’ but still forced yourself through a run and got back home feeling exhausted and burnt out? Then you were probably suffering from overtraining, but the solution is simple. – BY DERICK MARCISZ

When you train sensibly, your body builds up during the recovery period between training sessions, allowing you to do future training easier, or at a faster pace, or with an increase in distance. When you overtrain, the opposite occurs and your ability to recover and build up is outpaced by repetitive high intensity training (speed or distance), leading to a decrease in performance, or even illness and/or injury. You have pushed your body beyond its ability to adapt to exertion – and the crazy thing is that when this happens, many of us believe we need more or harder training, instead of less or easier training!

It is important to establish your balance between build-up and breakdown to prevent overtraining. Train and race hard, but always ensure proper recovery, which you can do by keeping a simple training log and using this information to determine how you train, by keeping check on your recovery:
• Monitor your waking heart rate every morning. A variation of 5-10 beats a minute above your average means you have not recovered fully and are tired. Have an easy or short run that day.
• Log your RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) for each training session on a scale of 1-10, so that you can compare how you feel today against last week. For example, last week you did a 20km run in two hours and your RPE was 5 (medium to hard effort), but this week when you do the same route your RPE is a 7 (the run felt hard). Clearly you have not recovered properly from training during this week, so a rest day might be needed.

Solving the Problem
Overtraining often leads to illness (mostly colds and flu) and injury, and when this happens, you are forced to rest. However, overtraining can also simply affect performance, so an athlete can still perform reasonably well, but your performance should have been better had you taken notice of the signs of overtraining. So what do you do in this case?

Firstly, you need to acknowledge and understand that you are overtrained. This is not easy for fit athletes to do, and even more difficult is to cut back on training, but it is crucial that you do just that. Reduce the distance and intensity that you are running, and rest more often. Also, finish each run feeling you could do more, and could run at a faster pace. Hopefully after a week or two of this, you will start to feel stronger and look forward to your training, and then you can build up to normal training again.

Also, continually evaluate your levels of fatigue, especially when you get into serious training with bigger mileage weeks, and remember, hard training is not overtraining… but train to race, don’t race in training.

About the Author
Derick is a Joburg-based running and triathlon coach, with multiple ultra-marathon and Ironman finishes to go with his 20-plus years of coaching experience.

Having achieved success in trail running himself, Barry Goliath is now coaching the next generation to podium positions as well. As he tells the youngsters in his training group, “Do as I say, and as I do.” – BY PJ MOSES

As a 12-year-old, watching sport on TV in his family’s Koelenhof home on the outskirts of Stellenbosch, young Barry Goliath saw his future quite clearly. “Other kids wanted to be the star player on the team, but I wanted to be the coach. I wanted to teach my friends what I saw on television.” All these years later, Barry (44) is not only a highly acclaimed running coach and personal trainer, with a solid track record of bringing many youngsters into the sport and helping them earn podium positions, but he also has his own list of achievements in road running, trail running and multisport. And he still loves watching sport on TV. “Most days when I am not so busy, I spend my time at home with family and friends, watching and chatting about all kinds of sport. A nice day of sport and braai… then I’m a happy man.”

Barry’s transition to running as his main focus came at the turn of the century, when he took up running and soon began helping with the coaching at the Cape Town branch of the Harmony Athletics Club. He later moved to Transnet AC, then Easterns Kraaifontein AC, and is currently at Atlantic Triathlon Club (ATC). Along the way, he’s posted some outstanding results, with one of the most memorable being winning the Western Province 100km Champs title in 2010, to go with regular podium places in his age category in both cross country and road racing. “I love the longer distances, especially because of the test you have to put yourself through. Many times during those races you will be close to giving up, but you need to push through. I love that,” says Barry.

Heading Off-road
In 2011, Barry says his next challenge literally jumped at him from the pages of a local newspaper. “I saw an article about a three-day trail race called AfricanX, and it looked very interesting. My immediate thought was maybe I can do this.” Joining his friend Piet Jacobs as Team Contego, they ran brilliantly to take a third place podium finish in the men’s category, and this was just the first of many more individual trail podiums for Barry, especially in the Spur Cape Trail Series events. “I won the men’s veteran category at the Spur series back-to-back in 2013 and 2014, but then injuries and a busy life stalled my progress as a runner, and I also put most of my focus into my coaching,” he says.

Barry has now coached at all the clubs he’s run for, but it was at ATC that he found a kindred spirit in Liné Griffiths, and she’s been behind his Goliath Running Project coaching initiative since day one. “I have 33 runners in my current group, and I focus mostly on the junior athletes, but I have runners of all ages. ATC and Liné have been great in setting it all up and assisting me with all I need to make the runners the best they can be.”

All his juniors are from the surrounding Kraaifontein area, like Bernadino Heights, where Barry also helps train the local high school athletics team. It’s a community plagued by crime, and people struggling to make a living. “I remember once at a race that one of my junior runners didn’t have shoes. He was barefoot on a cold day, and still he was running in sixth position about halfway through the race. I was helping to marshal and he stopped where I was, complaining that his feet were sore, so I gave him my shoes and told him to keep going. He finished in eighth place, while I marshalled barefoot with very cold feet, but the joy on his face was worth it! I want to show these youngsters that running could be an escape for them, a career that gives you options.”

Doing the Hard Yards
Having been a competitive runner himself, Barry knows that success does not come overnight and he is honest about this with his young charges, and their parents. He wants them to have the discipline to keep chasing that dream, using past and current star runners as a motivating tool for the others in the group. “I have had success in the past with runners like Riaan Wildskut, who is a top young trail runner. He has since moved on to other coaches, but I still keep an eye on his progress.”

“My current group includes Daniel Arendse, who is going to be a major star in the future. He adapts well to any challenge I put in front of him, and especially loves trail, where he has been extremely successful in the Spur Trail Series and the Dirtopia trail races. He has a natural feel for running. He wasn’t the fastest runner when we first met in 2012, and usually finished closer to the back than the front, but I saw something in him and I knew he could do much better.”

The important thing for Barry is to talk to his athletes and find out what is going on in their lives, so that he can help build their character as well as their physical strengths. “The reason we do well as a group at trail running is that they know what I want from them, and they know what I believe they are capable of. When we go to trail races, we do not go there to take selfies, but to take podiums.” He is also currently organising and self-funding training camps for his young athletes. “I’m working on doing two camps with them before the end of the year, one in Piketberg and the other in Ceres. I want to get them out of the city so that they can focus on training and having fun.”

Bringing it Home
Barry doesn’t just expect hard work from his runners but puts in the hard work himself, and says he wants to get back to the form that made him a champion. “I need to lose my stomach if I want to stand on those podiums again… but my wife’s food is so good that I’m getting a little fat.” Yolanda, who is also a runner, has been his biggest supporter during their nine years of marriage, and he says she provides the stability and support at home that he needs to make sure his busy life does not get too much for him. “To get some perspective and balance back in our lives we like taking weekend trips to rural dorpies. Life is at a much better pace there,” says Barry.

Also, being part of a triathlon-focused club like ATC has planted another seed in Barry’s head. “I’m part of a triathlon club, so it is just natural for me to think that way. I’ve done a couple of duathlons and I am currently working hard on my swimming, so I am hoping to do my first triathlon soon, and after that I think Ironman will certainly be calling. It is exciting to try new things and test myself in different ways.”

South African runners really are blessed with a terrific race calendar with so many great races to do so check out these events for the coming month, including road and trail runs as well as other running disciplines, and make your racing plans! – BY TOM COTTRELL & SEAN FALCONER

GAUTENG

CENTRAL GAUTENG
Sunday 3 December
World Aids Day Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Katlehong Sports Complex, Lesotho Street, 7am, Arnold Ravhutulu 079 135 4566
Wednesday 6 December
Kinetic Christmas Night Trail 8km & 4km, Bryanston Country Club, Bryanston Drive, Sandton, 7:30pm & 7:40pm, Heidi Muller 082 564 6468
Thursday 7 December
Ruimsig Trail Run 10km, Ruimsig Country Club, Hole in One Avenue, 7pm, Race Organiser 011 053 9153 (w)
Sunday 10 December
Orlando Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Orlando Rugby Ground, Soweto, 6am, Sibongile Maruto 078 445 0249
Zoo Trot 10km, Centenary Lawn, Upper Park Drive, 7am, Lebogang Mathope 011 712 6817 (w)
Friday 15 December
Christmas Night Dash 15km, 10km & 5km, Serengeti Golf & Wildlife Estate, Benoni, 7pm, Shane Gouldie 082 332 9552
Saturday 16 December
Gauteng Striders Half Marathon & 5km, Vosloorus Stadium, Moagi Road, 7am, Boyce Joko 073 432 8161
Wobblers and Wigglers Hat Race 7.8km Fun Run, Pirates Club, Braeside Road, Greenside, 8am, Hennie Booysen 082 801 0924
Sunday 17 December
Soweto Big Race 10km & 5km, Elkah Stadium, Gumede Street, Soweto, 8am & 8:10am, Herbert Pango 072 556 3678

