Rejoov Hall of Fame + Awards

josh arthur

Rejoov Hall of Fame (see instagram for stories and pics, links to be added soon):

Yury Glikin - Happy 10yr Rejoovsary blog

Rick Gove (2024)

Emily Bassett (2017)

Jamie Broom (2017)

Josh Arthur (2019)

Estelle Berton (2021)

Ian Gabriel (2020)

Imy Briscoe (2022)

Susan McCallum (2015) Happy 10yrs+

Max Beavis and Harriet Beavis (2021)

Belle Green (2013)

Zac Smith & Sammie Feeley (2017)

Mitch Martin-Weber (2010) Happy 15yrs+

Jacqui Fox (2008) Happy 15yrs+

Legacy Trophy 2016-2025:

2024-25 Triathletes Emily Bassett + Winston Li

2024-25 Trail Blazers Cam Grice + Danelle Dower

2024-25 Trail Blazers Matthew Morris + Keira Braybrook

2024-25 Legacy Zebra Erin Zimerman + Lisa Conlon

2024-25 Legacy Zebra Sarah Collins + Nicole Katz

2024-25 Legacy Zanther Nicola Logan + Mark Camilleri

2024-25 Legacy Zanther Megan Doyle + Sean Marquette

2024-25 Legacy Panther Ian Gabriel + Imy Briscoe

2024-25 Legacy Panther Georgina Beck + Conor Hayden

2022-23 Trail Blazers Nadya Caminer + Kernow Craig

2022-23 Triathletes Tess Aungles + Mitch Martin-Weber

2022-23 ANSW / RUNNSW Dave Hurdle + Nicola Silsby

2022-23 Just Keep Swimming Turtles Cathy Rowney + Susan McCallum

2022-23 Just Keep Swimming Stingrays Nicola Logan + Michael Martin

2022-23 Legacy Zanther Mary Stringer + Jacq Chow

2022-23 Legacy Panther Jonny Pisanelli + Cheryl Greenway

2022-23 Legacy Zebra Karin Jackson + Irene Ogola

2022-23 Legacy Panther Chris Don + Estelle Berton

2022-23 Legacy Zebra Michelle Woodman + Megan Paton

2021 Just Keep Swimming Yury Glikin + Jenna Wald

2021 Legacy Panther Barry Meehan + Lisa Sherman

2021 Legacy Zebra Graham Knox + Susan McCallum

2020 Just Keep Swimming Lisa Sherman + Grant Sherman

2020 Legacy Zebra Andy Bannister + Cathy Rowney

2020 Legacy Panther Josh Arthur + Rosy Cooper

2020 Track Charl Jansen Van Rensburg + Freya Riddel

2019 Rejoov Legacy: Jamie Broom + Maya Borthwick

2018 Rejoov Legacy: John McCormack + Sammie Feeley

ANSW x Rejoov affiliation: 2018-19 Chris Strom + Susan McCallum

ANSW x Rejoov affiliation: 2017-18 Andy Heyden + Cathy Liu

ANSW x Rejoov affiliation: 2016-17 Scott O’Connor + Erika Jordan

Performance awards in 2020-21:

- Andrew Redman (Panther trophy) Canberra half marathon PB 77 & Sydney 10 PB 34.20
- Graham Knox (Zebra trophy) Rejoov Brighton Le Sands half marathon time trial PB

- Belle Green (Tailwind Nutrition Spirit Award) - most consistent Rejoover 7yrs since 2014, always encouraging everyone, a shining star, missed out on Canberra due to injury, come back, training for debut marathon Gold Coast (which was covid cancelled) so did the Rejoov virtual GC mara 3.37, mega congrats!!

