Running Comrades 2011

Wow, what a race it was. 2pm and I was just about to enter “The Oval” in Pietermaritzburg to complete a last short lap to the finish line. The sun was up and the atmosphere was electrifying. Thousands of the supporters in the stadium were cheering the runners on their last kilometer of what everybody would remember as a great 87km race. My legs were hammered after roughly 8.30h of running but otherwise I was feeling quite well. The crowd just carried me through to the finish. Some 20 minutes later, sitting on the grass with by medal proudly hanging around my neck, I was enjoying the atmosphere and the sunshine. While smiling runners were crossing the finish line to claim the Bill Rowan medal for the sub 9h time, others were hurried to the medical tent. At 3pm the tent resembled a small hospital with numerous runners being attended to, plenty of drips and oxygen masks. The race was tough and – as every year – runners were pushing the limit to claim a great personal achievement – finishing the Comrades. It was time for me to reflect on the preceding 36 hours.

I flew into Durban roughly 1 ½ days prior to the race in order to adjust and enjoy the Comrades atmosphere. Also, it provided the opportunity to meet Grant McDade, our local agent, as well as Ragna and Kate from the adidas South-African team. Grant manages for adidas the independent sports retailers in the province of Kwazulu-Natal. On Saturday morning the four of us headed to Pietermaritzburg to visit one of the biggest Independent Stores in the region.

Grant originally recommended to follow the race route along the old Durban – Pietermaritzburg link. However, due to the heavy preparation activities expected along the route we decided to drive straight via the new highway connecting the 2 cities. Seeing all the hills passing by I was rather glad not to witness the actual route as this could have been heart-breaking. In Pietermaritzburg we visited Poobie Naido Sports, a store covering roughly 6.000 sqm of selling space. Many people of Indian origin live in the KwaZulu-Natal province and Poobie is one many who have established a successful business there. Poobie himself has completed an incredible 26 Comrades and, though retired from competitive running, plans to finish the “30” still. His “medal cabinet” is breathtaking. 2 of his greatest running achievements are finishing the Golden Reef 100 – Miler in 14.49h and the Comrades in 6.07h. Approximately 25 years ago Poobie approached Grant for selling adidas products out of the trunk of his car. This was formally rejected. Today, Grant and Poobie still joke about this. However, Poobie did not give up and opened a 60sqm store which later he moved to a 500sqm facility. Today, he is the biggest independent sports retailer in Pietermaritzburg. He spends most of the time on the shop-floor and draws customers from all over the province. Chatting with Poobie was a great opportunity for me. Not only did I receive valuable tips for the race but also learned a lot about the business in that region.

After lunch we headed back to Durban. Grant narrated on his 35 years with adidas and the roller-coaster ride adidas South Africa has endured during its long history in that beautiful country. Back in Durban I spent a few hours at the Running Expo. In the early evening the last “carb loading” session was completed with a nice load of Fettuccini. After completing some last preparations I went to bed at 8.30pm. Lagging 2 hours behind Dubai certainly helped and I slept surprisingly well which is not always the case prior to a marathon.

As for the Wadi Bih Solo I did not follow a particular running program. However, I tried to fill in as much running as possible into the schedule. With the exception of 3 weeks of heavy travelling I managed to push through 6 weeks period of intensive running, averaging 100km per week. Long runs on weekends distanced max. 32km. Though the preparation was absolutely necessary I felt already a bit of fatigue from the long running season and hoped that this would not back-fire during the race. Consequently, I decided to follow the advice of Brian Kerby, a multiple Iron Man, and reduced the running considerably during the last 3 weeks. Better to suffer during the last third of the race instead of being tired right from the start. Unfortunately, I was again not able to train hill running which I assumed would have come in quite handy considering the Big 5. The maximum altitude training covered consisted of crossing the bridges in Dubai Marina as well as a save travel via elevator to the observation platform of Burj Kalifa in Dubai.

On Sunday, race day, I set my alarm clock for 4.30am. Moving to the race start was rather easy as I had chosen a hotel close by. The morning ritual was as follows: 3 bananas and Energate for breakfast. Vaseline was applied where I could possibly chafe. As a sunny day was expected I made sure to apply sunscreen. I also decided to run this time with running compression socks. Those, I hoped, would improve blood circulation and also reduce the risk of cramps. I double laced my shoes and put an old T-Shirts on top of my race Tee as outside temperatures were about 14 Celsius. Finally, my iPod shuffle. Many runners do not run with music. Either they feel irritated by  the headphones or feel that music disturbs their rhythm. Over the past years, however, I made it a habit to occasionally run with music. Accordingly, I frontloaded the iPod with the "Best of Selection" and some new songs – at least some diversion during the race, I thought. The other would be observing the route in order make sense out of certain landmarks while racing past them. The tog bag I had already dropped of the day before and would therefore not have to worry just prior to the race start.