GAUTENG NORTH
Sunday 3 December
Smuts Family Trail 21km, 15km, 10km & 5km, Jan Smuts House, Jan Smuts Avenue, Irene, 7am, Shane Gouldie 082 332 9552
Run24/MF Trail Run 12km & 5km, Wattlespring Trails, off M30 (Garsfontein Road), near Bapsfontein, 6:30am & 7:30am, info@bouttime.co.za
Wednesday 6 December
Jackal 10km & 5km Night Trail, Copperleaf Country Club, Ernie Els Boulevard, Centurion, 7pm, Shane Gouldie 082 332 9552
Zwartkop Night Race #2 10km & 5km, Zwartkop Country Club, Old Johannesburg Road, Centurion, 6pm, info@bouttime.co.za
Sunday 10 December
The Cyclone 15km, 8km & 5km Trail Run, Rock Falls Ranch, M26, Hoekplaats 384-Jr, Centurion, 7am, Shane Gouldie 082 332 9552
Wednesday 13 December
The Christams Elves CANSA Night Run 10km & 5km, The Farm Inn, Farm Inn Road, off Silverlakes Road, Silverlakes, Pretoria, 7pm, Shane Gouldie 082 332 9552
Saturday 16 December
Hazeldean Farm Run 30km, 15km & 6km, Cowhouse Market, cnr Ridge Road and Oukraal Boulevard, Hazeldean, Pretoria East, 6:30am, 7:30am & 7:45am, Albie 082 453 0096
Sunday 17 December
The Christmas Dash 15km, 8km & 5km, The Big Red Barn, 7 Nelson Road, Olifantsfontein, 7am, Shane Gouldie 082 332 9552
Friday 22 December
Cowhouse Christmas Night Run 15km, 10km & 5km, Cowhouse Market, cnr Ridge Road and Oukraal Boulevard, Hazeldean, Pretoria East, 6:45pm, 7pm & 7:15pm, Albie 082 453 0096
Sunday 31 December
Cid to Cid Old Year’s 10km & 5km, Rietondale Park, Arcadia. Pretoria, 5pm, James Matshekga 082 566 1595

VAAL TRIANGLE
Saturday 30 December
Nedbank Ou Jaar's Party 10km, 8km, 6km, 4km & 2km, Kollegepark Primary School, cnr Theo Wassenaar & Generaal Froneman, Vanderbijlpark, 6pm, Dawid Jordaan 082 364 1954

WESTERN CAPE

BOLAND
Saturday 2 December
Run the Vines Landskroon Trail Run 17km, 10km & 5km, Landskroon Wines, Suid-Agter Paarl Road, near Paarl, 7:30am, 8am & 8:15am, Lans Pepler 082 787 2472
Wednesday 6 December
Run the Vines Twilight Trail Run 10km & 5km, Anura Wines, Simondium Road, near Klapmuts, 6pm & 6:20pm, Lans Pepler 082 787 2472
Saturday 9 December
United Bulk Prison-to-Prison Marathon, Half Marathon & 5km, Brandvlei Correctional Services, Brandvlei Dam, between Rawsonville & Worcester, 5:30am, Kosie Botha 083 991 3915
Spier Twilight Trail Run 10km & 5km, Spier Wine Farm, on R310 Baden Powell Drive, near Stellenbosch, 6pm & 6:05pm, Ugene Nel 082 658 3078
Sunday 10 December
Trilogy Trail Run 15km, 10km & 5km, Warwick Wine Estate, on R44 between Stellenbosch and Klapmuts, 7am, 7:15am & 7:30am, Dirtopia Events 021 884 4752 (w)
Saturday 16 December
Baytown 12km & 6km, Miems Restaurant, Pringle Bay, 8am, Sonja du Toit 084 850 0681
Friday 22 December
Cape Agulhas Classic Trail Run 25km, 15km & 7km, Sami Hall, Bredasdorp, 6:30am, 6:45am & 7am, http://capeagulhasmtb.co.za/holiday-run
Saturday 23 December
Onrus 10km & 6km, Milkwood Restaurant, Ornus River Beach, 7am, Carina van der Merwe 082 823 8632
Saturday 30 December
Danger Point Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Gansbaai Primary School, Main Street, Gansbaai, 7am, Boats van Staden 072 789 3627

SOUTH WESTERN DISTRICTS
Saturday 2 December
Ernst Louw Gedenkwedloop 10km & 5km Beach Fun Run, Diaz Beach, Mossel Bay, 7am, Ernest Viviers 079 521 0713
Saturday 9 December
Palm Tyres Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Palm Tyres, Courtenay Street, George, 6am & 6:30am, Deon de Jager 083 453 4781
Wednesday 13 December
Steeple to Steeple 10km & 5km, Dutch Reformed Church, Courtenay Street, George, 8am, Deon de Jager 083 453 4781
Saturday 16 December
Somerson Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Diaz Beach, Mossel Bay, 6am, Paulus Allart 073 412 5440
Knysna Nite Race 10km & 5km, Knysna Marathon Club, Loerie Park Sports Complex, George Rex Drive, Knysna, 6pm, Gavin Bezuidenhout 083 502 7935
Tuesday 19 December
Mossel Bay Nite Race 10km & 4km, Correctional Services, Mossel Bay, 6pm, Shjaneel Bush 082 698 8831
Thursday 21 December
Sabrina Love 10km Road & Beach Run, Central Beach, Plettenberg Bay, 6:30am, Magnetic South Events 044 382 2932 (w)
Friday 22 December
Sabrina Love 10km & 6km Trail Run, Kurland Polo Estate, The Crags, near Plettenberg Bay, 7am & 7:30am, Magnetic South Events 044 382 2932 (w)
Saturday 23 December
Mossel Bay Mall Fun Run 10km & 5km  CANCELLED
Saturday 30 December
Oujaarsdraffie 10km & 5km, Hartenbos Amphitheatre, 10km from Mossel Bay, 6am, Ernest Viviers 079 521 0713
Groeneweide Trail Run 12.2km & 7km, NMMU Campus, Saasveld, George, 7am, Janine Swart 083 662 2022

WESTERN PROVINCE
Saturday 2 December
Ultra-Trail Cape Town 100km, 65km & 20km, Gardens Tech Rugby Club, Montreal Avenue, Oranjezicht, Cape Town, 4am, Stuart McConnachie 079 741 7626
Sunday 3 December
ACSA 10km   CANCELLED
Wednesday 6 December
Metropolitan 10km, Parc Du Cap, Bellville, 6:30pm, Malcolm Haye 021 940 2560
Saturday 9 December
Avbob 15km, Pick n Pay Shopping Centre, cnr Blaauwberg & Otto du Plessis Roads, Table View, 6am, Leon Thelander 083 999 6450 (after 5pm)
Sunday 10 December
Bottelary Farm Run 21km, 10km & 5km, Venue TBC, Somerset West, 6:30am, Rochelle Soggop 061 101 7739
Saturday 16 December
RCS Gugulethu Reconciliation Day 10km & 4.2km, NY49 Stadium, Gugulethu, 7am & 7:10am, Themba Shoko 082 476 4656
Sunday 17 December
Velocity Half Marathon & 10km PLUS 10km Walk, Silverstroomstrand, 6am & 6:15am PLUS 6:35am, Mario Philander 072 254 1880
Wednesday 20 December
Growthpoint Properties Sundowner 10km, V&A Waterfront, outisde Table Bay Hotel, Cape Town, 6:15pm, William Swartbooi 084 247 7170 NEW DATE – WAS 13 DECEMBER
Tuesday 26 December
Tokai Manor House 16km, Chrysalis Academy, Firgrove Way, Tokai, 6:30am, Paul Murphy 082 878 1987
Sunday 31 December
Runners' Memorial 8km, Mouille Point Lighthouse, Green Point, Cape Town, 6:30pm, Stephan Roux 082 433 0230

KWAZULU-NATAL

Saturday 2 December
Summer Series Trail Run #3 22km, 12km & 7km, Ducasse Pool, Hilton College, Midlands, 7am (22) & 7:30am (12 & 7), KZN Trail Running 082 791 7069
Zulu Ninja Trail Run 10km & 5km, Holla Trails at Sugar Rush Park, Ballito, Time TBC, Race Office 079 455 2006
Sunday 3 December
Bearing Man Stainbank Cup 15km PLUS 10km Walk, Yellowwood Park Sports Club, Pelican Place, Durban 6am, Fred Schoon 083 384 4053
Stihl Sharks Trail Adventure 18km & 9km, Summerveld Estate, near Shongweni Dam, 6:30am & 6:45am, ROAG Events 086 100 7624
Wednesday 6 December
Giba Gorge Night Fun Trail Run 10km & 5km, Giba Gorge MTB Park, 110 Stockville Road, 6pm, Fiona Williams 079 508 7268
Friday 8 December
Christmas Night Trail Run 10km & 5km PLUS 1km Santa Dash, WESSA, Umgeni Valley, 6pm (10 & 5) & 6:10pm (Dash), KZN Trail Running 082 791 7069
Sunday 10 December
Illovo Sugar 15km Christmas Challenge, Westvillle Athletic Club, 123 Maryvale Road, (opposite the Westville Prison) 6am, Sharon Schubach 082 414 1783
Saturday 16 December
Dorothy Nyembe Marathon, 10km & 5km, Income Museum, Blood River Heritage Site, 6am, Wiseman Dladla 061 903 4684
Sunday 17 December
Seeff Big Hill Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Sugar Bush Park, Ballito, 6am, Barry Holland 083 252 0691
Umhlanga Tourism Summer Festival Trail Run 18km, 12km & 6km, Sibaya Casino, Umhlanga, 6am (18 & 12) & 6:05am (6), Vaughn Smit 083 306 3557
Umdoni Forest Trail Run 12km & 6km, Umdoni Golf Club, 1 Don Knight Avenue, 6:30am & 6:45am,, Rickey Hulley 083 324 0290