- Alley Miller (Panther trophy) Canberra half marathon PB 1.34, 5th female Sydney Trail Series 20k & come back from stress fracture
- Katherine Mountford (Zebra trophy) UTA 22k, consistent training, spirit & facing her fears

- Yury Glikin (Panther trophy) Canberra half marathon, epic swimming training for Bondi to Watson’s Bay 10k, rejoov virtual GC half marathon TT sub 90mins, thanks Andy Redman for pacing
- Jennifer Synder (Zebra trophy) debut 10k Sun Run & debut Canberra half marathon event

- Barry Meehan (Panther trophy) What a year so far! Sun run 10k PB, Huski festival 10k PB, Sydney 10k PB 36.04 over 2min PB. Canberra half mara PB, Rejoov GC virtual half mara time trial PB 78.51 a 4min PB
- Penny Johnston (Zebra trophy) 5km track PB, half marathon & Coastal Classic trail training debut, all round approach strength, running, soccer, nutrition

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Receiving Tailwind community spirit and performance awards in 2019:

- Gareth Beddoes 1.38 Melbourne half pb & sub 20 5k track Pb
- Megan Doyle massive pbs across 5k 23mins, 10k 45mins, smh half 1.43 and marathon 3.51 debut this year, dedicated and also getting into swimming
- Belle Green blackmores Pb 1.42 & c2s 66.56pb, committed to training and gets involved in many events including Bondi splash debut.
- Jenna Wald C2S Pb 73.35 & blackmores half Pb 1.55, strong ocean Bondi to Bronte 43.07 2.4k.

- Lucky draw prizes Tailwind and Runners Shop Randwick vouchers to Lux, Michelle Woodman, Cathy Rowney

-Lisa Mintz - Osteopath, Mum & Grandma, Narrabeen marathon all-nighter 76km in January and her debut 100 MILE NZ Northburn in March getting the belt buckle inside the cut off 48hour!! How amazing!

-Zac Smith 5k track pb progression currently 18.39 and 10k PB by 4mins 40.06, and all his support for the club.

-Jamie Broom for his track 5k track pb progression currently 18.35 and 10k PB by 4.29mins Sydney 10k 38.36.

Awards 2018

-Congratulations runners of the month 2018 zebras Robin Ball & Victoria Raymond on their enthusiasm & hugely fun spirit in achieving the Coastal Classic & Larapinta Trail in 2018. Prizes sponsored by thermaTech www.sherpa.com.au Check our their great gear!

- Adam Ballesty amazing team support, White Fence Track Club (WFTC) Wed nights daylight savings initiative, marathon prep as he leads into New York 2018

- Olivia Ho 10k PB 41mins, GC marathon 3.23 with 2 little kids & working 2018

- Emma Trehy community running support, Achilles running guide, pbs across 5k, 10k & half marathon this year 2018

- Cathy Rowney 10k & half marathon PBs and comeback after breast cancer 2018

August 2018. Training hard & having a laugh with @reidy__ & the gang. Congrats to rejoov monthly award winners @adamballesty Olivia Ho @em_heart_smiles & @cathyrowney with @paceathletic nifty travel drink shakers & Tailwind protein sachets. Congrats Jacqui Fox our longest rejoover ❤️of over ten years, enjoy the waist belt & 💐 flowers.

Mary Stringer - over 60 & smashing it! 42min Sydney 10k 2018, winning age groups in Sydney

Zac Smith - Alpine Ascent 50k, UTA 100k, awesome team spirit & photos 

Rachel Birds - training the house down, getting strong on trails and winning the Equaliser technical trail event 2018, Sydney 10k pb & GC half marathon pb 2018 

Maya Borthwick - 10k 38mins, c2s 55mins, half 85mins and marathon 3.09 pbs 

Matt Wacher - 5k track pb, 10k pb, C2S pb, half marathon pb 2017 what a year!! 

Jo Hadley - Sydney 10k PB 2018, Canberra marathon PB, GC half PB 

Tommy & Tara - training spirit award, C2S, Blackmores & Smh half marathon pbs   

Lisa Sherman - half marathon pb, great ocean road ultra 60k 

Sammie Feeley - PBs across all distances 5k, 10k, half marathon & a marathon debut 

Fran Boorer - trail running events, amazing team support & long runs

Lisa Studencki - training hard, friendly, wonderful spirit, Larapinta Trail Legend 

Susan McCallum - over 50s kicking goals! 

