Running in Africa is much like driving in Africa – if you figure out which way to look and what side of the road to be on, you are doing all right. There are more than a few scary moments when you step off of the curb and get buzzed by a car because you are looking the wrong way. Thankfully, due to the many people that walk here, there are numerous dirt trails lining the busy roads.
For motivation and safety, we joined a local running club. They hold weekly time trials over 4, 5, and 8K. When I say that they are hilly remember I have lived in Colorado, ran on the Great Wall, and have done my share of trail races. We are 4000-6000ft above sea level here too. This course is a monster allowing no consistency and brutally long uphills followed by pounding downhills. On any given week I can win going away or get my butt handed to me. For example, I may run with the double jogger and win by 3 minutes, or put up a 29:30 (8K) and take 3rd. It really just depends on who shows up.
But the hills have paid off. I took the base from summer and my PR marathon and kept the fire. I took 9th in a half marathon out in Krugersdorp. It was at altitude and had several kilometers per loop of steady uphill. The compensation was one downhill a mile out from the end. It was the kind of hill that doesn’t let you run faster – it just blows your quads from breaking and causes blisters in the feet. I got out way too fast but put in a solid effort considering the course. I finished within seconds of 6th and even slowed to help 8th on in. I still broke 1:23 which for that course could have been worth 5 more minutes.
SOWETO Marathon
There isn’t a township more famous than Soweto. This former home of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu is the root of the rebellion against racial oppression in South Africa. No place on earth boasts a wider disparity in economic distribution as millionaire mansions and glittering malls surround tin-roofed shacks and rampant unemployment. Yet each year, thousands take to the streets for a marathon that tours areas that at no other time would I be welcome to walk.
After a quick trip to the African bathroom (a tree), I pulled into the starting coral. There was supposed to be a seeding system but I knew at packet pickup when they assigned me the next available number my previous time meant squat. While being pushed and prodded I scowled at the hundreds that pushed past me to get closer to the line. When 60 year old men do this, I have to object. Yet with 1 minute until the gun the crowd broke into a glorious song, cheering in unison for the miles ahead. Thus started the annual Soweto marathon and ended the organizational efforts by the directors.
I would think that starting just 100 feet from the line would not put too many people in front of me. Yet within seconds of the gun a whole sea of humanity spread out before me. What started on two lanes expanded to six lanes with people in the median and on the sidewalk. For the entire race, groups of runners always paved the way. I never was alone. The first half of the race was conservative. After all, this was a killer hilly course and no sense in busting it out in November.
There were some interesting sights along the route: I ran with a man who was jingling with change. This was his taxi and bus fare home. I forget not everyone comes to runs under their own power. Another guy was running his first marathon at 31 years old and was on pace for 3:10. While others faded, he rolled along. I was psyched and helped him along for a few miles before he faded on the final hills. There was a period of running through sewage. Not going to lie. I saw some of the poorest places in the world. There were huts that would make any village in Mexico look like Cabo. It was pretty sad.
Split the half in 1:33 and started to pick it up. By 20 miles I was sure I could negative split by 3 minutes. But the last 7k were so unbelievably hilly that I did all I could to hang on. There were hills where everyone (but me) that I could see walked. It was a killer way to end the race. I definitely felt like it took something out of me.
338th place out of 4879 finishers. Gun time 3:07:30/3:06:55 net time. Not bad for holding back on the hilliest race around.
For motivation and safety, we joined a local running club. They hold weekly time trials over 4, 5, and 8K. When I say that they are hilly remember I have lived in Colorado, ran on the Great Wall, and have done my share of trail races. We are 4000-6000ft above sea level here too. This course is a monster allowing no consistency and brutally long uphills followed by pounding downhills. On any given week I can win going away or get my butt handed to me. For example, I may run with the double jogger and win by 3 minutes, or put up a 29:30 (8K) and take 3rd. It really just depends on who shows up.
But the hills have paid off. I took the base from summer and my PR marathon and kept the fire. I took 9th in a half marathon out in Krugersdorp. It was at altitude and had several kilometers per loop of steady uphill. The compensation was one downhill a mile out from the end. It was the kind of hill that doesn’t let you run faster – it just blows your quads from breaking and causes blisters in the feet. I got out way too fast but put in a solid effort considering the course. I finished within seconds of 6th and even slowed to help 8th on in. I still broke 1:23 which for that course could have been worth 5 more minutes.
SOWETO Marathon
There isn’t a township more famous than Soweto. This former home of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu is the root of the rebellion against racial oppression in South Africa. No place on earth boasts a wider disparity in economic distribution as millionaire mansions and glittering malls surround tin-roofed shacks and rampant unemployment. Yet each year, thousands take to the streets for a marathon that tours areas that at no other time would I be welcome to walk.
After a quick trip to the African bathroom (a tree), I pulled into the starting coral. There was supposed to be a seeding system but I knew at packet pickup when they assigned me the next available number my previous time meant squat. While being pushed and prodded I scowled at the hundreds that pushed past me to get closer to the line. When 60 year old men do this, I have to object. Yet with 1 minute until the gun the crowd broke into a glorious song, cheering in unison for the miles ahead. Thus started the annual Soweto marathon and ended the organizational efforts by the directors.
I would think that starting just 100 feet from the line would not put too many people in front of me. Yet within seconds of the gun a whole sea of humanity spread out before me. What started on two lanes expanded to six lanes with people in the median and on the sidewalk. For the entire race, groups of runners always paved the way. I never was alone. The first half of the race was conservative. After all, this was a killer hilly course and no sense in busting it out in November.
There were some interesting sights along the route: I ran with a man who was jingling with change. This was his taxi and bus fare home. I forget not everyone comes to runs under their own power. Another guy was running his first marathon at 31 years old and was on pace for 3:10. While others faded, he rolled along. I was psyched and helped him along for a few miles before he faded on the final hills. There was a period of running through sewage. Not going to lie. I saw some of the poorest places in the world. There were huts that would make any village in Mexico look like Cabo. It was pretty sad.
Split the half in 1:33 and started to pick it up. By 20 miles I was sure I could negative split by 3 minutes. But the last 7k were so unbelievably hilly that I did all I could to hang on. There were hills where everyone (but me) that I could see walked. It was a killer way to end the race. I definitely felt like it took something out of me.
338th place out of 4879 finishers. Gun time 3:07:30/3:06:55 net time. Not bad for holding back on the hilliest race around.