FREE STATE

Saturday 2 December
GI Joe Fish Eagle Clash 10km & 1km Trail Run, Tikwe River Lodge, Virginia, Free State, Time TBC, Roelof 082 962 6565

EASTERN CAPE

BORDER
Saturday 9 December
Kempston Hogsback Trail Run 21km, 10km & 3km, Hogsback Inn Hotel, Hogsback, 8:30am, Sharon Eldridge 083 284 3781

EASTERN PROVINCE
Saturday 2 December
Aspen Pharmacare PE City Marathon & 10km, NG Kerk, Marne Avenue, Lorraine, Port Elizabeth, 5am & 6am, Shaun Roberts 082 711 1341
Saturday 9 December
Baywest Mall 10km & 5km, Baywest Mall, N2 west in Port Elizabeth, 6am, Eusentha Pillay 084 665 0910
Friday 15 December
The Pecan Trails 3km Ghost Night Run, Sanctuary Farm, on Grassridge Dam Road, Off R390, approximately 15km north-west of Cradock, Time TBC, Race Organiser 082 821 3254
Saturday 16 December
Drommedaris Holiday 10km & 5km, Drommedaris Furniture Store, Drommedaris Street, Jeffreys Bay, 7am, Elize Fenwick 061 217 0825
The Pecan Trails 21km, 15km & 5km, Sanctuary Farm, on Grassridge Dam Road, Off R390, approximately 15km north-west of Cradock, Time TBC, Race Organiser 082 821 3254

FAR NORTH

LIMPOPO
Friday 29 December – Wednesday 3 January
Big Five Trail Run Week 80km & 48km, (Long: 10km, 20km, 15km, 27km & 8km & Short: 10km, 10km, 8km, 12km & 8km), Various start points, with race village in Haenertsburg, Various start times, Nicholas Mulder 082 898 7871

MPUMALANGA
Saturday 2 December
Buffalo Gorge Trail Series 18km, 6.5km & 2.5km, Buffalo Gorge Eco Adventure Centre, Buffelskloof Farm, Middelburg, 7:30am, Ryk Diepraam 083 528 9586
DCRS Cultural Festival Run 10km, Bergvlam High School, Geelhout Avenue, 7am, Yolanda Steenkamp 084-6076314

NORTH WEST

CENTRAL NORTH WEST
No races scheduled for this period

NORTH WEST NORTH
No races scheduled for this period

NORTHERN CAPE

GRIQUALAND WEST
Saturday 9 December
PG Glass Magersfontein 25km & 10km, Magersfontein Battlefield to Magersfontein Museum, near Kimberley, 6am, David Janse van Vuuren 083 443 8198

NORTH WEST CAPE
No races scheduled for this period

NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES
No races scheduled for this period

ORIENTEERING
Friday 1 December
Rally 8km Run #3, Teams of 2-3, Pastis Restaurant, Constantia Main Road (turn-off to Groot Constantia), Cape Town, Western Cape, Starts 5pm to 6:30pm, Race Organiser 021 789 0188 (w)
Friday 29 December – Wednesday 3 January
Big Five Orienteering Week, Details TBC, Various start points, with race village in Haenertsburg, Limpopo, Various start times, Nicholas Mulder 082 898 7871

OBSTACLE COURSE RACES
Saturday 2 December
The Grind 1706, Deep Grind 5km (30+ obstacles), Rapid Grind 5km (30+) & Little Grind (10), Cape Town Ostrich Ranch, Van Schoorsdrift Road, off N7 just north of Durbanville, Western Cape, 8am, The Grind HQ 021 813 9282 (w)
Muddy Princess 5km #10, Sandringham Estate, Sandingham Road, Off R304 Stellenbosch Road near N1, Western Cape, 8am, info@muddyprincess.co.za
Zulu Ninja Race OCR 10km & 5km, Holla Trails at Sugar Rush Park, Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal, Time TBC, Race Office 079 455 2006
GI Joe Fish Eagle Clash OCR, Commander: 12km with 70 obstacles, 12km (52) & 6km (32), Tikwe River Lodge, Virginia, Free State, Time TBC, Roelof 082 962 6565
Sunday 3 December
Dvine Trail Run 10km & 5km OCR, Dvine Estate, Paarl, on R101 near N1 Toll Plaza, 8:30am & 9am, info@expoza.co.za
Saturday 9 December
Lifestyle Challenge Trail Run 10km & 5km OCR, D’Aria Wine Farm, M13 Tygerberg Valley Road, Durbanville, Western Cape, 8am & 8:15am, www.entryninja.com
Runstacles 10km & 4km, Cape Town Ostrich Ranch, Van Schoorsdrif Road, off N7, Philadelphia, Western Cape, 8:30am, The Grind HQ 021 813 9282 (w)
Saturday 16 December
Runstacles 10km & 4km, Cape Town Ostrich Ranch, Van Schoorsdrif Road, off N7, Philadelphia, Western Cape, 8:30am, The Grind HQ 021 813 9282 (w)
Sunday 17 December
The Pecan Trails 10km & 5km OCR, Sanctuary Farm, on Grassridge Dam Road, Off R390, approximately 15km north-west of Cradock, Eastern Cape, Time TBC, Race Organiser 082 821 3254
Saturday 23 December
Runstacles 10km & 4km, Cape Town Ostrich Ranch, Van Schoorsdrif Road, off N7, Philadelphia, Western Cape, 8:30am, The Grind HQ 021 813 9282 (w)
Saturday 30 December
Runstacles 10km & 4km, Cape Town Ostrich Ranch, Van Schoorsdrif Road, off N7, Philadelphia, Western Cape, 8:30am, The Grind HQ 021 813 9282 (w)

MULTISPORT
Saturday 2 December
North West Triathlon & Duathlon League #4, Tri: 1.5km/40km/10km, 750m/20km/5km & 400m/10km/2.5km, Du: 10km/40km/5km, 5km/20km/2.5km & 2.5km/10km/1.25km, Vaal River Boat Club, Orkney, North West Province, 8am, Yolanda 082 787 5496
Sunday 3 December
Buffelspoort Triathlon & Duathlon, including Tshwane Triathlon Champs, Tri: 1.5km/40km/10km, 750m/20km/5km & 400m/5km/2.5km, Du: 10km/40km/5km, 5km/20km/2.5km & 1.25km/10km/1km, Buffelspoort Dam, North West Province, 8am, 8:30am & 10am, info@abouttime.co.za
Standard Bank 5150 Nelson Mandela Bay, Olympic 1.5km/40km/10km & FunTri 400m/20km/5km, Kings Beach, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, 7:30am (FunTri) & 8:10am (Olympic), Race Office 041 581 7990 (W)
Tribal Triathlon Series #4, 1.5km/40km/10km, 750m/20km/5km & 400m/10km/2.5km, Orient Beach, East London Beachfront, Border, Time TBC, SCR Tribal 071 429 4255
FNB Desert Triathlon, Ultra: 1.9km/90km/21km, Standard: 1km/40km/10km & Sprint: 400m/20km/4km, The Mole, Swakopmund, Namibia, Yvonne +264 (0)81 142 9966
Sunday 10 December
Jailbreak Triathlon, Maximum Escape: 1.8km/90km/20km, Minimum Escape: 1.4km/45km/10km, Doran Vineyards, off the R24 Voor-Paardeberg Road, near Paarl, Boland, 7am & 9am, Iquela Events: entries@iqela-events.co.za
Saturday 16 December
Lomond Triathlon, Off-road Tri, Full: 1.2km/30km/12km & Sprint: 400m/15km/6km, 8am & 9am, Contact details TBC
About IT Triathlon Summer Series #1, 705m/20km/5km, Pollok Beach, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Province, 8am, Zsports 041 484 7860 (w)
Wednesday 20 December
About IT Triathlon Summer Series #2, 705m/20km/5km, Pollok Beach, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Province, 8am, Zsports 041 484 7860 (w)
Saturday 23 December
About IT Triathlon Summer Series #3, 705m/20km/5km, Pollok Beach, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Province, 8am, Zsports 041 484 7860 (w)
Tuesday 26 December
About IT Triathlon Summer Series #4, 705m/20km/5km, St Francis Bay, Eastern Province, 8am, Zsports 041 484 7860 (w)
Saturday 30 December
Groeneweide Duo Challenge, Main Duo: 12.2km Trail Run/18km MTB or Lite Duo: 7.4km Trail Run/18km MTB, NMMU Campus, Saasveld, George, 7am, Janine Swart 083 662 2022