Ben Feld - over 50 age group, 17.10 park run PB 2017, 37.28 Sydney Harbour 10k PB 2018

Rachael Honeywood - Boston Marathon pb 3.23 2017 

Lesley Mason - breaking PBs across all distances

Juny Xi Yang - 102km Tarawera ultra marathon top 20 female Feb 2018. Marathon PB 3.18 GC 2018

Grant Sherman - Melbourne 10k pb and Canberra half marathon pb 

Larissa Williams - Kokoda Trail and her debut smh half marathon 2017 

We couldn't split these two, not even with a dance off ;), so congrats fellas, our 2 outstanding runners of August 2016: 
- Darren McGregor (DMac) for nailing his c2s pb and then 5 days later racing the Syd Oxfam Trailwalker 100kms his team raising $8k. He also had a half pb on the GC in July too. 
- Johnny McCormack (JMac) for his supreme training efforts & group support, C2S PB and winning the Mums and Sons team. He's also struck 10k & half pbs this year! 
Thanks @toddridge @therunningcompanybondibeach for your gift vouchers. Everyone check out the Garmin forerunner 35 / 235 including inbuilt heart rate monitor, pedometer, waterproof as well as pace, distance etc. https://buy.garmin.com/en-AU/AU/sports-recreation/running/forerunner-35/prod552962.html
#oxfamtrailwalker #100k #citytosurf #goldcoast#sydney #10k #halfmarathon #rejoovrunners

 — with Darren MacGregor, Johnny Mac, Todd Ridge and The Running Company - Bondi Beach at The Running Company - Bondi Beach.

Darren & Johnny

Bondi to Manly race recap + tips by coach Greta Truscott

GRETA TRUSCOTT PROVIDES A RECAP, AND A VARIETY OF TIPS, ON THE BONDI TO MANLY. Greta has competed in the Bondi to Manly for the past 3 years since its inception, achieving most recently a 2nd place in the ultra and a 1st and a 3rd in the relay. She shares some valuable insights into this event that can help you in your B2M event.

Winning girls relay team alice Imy Jess Katie + ultra winner cheryl + ultra 2nd greta

THE ATTRACTION

The Bondi to Manly course is just under 80km with approximately 1,500m elevation gain and is breathtakingly beautiful hugging the coastline and harbour from Bondi Beach to Manly Beach including the most stairs and pristine beaches I’ve ever seen!! How lucky we have this event on our doorstep and seeing everyone you know along the way. The mixed terrain course makes it quite a fartlek with footpaths, sandy beaches, trails, stairs, hills, rocky outcrops and boardwalks. It is an AUTRA event making it extra attractive. Another incentive to support this event is that all the proceeds go back into preservation of this stunning public coastline track.

After running in the Bondi to Manly team relays for the previous 2 years, I was allured into my debut B2M in October this year (2024)!! It was such a brilliant day that I’m hooked and can’t wait to do it again. Race Director Ellie Pacholski and her team of volunteers (including Emma Trehy at the start line) do such an amazing job with the marshalling, course marking and all the aid stations. I didn’t get lost once. There were 608 finishers in the ultra and 460 teams in the relays .. approximately 2,448 runners altogether making it the biggest turn out in its 3rd year.

james hewat 2nd in the ultra very fitting for bib #2

THE RESULT

Fellow Rejoover Cheryl Greenway and I had quite the battle, which we thought might happen. I thought I’d have to be well under her 7:34 from last year to have a shot between us, but also factoring in anyone else, which was unknown. She ended up beating me by 49seconds in 7:23:59!! I was 2nd female in 7:24:49 which includes the stops for water re-fills and one unfortunate loo stop. It was an exciting race manoeuvring through all the facets of the course and especially seeing so many friends and faces along the way cheering me on including Nadya Caminer at The Gap for the sunrise climb out of Bondi and Elle Goldrick at Rose Bay after the first aids station. The vibe was huge!! As was the stunning Spring weather. It got pretty warm in the middle of the day up to 22-23 degrees at most but luckily very nice mild conditions for late October.