The starting area was organized into seeding pens from A to H. I was allocated to pen “B” courtesy of the qualifying time run at the 2011 Dubai marathon. Though I did not place much importance to the pens it later turned out beneficial as the runners in the front moved out quicker. I arrived at the pen around 5.05am and the area was already packed with runners. The atmosphere was great with music being played and runners chatting along. At 5.15am the pens were closed and 5 minutes later the South African anthem was played. Then came “Chariots of Fire” followed by the traditional “crock crowing” and shortly after the gun went off, signaling the start of the race at exactly 5.30am.

The race started well but I already regretted throwing away the Cotton Tee I had worn on top of the Running Tee. Once the running crowd dispersed and the accumulated body heat subsided, I realized that it was quite cold. We started in the dark and it was not until approx. 1 hour later that the sun finally commenced its slow but steady rise.

The race tactic I chose was similar to the one used during the Wadi Bih Solo. I would try to run a faster 1^st half and reduce speed in the 2^nd part of the race. I targeted an average speed of 11 km/h till half-point and then reduce speed with an objective of an overall average of 9.5 – 10 km/h. This would propel me through the finish in just under 9h.

The route led us through Durban and then west towards Pietermaritzburg. Despite having roughly 18 to 19k runners on the road I was able to get into my rhythm quite quickly. To my left was the “blond”. Only problem, she (he) had a mustache and upper legs as big as tree trunks. The “fake blond” was either behind or in front of me for the first 5k until I left her (him) behind at the 6k mark. On the way I encountered some other funnily dressed runners. There was, for example, the “Pink Bee” – a runner with pink hair and wings attached. A bit later I passed the “White Rabbit”. However, once I got close it became clear that the rabbit was actually a runner dressed in a white costume with 2 South African flags attached to his cap. There was also “Mr. Germany”, a runner with a punk hairstyle colored black, red and gold.

The first 10k took us across various ascends and descends and I very soon realized that the Comrades was not about mastering the Big 5. In fact, most of route was either going up or down with the majority heading up-hills, there was hardly a long flat section in between. Not much of a help having done only training on Dubai’s flat roads. The “uphill” route would take the runners to an altitude of 700m within 40k. Three of the five big hills would have been left behind by the time the runners reach Drummond (half-point). Therefore, the toughest part of climbing would occur in the first half of the race which I considered as an advantage.

Almost directly from the start outside the Durban Post Office, the ascent to Pietermaritzburg began with a steady climb up Berea Road to the summit at Tollgate. After a brief descent another climb took the runners to 45th Cutting, so named after the British 45th Regiment of Foot (Sherwood Foresters) who constructed the cutting while stationed in Natal from 1843 to 1859. The first of the Big 5, Cowies Hill, I encountered approx. 14km into the race. The hill itself was rather moderate, climbing 137m over a distance of 1,5km. However, the preceding 14km had already been a relentless climb to 300m.

I was surprised how many people had come out to support the runners at 6.30am, despite the chilly temperatures. Wrapped in blankets and equipped with thick jackets and coffee the supporters cheered on continuously. While climbing Cowies Hill I even saw 2 young fellows drinking beer and dancing to house music. Approaching the top of Cowies Hill, the sun slowly started to fight its way over the hills. It was still fairly cold and only now it made sense to me that quite a number of runners wore gloves. The view, however, was fantastic with the rising sun illuminating the scenery to the left of the peak. The top of the hill was followed by a decent and a rather easy flat section of Pinetown’s Old Main Road.

22km along the route the 2nd of the Big 5 awaited the runners. Fields Hill, approx. 22km from Durban, rises 213m over a distance of 3km and offered a foretaste of things to come. The climb commenced quite moderately. However, the joy was short lived. Soon, the uphill route started to become much steeper and appeared to stretch infinitely. Quite a few runners started already to walk. Walking up steep parts in an ultra-marathon makes sense because you save significant amounts of energy. The time lost is comparatively moderate. Still, in order to achieve my target average speed at half-point, I had to run through the ascents of the first three of the Big 5. At that time I still felt strong and the running was smooth. The sun was slowly brightening but the temperatures rose rather slowly.