ADVENTURE RACING
Sunday 3 December
Kinetic Adventure 25km, Various legs totalling 16-19km MTB/5-6km run/1km paddle, teams of 2, Riversands Farm Village, Roase Road, Knopjeslaagte, Midrand, Gauteng, 8am, Heidi Muller 082 564 6468

TRACK AND FIELD
Saturday 2 December
Senior Middle Distance & Masters Throws Meeting, Parow Athletics Track, Western Province, 8:30am, Mariana Meyer 082 777 4050
Saturday 9 December
Tygerberg Summer Special, Parow Athletics Track, Western Province, 9am, Mariana Meyer 082 777 4050
Friday 15 December
WPA Summer Series, Green Point Athletics Track, Cape Town, Western Province, Time TBC, Mariana Meyer 082 777 4050

There I was, a tree root grabbed with both hands, my legs dangling off the side of the mountain, looking up for a way to pull myself back from the cliff I was hanging over, so that I could carry on with the race… – BY Carla Lea Farina

OK, OK, it wasn’t quite so dramatic, but it was pretty close, and you know what was going though my head? You’d think it would be, “If I fall I will plummet down a mountain and never see my family and friends again, not to mention my puppy.” But no, I was thinking, “If I fall down here, how the hell am I going to get back up this hill again with enough time to finish the first day before cut-off?” After all, I had been told that if I didn’t finish the race, I should give my race T-shirt to the nearest beggar, because you never wear a race Tee that you haven’t earned… ever!

Wait, let’s rewind a bit… Friday morning, the car is jam-packed with racing and camping gear, and we are headed to Kruger to Canyon, a two-day trail race that I signed up for after being bitten by the trail bug at the Three Cranes Challenge. I loved everything about that race – the atmosphere, the trails, the camaraderie, the war stories and the laughs – and was looking for more of the same.

Driving up to the school which was to be the race village for the weekend, I looked up to check the weather… and all I could see was a tall, steep monster of a mountain! Gulping in near panic, I turned to my good friend and running mentor Su-Yen, and said, “Please don’t tell me we have to climb that!” As much as I enjoy downhills – mostly because I lack the emotion of fear, and apparently have no brakes – the thought of that climb didn’t fill me with enthusiasm, and at race briefing that evening, the first day’s route profile just left us all speechless.

Going Up?
The following morning, the first day started with a short but pretty much vertical uphill. Then, after a few gentler ups and downs, the mother of all climbs hit us, seemingly covering tons of different terrain, but Su-Yen gave me useful tips along the way as we kept each other company. (Sidenote: We sure do know how to talk rubbish. In fact, we are hilarious, although most of the time we’re the only ones who think so. “You’re a spaz, no you’re a spaz, what are you spending your fake money on, let’s do the Dusi… all in the same conversation).

Fortunately, the laughter and insightful conversation made the climb bearable, and finally, after hallucinations and a lost sense of humour or two, we made it to the top. Then came the downhill, and maybe it’s the adrenaline, maybe it’s my lack of fear, but I flew down that mountain. No, literally, I flew!

I tripped twice, landing on my face and eating half the mountain, but I still was having the time of my life. Then I turned a corner, lost my footing and next thing I knew I was hanging off the mountain… and even that was fun! I just pulled myself back up, dusted myself off and carried on. And when I finally reached the bottom and crossed the finish line, that mountain was now something I had conquered, and not something I was afraid would conquer me.

Animal Spotting
That night, Race Director Andrew’s race briefing for day two was hilarious. “This is Big 4 territory you’re running through, so if you see a rhino, run and hide, because they’re blind, but, if you see an elephant or lion, don’t run. If you run, they will chase you, and they will catch you. Just stand still and phone us,” said Andrew. (Cue nervous laughter from the runners.) “Why are you laughing? I am serious!” he exclaimed.

The next day I was sort of hoping to see some elephants, but the team patrolling the area had done a fantastic job of sweeping the route and I had an absolutely wonderful run through the bush… except for the part where my bladder exploded. (The one in my hydration pack, not my actual bladder!) I was soaking wet, badly chafed, and had no water to drink – thank goodness for the amazing water tables – but more importantly, the bladder had leaked all over my cell phone… so I would have had a really rough time calling anyone had I encountered a lion or elephant!

Later that day, after the most amazing weekend, we waved goodbye to our mountain, and I thought to myself, so often in life the things that scare us most, or seem the most impossible, are the most rewarding. Had we not climbed that mountain, I would never have realised I had it in me. The human body is the most amazing thing, and more often than not it’s our mind that holds us back.

If you’re getting older and think your days of posting new PB’s are behind you, a simple change to your training pace can set you back on the road to new PB’s. – BY RAY ORCHISON

When we first start running, we normally notice huge improvements in performance quite quickly, but as we age in running terms, most runners begin to find that improvements become smaller, and a much greater effort is required to better previous times. In most cases this is not because our training deteriorates, but rather because as we improve, we move closer and closer to our own personal maximum performance level.

So what do we need to do to push new levels of performance once we reach this stage of our running career? The answer may lie in ‘polarised training,’ which means to train at either a low or a high intensity, with very little training time spent in-between. This is by no means a new concept, but one that is often ignored by veteran runners, because as we become more experienced, we often fall into the trap of thinking that to get faster we need to train faster… all the time. While the first part of that statement is true, the second part, “all the time,” is not.

When the gap between our easy run pace and speed work pace is small, we find ourselves in no-man’s land, where we don’t run slowly and we don’t run fast, and end up with poor, sub-potential performances. The way to correct this is with polarised training: On easy days you run slower and on quality days you run faster. In other words, you need to get slower (on easy days) in order to get faster during races.

FOLLOW YOUR HEART
The easiest way to do this is to train with a heart rate monitor to keep your training primarily in two zones. Zone 1 is the easy zone, where you should do the bulk of your training, between 70-80% of your weekly mileage at between 60-70% of max heart rate. The second is zone 3, between 15-20% of your weekly mileage at between 80-100% of max heart rate. Zone 2 is no-man’s land, which is run between 5-15% of your weekly total and at a heart rate between 70-80%. (If you don’t own or use a heart rate monitor, run on perceived effort: Easy runs should feel easy and you should be able to have a conversation, while zone 3 is the anaerobic zone and should feel very hard.)

If you’ve never done hard, fast training sessions, then gradually start by introducing one session per week. I suggest that you start with four to eight short, fast hill repeats, as they help to strengthen your body to better handle the stress of a track session. Once you’re stronger, then gradually introduce a track session, like 4 x 200m at 3km race pace with a 200m slow recovery jog between repeats. As you get stronger and faster, start to increase the number of repetitions and pace.

South African runners are blessed with a terrific race calendar, with so many great races to do, so check out these events for the coming month, including road and trail runs as well as other running disciplines, and make your racing plans! – BY TOM COTTRELL AND SEAN FALCONER

GAUTENG

CENTRAL GAUTENG
Saturday 2 September
LCS Mountain Challenge 10km & 4km, SA Army Gymnasium, Louw Street, Heidelberg, 8:40am & 8:50am, Race Orgnaiser 082 780 0117
Sunday 3 September
Fred Morrison Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Germiston Stadium, Delville Road North, Germiston, 7am (21 & 10) & 7:15am (5), Les Black 082 552 7866
Walking on Sunshine Spring 5km Walk, Melrose Boulevard to Whitely Road, Melrose North, 8am, Godwill Maseko 011 483 9131 (w)
Friday 8 September
Germiston Night 8km & 4km, Germiston Country Club, Rand Airport Road, Germiston, 7pm, Shane Gouldie 082 332 9552
Saturday 9 September
Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff Run for Hope 7.8km & 5km Fun Run, Hope School Sports Grounds, Pallinghurst Road, Westcliff, 7:45am & 8:15am, More info: www.westcliffrunforhope.co.za
Sunday 10 September
Adrienne Hersch Half Marathon & 10km Challenge, Randburg Central Sports Complex, cnr Republic Road & Silver Pine Avenue, Randburg, 7am, Sarah Crooks 079 844 7156 NEW DATE – WAS 7 MAY
Zoo Trot 10km, Centenary Lawn, Johannesburg Zoo, Upper Park Drive, Parkview, 7am, Lebogang Mathope 011-7126817 (w)
Stallion Security Half Marathon & 10km, Venue TBA, Johannesburg, 7am, Race Organiser 082 907 7943
Colourful Run 10km & 5km, Willowmoore Park Soccer Grounds, Harpur Avenue, Benoni, 7:30am, Ashwin Jivan 082 924 0234
Sunday 17 September
Rockies Gerald Fox Memorial Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Johannesburg Zoo, Upper Park Drive, Parkview, 7am, Les Sutcliffe 082 565 8374
Thursday 21 September
Jackal Trail Run 10km & 5km, Jackal Creek Golf EstateBoundary Road, Northriding, 7pm, Race Organiser 011 053 9153 (w)
Biogen Spring Retro Night Trail Run 8.5km & 5km, PWC Bikepark, 1A Libertas Road, Bryanston, 7:15pm, Richard Beswick 083 600 1289
Sunday 24 September
FNB Joburg 10km CITYRUN, FNB Bank City, Simmonds Street, to Mary Fitzgerald Square, Newtown, 8am, Race Organiser 074 927 4838
City 2 City Ultra Marathon, Half Marathon & 10km CANCELLED
Wednesday 27 September
Duck Night 10km & 5km, Kyalami Golf Club, Spur Road, Midrand, 7pm, Shane Gouldie 082 332 9552
Friday 29 September
K-Way Serengeti Night Trail 15km, 10km & 5km, Serengeti Golf and Wildlife Estate, Kempton Park, 7pm, Shane Gouldie 082 332 9552