THE PREPARATION

Ideally you’re getting in enough mileage including long runs, speedwork, hills, stairs, trails, beaches and footpath because B2M has all of this. I hadn’t been able to prepare for B2M as well as I would have liked on the stairs and trails due to preceding road event commitments and not being able to get a full specific B2M training block in. However, being marathon fit does certainly help. Just a few weeks earlier I ran the Sydney Marathon as part of their 2 year Major status candidacy 2023-24. We had quite a contingent of Rejoov Runners (4th biggest team) preparing for that and so we had done a lot of marathon training, which was awesome. We were thrilled to since learn that Sydney will be a 7th World Marathon Major!! Post Sydney Marathon, I worked hard at recovery and dialled into the B2M course with what remaining time I had. Some others did the same. Those that were fully focused on B2M specific training in the 8-12weeks leading in certainly had the ideal preparation.

My last ultra was Comrades 88km, South Africa in June 2023 and I had been focusing on the road marathon ever since chasing the sub 3!! Boston Marathon 3:10 in April didn’t go to plan, but finally the work paid off in Gold Coast in July in 2:56:31. Being marathon fit really helps a lot for Bondi to Manly due to the faster footpath sections. The winning male in this year’s B2M 2024 >> Mark Langley 6:04 set the course record and a 44min PB. He was 7th place last year. This year Mark ran a speedy 2:33 Sydney Marathon just weeks prior, which no doubt helped this year’s campaign. Steph Austin (a 2:43 marathoner) set the women’s B2M course record in 7:12 last year (2023).

It also significantly helps your B2M campaign to get in a few 40km+ runs and a couple 50km+ runs as part of a focused 8-12 week block. Due to Boston, Gold Coast and Sydney Marathons I only managed to squeeze in a few weeks post Sydney to focus on the stairs and a few trail long runs which were super fun with Rejoov running buddies, including my two longest runs 46km and 38k on the course, but the rest of the long runs were much shorter. I was fit and focused for B2M but not fully confident at being able to push as hard as I wanted due to those lacking longer runs on stairs. I think B2M is harder than Comrades because of the stairs, sandy beaches and changing terrain breaking your momentum. Comrades has similar elevation but is entirely on bitumen road and doesn’t have those other variables. So a good chunk of the race was going to come down to my mindset and how well I could fend off any cramps.

zebra. relay runners and ultra runners michelle and cathy

THE NUTRITION

My nutrition and hydration was going to have to be seamless. I was aiming for 60grams carbs per hour (I’m 52kg) so more than my body weight in number of grams carbs / hr to be sure I had enough, plus plenty of electrolytes (at least 300mg sodium / hour). I also researched that approx. 5 grams protein / hr could be helpful too. I practiced all this in training with my hydration pack and 2 soft flasks at the front (for easy re-fills at the aids stations in the race).

My nutrition and hydration consisted of:

WATER + electrolytes (Tailwind Nutrition Australia).
CARBS: Tailwind, gels, clif bloks, clif bar, half banana, piece of water melon, and coca cola.
PROTEIN: clif bar + whey protein isolate mixed in water.

The outstanding carbs winner for me was the Tailwind which was so easy to drink and digest and easy to pour into my soft flasks by sticking the sachet part way in like a funnel whilst running into the aids stations. I’m definitely going to rely more heavily on Tailwind for my main source of carbs in my next ultra (UTMB Tarawera NZ 100km in Feb). I’m still planning to include the other carb options mentioned simply because I like having some variety and things to look forward to along the way.