Following the peak of Fields Hill the route flattened through the village of Hillcrest. To my surprise, I still did not feel my legs when I reached the starting point of the 3rd of the Big 5, Botha’s Hill. Already 35km running distance and approx. 550m altitude had been covered at that point. Botha’s Hill let us into an ascent of 150m over a distance of 2.4km. Here, signs indicate the romantic route leading through the “1000 Hills”. No surprise as I already felt that the Comrades is just a continuous “hill running event”. Reaching the top of Botha’s Hill I could finally feel that the sun was gaining strength. While I welcomed the warming affect on my body my legs started to shout their first complaints. 38km covering approx. 700m altitude would certainly leave its mark. At that stage I was fully focused on reaching the half-point of the race, an important psychological mark. The 6 km stretch from Botha’s Hill to Drummond (half-point) passes along the clearly visible radio and TV transmission mast to the left. The runners then encounter the Wall of Honor to their right, overlooking the 1.000 Hills. This wall was created as a permanent landmark to honor the achievements of runners who have completed the epic journey between the two cities. Despite paying full attention I could not identify the niche cut into the wall called Arthur’s Seat named after 5 time winner Arthur Newton. Legend has it that greeting Arthur with a flower ensures a great second half of the race.

Just 100m further I could slowly make out Drummond, the half point which we reached after a quick decent. My watch showed 3h58m, average speed 11 km/h  - all according to plan so far. Drummond is a point of joy as well as despair. Entering the 2nd stage of the route helps enormously to lift the runners’ spirits and indeed I could see a lot of smiling faces while crossing the line. Unfortunately, it’s also a serious point of testing for many runners. Drummond is the 2nd of five cut-off points in the race. Runners who do not reach those points in time are automatically disqualified. The five cut-off points are Winston Park (4h.40), Drummond (6h.10), N3 Subway (9h.00), Umlaas Road Interchange (10h.00),Top of Polly Shortts (11h.20) and of course the Finish Line at 12h.00. Winston Park is usually passed easily but Drummond poses quite a challenge for a number of runners. The day after the race, the local papers covered some runners who did not make it. Among them Des Robbins, aged 81, who wanted to break the record as the oldest successful Comrades runner. He will back next year.

Having completed the 1st half within target provided tremendous encouragement for the 2nd half. However, psychologically I needed to prepare myself. My legs and hips clearly felt the efforts and I knew that the pain would not subside. The good news was that so far I had not encountered any problems. The bad news was that I had to run another marathon distance and a few kilometers on top. I mentally focused on 3 pillars: First, so far the race had gone quite well, Second, I had to accept the fact that my legs would have to endure another 4 ½ - 5 hours of beating. 3rd, it was a great event, the sun was shining and the crowd along the route was just fantastic. Reaching the finish-line became an irreversible goal. Further, I segmented the remaining distance in sections – reaching the 30km, then 20km, then 10km mark. Placing and achieving mini objectives usually helps me significantly to overcome the longer distances.

Shortly after the half-point Inchange, the 4th of the Big 5, awaited us. It winds relentlessly for 2.5 km and also rises some 150m in altitude. At that stage I did not continue running up-hill without interruption. I kept running through the more moderate climbs but decided to walk fast through the steeper parts in order to save energy. Descending from Inchange the route passed through the villages of Cato Ridge and Camperdown. There we were greeted by an enthusiastic crowd offering not only verbal support but anything from carbohydrate snacks, drinks, fruits and even beer for those who dared. Such support, I noticed, was not only limited to those two villages. Almost all the way through the 2nd half of the race supporters could be found cheering the runners and offering foods and drinks. Never had I seen such an enthusiastic crowd before. At some points the support along the route resembled a mini carnival. All types of costumes emerged – people dressed as lions and as other animals. I saw Elvis and plenty of Cheerleaders. Just around the corner after a long climb I was even met by Middle East politics – a lonely figure with a long beard with his sign protesting “Free Palestine”. Encouragement was plentiful and spectators made it a habit to shout out the names of the runners and even accompany them for a short distance on the steeper climbs.

I also noticed that the support stations had started to pop up every 1 km. Those stations, overall 48 and each manned by one of the many sponsors, offered water, Energate, bananas, chocolates, salted potatoes and animation for the runners. In retrospect it is difficult to judge the impact of the support and atmosphere. However, I believe that psychologically it was quite significant. Everything was well organized and knowing that you could find plenty of drinks and food well into the 2nd half of the race was a great relief.