GAUTENG NORTH
Saturday 2 September
Spirit of Flight 10km & 5km, Air Force Base Swartkop, Valhalla, Centurion, 6:30am, Jan Essau 071-3434504
Wednesday 6 September
Rietvlei Night Trail 10km & 5km, Rietvlei Nature Reserve, Rietvlei Dam, Pretoria, 7pm, Shane Gouldie 082 332 9552
Friday 8 September
Irene Primary School Moonlight 8km & 4km Fun Run, The Oval, Irene, 6:30pm, Race Organiser 012 667 1027 (w)
Saturday 9 September
Value Logistics Addicted to Life Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Tshwane University of Technology Campus, Building 21, Staatsartillerie Street, Pretoria West, 6am, Race Organiser 071 405 5588
Discovery Jacaranda FM Spring Walk 15km, 8km & 5km, Pretoria Botanical Gardens, Cussonia Avenue, Pretoria, 8am, Kabelo Ngobese 071 890 5221
Rotsvas Trail 10km, Rotsvas Moolman, Pretoria, 8am, More info: www.bouttime.co.za/
Sunday 10 September
Hurricane Trail 15km, 10km & 5km, Ever Be Country Chateau, Hennopsrivier, Centurion, 7am, Shane Gouldie 082 332 9552 NEW DATE – WAS 17 SEPTEMBER
Wednesday 13 September
Tortoise 5km & Hare 8km, The Big Red Barn, 7 Nelson Road, Olifantsfontein, 7pm, Shane Gouldie 082 332 9552
Saturday 16 September
Brooklyn Half Marathon, 10km & 5km PLUS 21km & 10km Walk, Brooklyn Design Square, cnr Veale and Bronkhorst Streets, Brooklyn, Pretoria, 5:30am (21W), 6am (21), 6:10am (10), 6:20am (10W) & 6:30am (5), Bert van den Raad 082 922 6817
Sunday 17 September
Pretoria Zoo Family Day 8km & 4km, Pretoria Zoo, Boom Street, Pretoria, 7pm, Shane Gouldie 082 332 9552
Wednesday 20 September
Owl Night 10km & 5km, Irene Golf Club, 1 Main Road, Irene, 7pm, Shane Gouldie 082 332 9552
Lester Mills Memorial Nite 10km CANCELLED
Friday 22 September
The Big Red Barn Night Trail Run 8km & 5km, The Big Red Barn, 7 Nelson Road, Olifantsfontein, 7pm, Shane Gouldie 082 332 9552
Saturday 23 September
Bophelong 10km & 5km, Bophelong Community Centre, Mamelodi, 6:15am, Katlego Ngconewane 078 446 1838
Sunday 24 September
Spring Trail Run 30km, 21km, 15km & 5km, The Big Red Barn, 7 Nelson Road, Olifantsfontein, 7am, Shane Gouldie 082 332 9552
Saturday 30 September
Clover Irene Spring Race Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Irene Village Mall, Nellmapius Drive, Centurion, 6am, Race Organiser 082 951 2581
National Business Challenge Relay 6x7km Run PLUS 3x7km Walk, Rietondale Park, Soutpansberg Road, Rietondale, 6am, Race Organiser 087 097 0011 NEW DATE – WAS 7 OCTOBER

VAAL TRIANGLE
Saturday 2 September
Spring 10km & 5km, Sonlandpark Pharmacy, Majuba Street, Sonlandpark, Vereeniging, 8am, Josef Coetzee 082 602 2777
Monday 25 September
Community Chest 18km & 8km Trail Run, Klipbaai, Ascot on Vaal Road, Vanderbijlpark, Esna Oliver 078 491 7192

WESTERN CAPE

BOLAND
Saturday 2 September
Riebeek-Kasteel Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Riebeek-Kasteel Church Hall, Piet Retief Street, Riebeek-Kasteel, 7:30am (21), 8am (10) & 8:15 (5), Anneke Mouton 082 495 3234
Botrivier Trail Run 15km, 8km & 5km, Beaumont Wines, Botrivier, 7:30am (15 & 8) & 7:45am (5), Quantum Adventures 021 789 0188 (w)
Run The Vines Windmeul 17km, 10km & 5km Trail Run, Windmeul Kelder Wine Estate, near Paarl, 7:45am, 8am & 8:15am, Lans Pepler 082 787 2472
Cellar 2 Cellar Trail Run 20km & 12km, Blaauwklippen Wine Esate, Stellenbosch, 8am & 8:10am, Iqela Events – entries@iqela-events.co.za
Kogelberg Challenge 10km & 5km PLUS 16km Trail Run, Pringle Bay House Eco School, 8am (10) & 9:15am (5) PLUS 9:30 (16T), Sandy Keizerwaard 079 413 6610 (w)
Zoetendal Academy Southernmost Fun Run in Africa 24km, 16km & 5km, Zoetendal Academy, Melkbos Street, L’Agulhas, 8am, Herman Oosthuizen 082 586 4409
Friday 8 September
Botrivier Challenge Night Run 5km, Historic Botrivier Station, 7pm, Wilfred Habelgaarn 083 324 1846 NEW DATE – WAS 20 OCTOBER
Saturday 9 September
Botrivier Challenge Half Marathon, 15km, 10km & 5km, Botrivier Primary School, Park Street, Botrivier, 7am, Wilfred Habelgaarn 083 324 1846 NEW DATE – WAS 21 OCTOBER
La Capra Goat Run 28km, 15km, 8km & 5km, Fairview Estate, Suid-Agter Paarl Roadnear Paarl, 7:30am, 8am, 8:15am, 8:30am & 8:45am, Pieter van Wyk 072 764 4015
Travelers Trail Run 14km, 9km & 5km, Le Bonheur Wine Estate, on R44 between Stellenbosch & Klapmuts, 8:15am, 8:30am & 8:45am, Dirtopia 021 884 4752 (W) NEW DATE – WAS 3 SEPTEMBER
Piket-Bo-Berg Trail Run 16km & 8km, Moutons Valley Farm, Piket-Bo-Berg, Piketberg, 9am & 9:15am, Gus Pickard 076 450 7870
Saturday 9 – Sunday 10 September
Run2Nowhere 2-day Stage Trail Run, Dutch Reformed Church Grounds, cnr of Church & Voortrekker streets, McGregor, Time TBC, Race Organiser 073 013 7712
Sunday 10 September
Stellenbosch Farm Run 11km & 6km, Nooitgedacht Estate, on R304, near Stellenbosch, 8:15am, TBC, Dirtopia 021 884 4752 (w)
Wednesday 13 September
Moore Stevens Nite 10km & 5km CANCELLED
Friday 15 September
Devonvale Golf & Wine Estate 10km & 5km Fun Run #2, Devonvale Golf & Wine Estate, Bottelary Road (M23), 6:30pm, More info: www.devonvale.co.za
Saturday 16 September
French Corner 10km & 5km Fun Run, Huguenot Monument, Lambrechts Road, Franschhoek, 7:45am, Riana Pretorius 078 803 6751
Sunday 17 September
Spring Trail Run 10km & 6km, Knorhoek Wine Estate, Knorhoek Road, off R44 between Stellenbosch & Klapmuts, 8am & 8:15am, Dirtopia 021 884 4752 (w)
Run The Vines Steps For Hope 10km & 5km Trail Run, Welbedacht Wine Estate, near Paarl, Time TBC, Lans Pepler 082 787 2472
Friday 22 – Sunday 24 September
Heritage Trail Run 60km, Prologue 15km (Fri), then 25km & 20km stages (Sat & Sun), Boschendal Wine Estate, near Pniel, 5pm (Fri), Amoija Events info@amoijaevents.com
Saturday 23 September
Ceres Fruit Juices Michell’s Pass Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Victoria Park, Ceres, 7:30am (21) & 7:45 (10), Nico Jansen 078 882 5299
Sunday 24 September
Funky Fynbos Trail Run 30km, 12km & 6km, Lomond Wine Estate, Gansbaai, 7:30am, 8:30am & 8:45, Karen Clement 083 784 6628
Monday 25 September
Run The Vines Anura 17km, 10km & 5km Trail Run, Anura Wine Estate, near Klapmuts, 7:45am, 8am & 8:15am, Lans Pepler 082 787 2472
Saturday 30 September
Total Whale Festival Half Marathon CANCELLED

SOUTH WESTERN DISTRICTS
Friday 1 September
George Herald Run with the Stars Nite 10km & 3km, Glenwood House, Glenwood Avenue, George, 6pm, Thia Landsberg 083 477 4780
Saturday 16 September
Merrell Tsitsikamma Trail Run 11km, Tsitsikamma Falls Adventure, Garden Route, 9:30am, Tatum Prins 083 449 0760
Saturday 23 September
PetroSA Marathon, Half Marathon, 10km & 3.5km, De Bakke Santos Caravan Park, George Road, Mossel Bay, 7am, Soraya De Rueck 044 873 0023 (w)
Baleia Wines 11km Trail Run, Baleia Wine Cellar, off N2, near Riversdale, 9am, Race Organiser 028 713 1214
Saturday 23 – Monday 25 September
Oyster Catcher 3-Day 58km Trail Run, (22km, 20km & 16km), Gourikwa Nature Reserve, Gouritsmond, near Mossel Bay, 8am, Trisport 083 662 2022
Sunday 24 September
Marloth Mountain Challenge 55km Ultra Skyrun, 35km MMC Extreme & 24.5km MMC Lite, Marloth Mountain Reserve, near Swellendam, 6am, Wildrunner 021 821 9898 (W) NEW DATE – WAS 23 SEPTEMBER
Saturday 30 September
Strawberry Festival Farm Trail Run 9km & 5km, Redberry Farm, Blanco, George, 9am, Daniel Raubenheimer 083 376 7414
Laingsburg Karoo Ultra Marathon 80km, Half Marathon & 10km, JJ Ellis Sports Field, Meiring Street, Laingsburg, 5am, Petro Buys 073 654 1652
Witsand Explore Trail Run 10km & 7km, The Old Woodshed, Witsand, to Pili Pili, 5pm, More info: events@tumbleweeds.co.za
Saturday 30 September – Sunday 1 October
Oyster Catcher 2-Day 36km Trail Run, (20km & 16km), Gourikwa Nature Reserve, Gouritsmond, near Mossel Bay, 8am, Trisport 083 662 2022

WESTERN PROVINCE
Saturday 2 September
Pink Flowers in 12 Hours Circuit Race, Melkbosstrand, 6am, Linda Truscott 083 415 3466
Medihelp Tekkie Challenge 10km & 5km, Jan Kriel School, School Street, Kuilsriver, 8am & 8:15am, Estelle Kock 073 313 1668
Realtors International Eureka TrailFun Run 10km & 5km, Eureka Estate, 2.5km outside Durbanville, 7:30am, Japie Swanepoel 082 443 3033
WPA Race Walking Grand Prix #4 30km, 20km, 10km, 5km, 3km & 1km, Youngsfield Military Base, Wetton, 7am (30), 8am (20), 9am (10) & 10am (other), Stefano Arecana 076 948 8483
Sunday 3 September
Table Mountain Challenge Trail Run 43km & 21/22km Relay, Jan van Riebeeck Sports Field, De Hoop Avenue, Cape Town, 7am, Caeli Manuel 072 924 2371 NEW DATE – WAS 9 SEPTEMBER
Satori Camel Run 16km, Noordhoek Sports Fields, off Chapman’s Peak Drive, Noordhoek, 7:30am, Craig Farham 082 410 0261
Wednesday 6 September
Merrell Spring Night Run #1 8km & 5km, Jonkershuis Restaurant, Groot Constantia Wine Estate, Constantia, 6:45pm, Tatum Prins 083 449 0760
Saturday 9 September
Llands and Sands Trail Run 10km, 4km & 1km, Llandudno Surf Lifesaving Club, Llandudno Beach, 8:30am, Race Organiser 072 195 1211
Sunday 10 September
ARD 3 Vlei 10km & 5km, Fairmont High School, Klip Road, Grassy Park, 7am & 7:20am, Race Secretary 083 376 7392
Ingwe Tiere Trail Run 10km & 5km, Durbanville Hills Wine Estate, 7:30am & 7:45am, Adel Groenewald 082 334 3670
Tuesday 12 September
Land Rover N1 City Run The Greens #5 7km, Durbanville Golf Course, 6:30pm, Lans Pepler 082 787 2472
Wednesday 13 September
Merrell Spring Night Run #2 8km & 5km, Jonkershuis Restaurant, Groot Constantia Wine Estate, Constantia, 6:45pm, Tatum Prins 083 449 0760
Saturday 16 September
Sanlam Peace Trail 22km and 11km, Green Point Athletics Track, Somerset Road, Green Point, 7:30am & 8am, Wild Runner 021 821 9898 (w)
Sanlam Fun Run 4.2km, Green Point Athletics Track, Somerset Road, Green Point, 11am, WPA Office 087 700 8264 (W)
Sunday 17 September
Sanlam Cape Town Marathon & 10km, Cnr Beach Road & Granger Bay Boulevard, Green Point, 7am (42) & 7:10am (10), Race Office 021 511 7130 (w)
Tuesday 19 September
Land Rover N1 City Run The Greens #5 7km, Bellville Golf Course, 6:30pm, Lans Pepler 082 787 2472
Wednesday 20 September
Merrell Spring Night Run #3 8km & 5km, Jonkershuis Restaurant, Groot Constantia Wine Estate, Constantia, 6:45pm, Tatum Prins 083 449 0760
Sunday 24 September
MAS Multisport 10km & 5km PLUS 10km Walk, William Herbert Sports Grounds, Plumstead, 7am & 7:20am PLUS 7:10am, Nasrulla Enus 082 574 5323
Saturday 30 September
Glenwood Spar 10km & 5km, Tygerdal Goodwood, 7am & 7:15am, Bobby McGee 081 354 8286
Battle Up Blaauwberg Hill Trail Run 14km & 8km, Blaauwberg Conservation Area, off Morningstar Road, 7:30am & 7:40am, Gail Moriarty 082 042 9562
Fair Cape Cares Foundation Trail Run 18km, 10km & 5km, Fair Cape Farm, near Durbanville, 7:30am, 8am & 8:15am, Lans Pepler 082 787 2472
Durbanville Children’s Home Trail Run 10km & 5km, Simonsig Wine Estate, Kromme Rhee Road, between R44 and R304, near Stellenbosch, 8am, More info: www.justsports.co.za

KWAZULU-NATAL
Saturday 2 September
SHF Capital Climb Challenge 15km & 5km, Voortrekker High School, Cordwalles Road, Town Hill, Pietermaritzburg, 8am, Tony Morrison 083 374 9502 NEW DATE – WAS 19 AUGUST
Spring Mnweni Marathon 38km Trail Run, Mnweni Cultural & Hiking Centre, Bergville, Time TBC, Bruce Arnett 083 564 3750
Saturday 2 – Sunday 3 September
Lynford Umko 2-Day Trail Run, (Sat: 30km, 18km & 10km, Sun: 15km, 8km & 4km), Lynford School, Ixopo, Sat: 7am & Sun: 8am, Sandy Wetherill 082 876 7628
Sunday 3 September
Rolling M Challenge Trail Run 25km & 15km, Rolling M Ranch, Winterton, 8am, Caryn Springate 082 736 4576
Wednesday 6 September
Giba Gorge Night Fun Trail 10km & 5km, Giba Gorge MTB Park, 110 Stockville Road, Pinetown, 6pm, Fiona Williams 079 508 7268
Saturday 9 September
Sunday Tribune Mont-Aux-Sources 50km Challenge, Royal Natal National Park, Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park, 5:30am, Race Organiser 083 387 3939
Biggarsberg Mpati Mountain Race 15km & 5km, Dundee Junior School, Excelsior Avenue, Dundee, 2pm, Ken Vorster 082 821 8004
Sunday 10 September
Swift Half Marathon & 10km, Hulamin Grounds, Camps Drift, Pietermaritzburg, 6am, Obert Mpanza 076 109 8895
Weston Trail Run Challenge 18km & 9km, Weston Agricultural College Pavilion, Greytown Road, R622, Mooi River, 6:30am, Alistair Smith 082 401 2415
Durban & Coast SPCA Trail Run 22km, 14km & 5km, Durban & Coast SPCA, Springfield Park, Durban North, 7am, 7:10am & 7:20am, Race Organiser 082 492 1995
Saturday 16 September
NHP Colour Challenge 5km & 2km, New Hanover Preparatory School, Dalton Road, New Hanover, 9am, Sandra Trethewey 082 804 7955
Bushman’s Trail Day 1: 20km, 10km & 5km, Wagendrift Farm, near Estcourt, 9am (20) & 10am (10 & 5), Lauren Booth 082 791 7069
Sunday 17 September
Queensburgh Mineshaft 15km, Queensburgh Sports Association Bowker Road, Escombe, 6am, Robin Archer 082 905 6005
Bushman’s Trail Day 2: 30km, 20km, 10km & 5km, Wagendrift Farm, near Estcourt, 6am (30), 7am (20) & 8am (10 & 5), Lauren Booth 082 791 7069
Friday 22 – Saturday 23 September
Karkloof 100 Mier and 50 Miler Trail Run, Karkloof Country Club, Karkloof Road, Howick, Fri 10pm (100M) & Sat 7am (50M), more info: www.karkloof100.co.za
Friday 22 – Wednesday 27 September
100 Capital Classic – 6 Days, (Fri: 32km @ 6pm; Sat: 12-hour @ 7am, 100km, 100 miler, 24-hour, 48-hour & 6-day @ 9am; 12-hr Longest Night @ 8pm), Pietermaritzburg Oval Cricket Ground, Park Drive, John Hall 082 491 7679
Sunday 24 September
Newlands Marathon & Half Marathon Classic, Kings Park Athletic Stadium, Marine Parade, Durban, 5am, Sagren Moodley 081 232 2892
Rhino Trail Run 12km & 5km, Rest of details TBC
Saturday 30 September
Ladysmith AC Night Half Marathon, Ladysmith Sports Club, Klip Bank Road, 5pm, Lincoln Sibiya 079 361 0871
Saturday 30 Sept – Sunday 1 Oct
Runtheberg 2-Day Trail Run 50km & 30km, (25km & 25km or 15km & 15km), All Out Adventures Centre, Northern Drakensberg, 7am, Warren King 083 449 4113