Following Inchange, the route continued uphill but with quite a lot of flatter sections in between. The running became very smooth and so I counted down the kilometers to 30 and then to 20. Approximately 19 km from Pietermaritzburg we reached the highest point on the route (870 m) - Umlaas Road. This mark is unremarkable as it is not reached by any noticeable hill and is largely unnoticed by most runners. I was in a really good mood. Crossing the remaining 20km barrier gave me a great boost. Somehow I knew that the goal was in reach. I shut down my mind and purely focused on following step by step like a robot programmed to relentlessly follow the given path. Only one obstacle was ahead - the last of the Big 5, Polly Shortts. Fortunately, Poobie had prepared me beforehand. Polly Shortts is preceded by Little Polly, a more moderate but still long climb. Ignorant runners (as I would have been had it not been for Poobie) can easily mistake Little Polly for Polly Shortts and are then taken completely by surprise when reaching the latter. My problem was a different one. Though I had studied the race course the day before I could not remember where Polly Shortts was located. Reaching the 78km mark I somehow was of the opinion that I must have passed the last of the Big 5. Could this be? Not so, looking ahead I could not identify Pietermaritzburg but instead saw another hill. At that point was assured that the last “monster” was still ahead and soon the slow ascent of Little Polly started. A few minutes later the relentless climb of Polly Shortts started and the last Big 5 lived up to its expectations. Resting 80km away from Durban, it climbs 100m over a distance of 1.8km, reaching 737m in altitude. While this is 133 m less than the highest point on the course, it is a formidable obstacle to any runner with two back-to-back standard marathons behind him. Assuming that I was good in time (my Garmin watch ran out of charge after 6.5h) I decided to walk-up fast the complete distance of the ascent. Crossing Polly Shortt’s peak, the route was leading slowly into Pietermaritzburg.

My legs were screaming. However, at that stage it did not matter anymore. The anticipating of crossing the finish line was so overwhelming that nothing could stop me. Left and right the number of supporters grew steadily, leading the way into the “Oval” in Pietermaritzburg. 3km, then 2km and finally 1km and into the stadium that was packed with supporters and runners who had already crossed the finish line. It’s difficult to describe the feeling when crossing the finish, it is joy, relief, a tremendous feeling of self achievement. Because my Garmin watch gave up well into the race I depended on instinct for the remaining race distance. Though I knew I was comfortably below 9h I was quite surprised to see that I finished in 8h.32m.12s. I came in 1.285 place and was awarded the Bill Rowan medal.

Medals and race numbers have very special meanings at the Comrades. The following apply: Gold (1st -10th place), Wally Hayward (11th place to sub 6h time), Silver (6h – 7h30), Bill Rowan (7h30 – 9h), Bronze (9h – 11h), Vic Clapham (11h – 12h). Medals were also given to runners completing back-to-back – consecutive up-and-down hill races. Green / double green and triple green numbers are awarded for 10, 20 and 30 successful completions of the Comrades marathon.

After the race I enjoyed the great atmosphere in the stadium for another hour, then collected my bag and headed back to Durban by bus. On our way back via the highway we could still see many runners making their way to the finish line along the old Durban – Pietermaritzburg route. Looking out of the window I became aware of the beautiful scenery and “thousands” of hills. Hard to imagine that we had just run the complete distance.

Back in Durban I settled for a long bath to relax the muscles and then switched on the TV to follow the last hour of the Comrades. Seldom have I witnessed such a mixture of joy and agony. As the last minutes ticked away before the 12h cut-off, hundreds of runners were on their way to the finish. What a scene. Runners were smiling and waving. Others just made it through the finish. One runner just stumbled past the finish line. Another one covered the last 10 meters crawling on his hands and knees. Not to forget the drama caught live on TV. A female runner just collapsed 20 meters prior to the finish line and was picked up and carried through by a fellow runner – what camaraderie! The atmosphere was just incredible, even seen from the comfort of the hotel room on TV. When the gun-shot announced the 12h cut-off, thousands of runners were still out on the race course. The TV caught live runners just walking into the Oval after cut-off – head-down. What a disappointment, knowing that the medal was just seconds away. But in the Comrades everybody is a winner. Taking the courage to participate is already a great achievement and for those who could not make it I am sure that many will be back next year!

Out of 19.592 entrants I guess around 18.500 runners participated. However, only 11.374 finished within the 12h cut-off. Stephen Muzhingi succeeded in winning his 3rd consecutive Comrades Marathon in a time of 5.32.45. 7 out of the top 10 men were South Africans. In the Womens category Elena Nurgalieva won again with a time of 6.24.11, just 14 seconds ahead of her twin system Olesja. In 3rd place was Kami Semick from the US just ahead of 100km world champion Ellie Greenwood. The Unogwaja team of 4 managed to cycle the 1.730km distance from Cape Town to Durban in 11 days and arrived just the night before the race. All of them managed to finish the Comrades in time – what an achievement!