FREE STATE
Saturday 2 September
Twizza Allan Ferguson Round Naval Hill Half Marathon, 10km & 4km, Bloemfontein Bowling Club, Union Avenue, Hamilton Park, 6:30am, Beverley Olivier 071 895 3183
Letlaka Trail Run 24km, 15km & 5km, Mountain View Guest House, Tielman Roos Avenue, Zastron, 7am, Corne van Niekerk 082 908 1716
GI Joe Bearded Vulture Clash 10km Trail Run, Tikwe River Lodge, Virginia, Free State, 8am, GI Joe Office 082 962 6565
Saturday 9 September
Mieliepap Fees 10km & 5km, Ventersburg Town Hall, Voortrekker Street, Ventersburg, 6:30am, Kieth Rhoode 082 882 9496
Bloempark Sweat & Eat 10km & 5km, Bloempark Church, Charlie Sutton Street, Fichardtpark, Bloemfontein, 7am, Jaco Grobbelaar 082 416 6779
Friday 15 September
NK Kerk Berg en Daller 10km & 5km, NG Kerk, Berg-en-Dal, Albrecht Street, Bloemfontein, 6pm, MC Brink 082 775 8186 NEW DATE – WAS 22 SEPTEMBER
Saturday 23 September
Four Peaks Mountain Challenge 24km, Moolmanshoek Private Game Reserve, on R70 between Ficksburg & Rosendal, 5am, Michael de Haast 072 078 5278
Saturday 23 – Sunday 24 September
Clarens Cosmos Spring Stage Race, (Day 1: 30km or 16, Day 2: 18km), Bus stop next to Golden Gate Main Gate, Clarens, 6:30am, Ruan Botes – labsportscience@gmail.com
Saturday 30 September
Webbers & Vic Theron’s Laboratories Dress-Up Spring Run Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Bloemfontein Achilles Sport Centre, Att Horak Avenue, Bloemfontein, 6:30am, Beverley Olivier 071 895 3183

EASTERN CAPE

BORDER
Sunday 3 September
NFB Tony Viljoen Masters Marathon PLUS Half Marathon Walk, Macleantown Road, Cobongo turn-off, to Beacon Bay Country Club, Beaconhurst Drive, 6am, Tony Viljoen 084 291 9029 NEW DATE – WAS 2 SEPTEMBER
Thursday 7 – Saturday 9 September
Wildcoast 112km Wildrun, (43km, 35km & 34km), Kei Mouth to Hole-in-the-Wall, 6am, Wildrunner Events 021 821 9898 (w)
Sunday 10 September
Elliot Madeira Charity Club Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, WSU Grounds (Unitra), Nelson Mandela Drive, Mthatha, 7am, Temba Mtshabe 083 929 4286 NEW DATE – WAS 24 SEPTEMBER
Sunday 17 September
Caltex Sole Destroyer Half Marathon & 8km, Highgate Hotel, Voortrekker Road, Cambridge, to Oxford Striders Club, Beach Road, Nahoon, East London (8km starts here), 6:30am, Dillon Pretoruis 073 799 6075
Sunday 24 September
Legends Ultra Marathon 68km, Half Marathon & 5km, Bhisho Stadium (68) to Phillip Kahts Softball Stadium, Bunkers Hill, East London (21 & 5), 6am, Meta Scott
081 487 4984 NEW DATE – WAS 8 OCTOBER

EASTERN PROVINCE
Saturday 3 September
Muirite Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Muir College, St Thomas Muir Drive, Uitenhage, 6:30am, 7am & 8am, Margie du Toit 082 496 2926
Sunday 17 September
One City Relay and Marathon, Muir College, Uitenhage, to PE City Hall, Baakens Street, 6:30am, Michael Mbambani 079 149 6796
Saturday 23 September
Clover Milk Run 10km & 5km, Kings Beach, Port Elizabeth, 7am, Kevin Benade 079 490 0427
Wednesday 27 September
Merrell Spring Night Run PE 8km & 5km, Norm Huldin Trails, Kragga Kamma Road, Port Elizabeth, 6:30pm, Tatum Prins 083 449 0760
Saturday 30 September
Windpomp Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Botanical Sports Grounds, Somerset Street, Graaff-Reinet, 7am, Rozelle Köhne 049 891 0825 (w)

FAR NORTH

LIMPOPO
Saturday 9 September
Hout is Goud Day Breaker 80km Circuit Race, ATKV Resort, Klein Kariba, Warmbaths/Bela-Bela, 6am, Erika Kotze 082 320 0859
Hanlie Steyn Memorial Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Oos School Rugby Field, Kleinberg Street, Bendor, Polokwane, 6:30am, Corrie Calitz 072 149 2674
Saturday 23 September
Two Countries at Musina Marathon, Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Eric Louw High School, Musina, 6am (42) & 7am (21, 10, 5), Ferreira Nel 082 749 0413
Saturday 30 September
Falconwood Tunnel Trail 25km, 12km & 6km, Falconwood Factory, Anneckest 1, Aquapark, Tzaneen, 7am, Paul Zaayman 083 460 4204

MPUMALANGA
Friday 1 – Sunday 3 September
Goat Trail Stage Race, (Fri: 5km @8pm, Sat: 25km & 10km @ 8am, Sun: 15km & 5km @ 8am), Crystal Springs Mountain Lodge, 8pm, Shane Gouldie 082 332 9552
Saturday 2 September
Alzu Rhino Run Half Marathon, 10km & 4.9km, MHS Farm, Stoffberg Road, Middelburg, 7am, Piet Schoeman 072 791 0378
Saturday 9 September
ACK Vorentoe Bethal Half Marathon, 10km & 4.9km, Marietjie van Niekerk Primary School, Market Avenue, Bethal, 8am, Engela van der Merwe 072 672 2015
Wednesday 13 September
Nashua Kanonkop Night 10km & 4.9km, Kees Taljaard Stadium, Middelburg, 7pm, Naudene van Tonder 082 495 4173
Saturday 16 September
Ernst Labuschagne Momento Trail Run 21km, 14km, 7km & 2km, Komati Gorge Lodge, Waterfall Farm, 6:30am, Race Organiser 082 217 7521
Wednesday 20 September
Rooies Nite 10km & 4.9km, HTS Middelburg Rugby Field, 7pm, Theuns Luus 083 630 8729
Saturday 23 September
Boulders 25km & 10km, Mara turn-off from N4, 25km from Nelspruit/Mbombela towards Komatipoort, to Kaapmuiden Primary School, 6am, Deon Valks 082 788 0675
Wittenberg Trail Run 19km & 9km, Wittenberg Primary School, 20km south of Piet Retief, 7am, Werner Peters 083 779 9228 NEW DATE – WAS 16 SEPTEMBER
Buffalo Gorge Trail Series 18km, 6.5km & 2.5km, Buffalo Gorge Eco Adventure Centre, Buffelskloof Farm, off N11 between Middelburg & Groblersdal, 8:30am, Ryk Diepraam 083 528 9586 NEW DATE – WAS 30 SEPTEMBER

NORTH WEST

CENTRAL NORTH WEST
Saturday 2 September
Nedbank Schweizer-Reneke Half Marathon, 10km, 5km & Business Relay, Dutch Reformed Church, Cronje Street, Schweizer-Reneke, 7am (21), 7:30am (10) & 7:45am (5 & relay), Susna du Plessis 082 920 5063
Wednesday 20 September
Goudkop Primary School Fun Run 10km, 5km & 2.5km, Goudkop Primary School, Flora Avenue, Klerksdorp, 6pm, Andre Pelsel 082 875 2378
Saturday 30 September
PG Glass Vlakvark Trail Run Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Faan Meintjies Nature Reserve, about 10km out of Klerksdorp on Dr Yusuf Dadoo Avenue (D2787), 7am, Jasper van Zyl 083 290 4743

NORTH WEST NORTH
Saturday 2 September
Keystone Milling Rustenburg Mountain Race 25km, 10km & 5km, Rustenburg Kloof Resort, 1 Donkerhoek Road, Rustenburg, 7am, Nico Steenkamp 083 264 3071
Sunday 3 September
Scrub Hare Trail Run 20km, 13km & 5km, Leeuwenkloof, on R3 near Broederstroom, 7am, 7:30am & 8am, Nina 083 275 2362
Saturday 16 September
The Citizen Trail Run hosted by Sun City 21km, 10km & 5km, Valley of the Waves, Sun City, 7am, Race Organiser 082 809 5498
Saturday 30 September
Marico Bosveld Marathon, Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Marico Bosveld Dam, 7am, Andries Brönn 083 662 0236

NORTHERN CAPE

GRIQUALAND WEST
Saturday 2 September
PC Struwig Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Bishops Old Boys Club, Memorial Road, Kimberley, 7am, Magda Oldewage 083 676 0921
Saturday 9 September
Vulture Conservation Trail Run 16km & 6km, Benfontein Nature Reserve, Kimberley, 9am, Ria Janse van Vuuren 083 381 9804

NORTH WEST CAPE
Saturday 9 September
Namaqualand Diamond Fund Trust Half Marathon, 2×10.5km, 10km & 5km, Springbok Show Grounds, 7am, Bianca Josop 027 718 1060 (h)
Saturday 23 September
Kakamas Kanaal Half Marathon, 10km & 5km, Die Mas Kakamas Wine Cellar, Kakamas, 6am, Carel Burger 082 622 7109

NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES

LESOTHO
Saturday 16 September
Highlands Trout Mountain Challenge 42km, 21km & 5km, Orion Katse Lodge, Katse Dam, 6am, Bruce Fordyce 011 726 2867 (w) NEW DATE – WAS 23 SEPTEMBER

NAMIBIA
Saturday 2 September
Spring Festival 9km & 4.5km Fun Run PLUS 2km Walk, Avis Dam, Windhoek, 8am, Cycletec +264 (0)61 244 324
Tuesday 6 September
FNB Nite 8km & 5km PLUS 5km Walk, United Club, Esther Brand Street, Olympia, Windhoek, 5:45pm (5W) & 6pm (8 & 5), Charles +264 (0)81 124 9471
Saturday 9 September
The Rock Half Marathon & 10km Trail Run, Spitzkoppe, near Usakos, OTB Sport +264 (0)61 260 312
Tuesday 12 September
FNB Nite 8km & 5km PLUS 5km Walk, United Club, Esther Brand Street, Olympia, Windhoek, 5:45pm (5W) & 6pm (8 & 5), Charles +264 (0)81 124 9471
Saturday 16 September
Navachab Half Marathon, Usab Field, Karibib, 7:30am, BK Karumendu +264 (0)81 311 8489
Saturday 23 September
Visrivier Marathon, Half Marathon & 8km PLUS 10km Walk, Keetmanshoop, 6am, Mari Pesch +264 (0)81 249 7200

ORIENTEERING
Sunday 10 September
Gauteng Bush Series #8 Mountain Marathon (Long Distance), Mohales Gate, Magaliesburg, Time TBC, RACO: Paul Wimberley 082 550 7793
Saturday 23 September
SA Champs – Middle Distance, Maretlwane, Brits, Time TBC, RACO: Paul Wimberley 082 550 7793
Sunday 24 September
SA Champs – Long Distance, Maretlwane, Brits, Time TBC, RACO: Paul Wimberley 082 550 7793
Monday 25 September
SA Champs – Relay, Maretlwane, Brits, Time TBC, RACO: Paul Wimberley 082 550 7793

TRIATHLON & DUATHLON
Sunday 10 September
Tribal Triathlon Series #1, 1.5km/40km/10km, 750m/20km/5km & 400m/10km/2.5km, Buffalo City Beachfront, Border, Time TBC, SCR Tribal 071 429 4255
Sunday 24 September
MiWay Cape Ultra Triathlon, Ultra 1.9km/90km/21km & Sprint 600m/20km/5km, Theewaterskloof Dam, near Villiersdorp, Western Cape, 8am, B-Active Sports 031 763 1885
Saturday 30 September
Freshpak Fitness Festival, Triathlon: 800m/20km/5km, Duathlon: 5km/20km/2.5km, Biathlon: 5km/20km, FitKids: 1km/200m/1km run/swim/run, Plus 3km & 1.5km swim, Clanwilliam Dam Campsite, Western Cape, 9am (swim, 10:30am (FitKids), 12:30pm (Du/Bi) & 3pm (Tri), Tri & Du Sport 021 914 1157 (w)
North West Series #2, Tri: 1.5km/40km/10km, 750m/20km/5km & 400m/10km/2.5km, Du: 10km/40km/5km, 5km/20km/2.5km & 2.5km/10km/1.25km, Vaal River Boating Club, Vaal Reefs, Orkney, North West Province, 8am, Yolanda Kruger 082 787 5496

OBSTACLE RACING
Saturday 2 September
The Beast Challenge #11, Savage Beast 15km (50 obstacles), Wild Beast 10km (30) & Tame Beat 5km (15), The Wedge 4×4 trail, Beyers Naude Drive, Muldersdrift, Gauteng, From 8am, Race Office 012 667 2074 (w)
GI Joe Bearded Vulture Clash #4 12km & 6km, Tikwe River Lodge, Virginia, Free State, 8am, GI Joe Office 082 962 6565
Waterra #3, Heroes 15km (30 to 40 obstacles) & Heroes in Training 7km (20 to 30 obstacles), Infinite Adventures, Wootton Avenue, Bothas Hill, Outer West Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, More info: http://waterra.co.za
Sunday 3 September
Gajiga Run #13, 5km with inflatable obstacles, Delta Park, Craighall Road, Vicotry Park, Randburg, Johannesburg, Gauteng, 9am, www.gajiga.co.za
Saturday 9 September
Muddy Princess #7 GP, 5km course, Venue in Johannesburg, Gauteng TBC, Time TBC, More info: info@muddyprincess.co.za
300 Obstacle Course 5km Time Trial, Tribe Athletics, cnr Blackwood Street and General Hertzog, Three Rivers, Vereeniging, 9:30am, Race Office 071 676 9002
Saturday 16 September
Daddy’s OCR, Old Mac Daddy, Elgin Valley Road, Elgin-Grabouw, Boland, 8am, Race Office 021 844 0241 (w)
Marine OCR, Riviera Guess Farm, off N1 near Bloemfontein, Free State, Time ,TBC, Race Office 083 264 0209
Saturday 16 – Sunday 17 September
Toyota Jeep Warrior Race #6, Black Ops 15km (30 obstacles), Commando 10km (22), Rookie 5km (15) & Warrior Bratz 500m (8, unlimited laps), Tierpoort, Pretoria, Gauteng, Race Organiser 087 150 3144
Saturday 23 September
Gajiga Run #14, 5km with inflatable obstacles, Kwanyoni Lodge, Nelepruit, Mpumalnaga, 8am, www.gajiga.co.za
Marine OCR, Riviera Guess Farm, off N1 near Bloemfontein, Free State, Time ,TBC, Race Office 083 264 0209

ADVENTURE RACING
Friday 1 – Saturday 2 September
Lilyfontein Adventure Race, distances from 6km up to 110km, Lilyfontein School, near East London, Time TBC, Margaret Mitchell 043 737 4258
Saturday 9 – Sunday 10 September
Expedition Africa Full Moon 100km, Venue TBC, Heidi Muller 082 564 6468

With spring just around the corner, now is the time to give speed a chance in order to be ready to race when the weather warms up. – BY DERICK MARCISZ

I honestly believe that most runners would love to run fast, but many runners say they don’t do speed work in training because they are not fast enough to race competitively and therefore don’t need speed training. This is actually wrong, as speed work will definitely improve your running, no matter your age, gender or ability.

The first rule of running fast is simple: Run short. In other words, focus on intensity instead of distance. Short means shorter distance and fewer repetitions. There is only one way to get to run faster, and that is to teach your legs what it feels like to run faster. To do that you have to do training workouts that accomplish exactly that: Get your legs used to running fast. And make it fun! So here are some training sessions to learn the technique of running fast.

1. STRIDING THE STRAIGHTS
This session is usually done around an athletic track, but it can also be done on a sports field. After an easy warm-up of 3km to 5km with some faster striding, do the following:
• Run the straight of the track fast – close to full speed, not quite an outright sprint, but at a pace that you could only maintain for a short while – and then jog the bend slowly to recover. Cover anything from 8 to 12 laps of the track this way (about 2.5 to 3.5km).

The good part about this training is that the rest period is not structured in terms of the recovery period – you can jog or even walk the bends until you feel fully recovered to run another 100m fast. As you get fitter, this recovery jog will get faster, but always focus on the fast 100m runs.

2. FARTLEK
This is running in its purest form – no kay markers, GPS or heart rate monitors, just fast running at its best! Fartlek was invented in 1937 by Swedish coach Gosta Holmer and the name roughly translates as ‘speed play.’ True fartlek is about mixing up faster-than-race pace efforts with easier recovery running, and it is an effective and satisfying training session that should always be fun!
• Run with a partner and each of you will be responsible for 20 minutes during which you decide how fast and how far you run. Try to do this in a large park area, but you can also do it on the road.
• Start with an easy-paced warm-up of around 4km, with a few faster surges.
• The first ‘leader’ will then say, “Let’s sprint to that tree,” or “Let’s run hard for two minutes.” The same applies to the rest periods. After 20 minutes you swap around.
• After finishing 40 minutes of running freely like this, you will be left feeling strong and invigorated, and can jog another 3km as a cool-down.

About the Author
Derick is a Joburg-based running and triathlon coach, with multiple ultra-marathon and Ironman finishes to go with his 20-plus years of experience in coaching.