THE MISTAKE

My big mistake was that I ended up having most of my protein inside the first 2.5hrs .. about 25g of whey protein isolate (too much for me) and my guts exploded with tummy upset by Rushcutters Bay!! I dashed off course to the toilet so I lost at least 2minutes there and that’s when Cheryl caught up to me. We ran pretty close together until Clifton Gardens 51km mark when I stopped at a water station to refill water quickly. She made a break there.. I wasn’t too far behind but then after Balmoral Beach at about the 58k mark heading up the stairs to Middle Head my inner quads/hamstrings/adductors started to cramp and I had to awkwardly hobble for a couple minutes. This would have been due to the lack of stair training and longer runs. I breathed deeply and tried not to panic. Luckily I managed to get running again after that. It was heating up and I kept steadily running, eating and drinking. Pressing on. 

alex chris and greta happy days at the fnishline

THE COMEBACK

The guts came good. My legs were feeling very good and strong. The Hoka Rocket 2 super shoes that I had worn for Gold Coast Marathon were doing a fine job along with my Prevani socks. I wasn’t having any blister trouble, that was a relief! Before Manly Wharf, I spotted the Hurts boys Charlie Dalziell and Tom Highnam. They gave me a great boost in spirits. At Manly Wharf aids station, seeing Keith Hong was awesome. Seeing comrade Alex Manteit in North Head was a buzz. I didn’t know how far Cheryl was ahead or how far other women were behind me, but I felt that I was finishing strong and kept pushing. I was running determined and scared and I didn’t let up in the hope that I might catch Cheryl or at least achieve my time goal of sub 7:30 or back up sub 7:40 or hopefully podium. I was trying to think of motivating thoughts and how good it’ll be to see Chris and everyone at the finish. I still had to be careful to run smoothly, avoid any more seizing cramps and not trip or fall over. All very challenging things in the last quarter of an ultra. Down through the last set of rocks, round Shelley Beach and getting a sniff of home in the last km, I surged with a big smile across the line and hugs with Chris, Cheryl and all the run buddies! Also happy to tell my coach Barry Keem how it all went. Being an AUTRA coach, I find it helps me to be a better coach, by knowing how it feels to be coached. Chris and I both know this event so well that we are especially happy to coach anyone of all levels for this event.

rejoov women teams 1st (alice katie imy jess) and 2nd (harriet grace ruby emily)

ultra 1st cheryl and 2nd greta

THE RESULTS

Well done everyone!! All 2,448 runners and all their supporters. It wouldn’t be what it is without all of you!! See the website for full results https://www.bonditomanlyultra.com

Especially thrilled for our 10 x ultra Rejoovers including James Hewat 2nd male 8min PB, Chris Truscott 10th 14min PB, Cheryl Greenway 1st female 10min PB with debuts Greta Truscott 2nd female, Alex Manteit, Ryan McKernon, Graham Long, Matt Morris plus Andrew Harford and Michelle Woodman PB back for their 2nd time!!

14 x Rejoov relay teams including:

• Women’s team 1st Rejoov Gals 6:25 (Alice Kendall, Imy Briscoe, Katie Rogers, Jessica Hurley)

• Women’s team 2nd Speedy Girls 6:32 (Harriet Beavis, Ruby Harrison, Grace Harrison, Emily Bartlett)

• Men’s team 6th Gun Runners 5:45 (Jonny Pisanelli, Jamie Broome, Alex Davies, Josh Arthur)

• Mixed team 4th Prevani Sock Warriers 6:36 (Alexandra McCaughan, Max Beavis, Alan Copeland, Nathan Archie)

• Mixed team 7th 6:42 Botti and Cash (Lotti Wilkinson, Cait Smith, Ash Merredew, Ben Young)

• Mixed team 8th A Few Good Runners 6:46 (Navid Abdi, Elle McDonnell, Ollie Penn, James Andreou).

• Our other teams (love the creative names, fun and style): Chafing the Dream, Blister on the Run, Rejoov Dazzlers, Bondi to Margaritas, West Gosford APTA, Global x ETFS, Sole Mates and  Golden Girls.

Thank you Race Director Elle Pacholski, volunteers, finish line refreshments and recovery with Physios from The Running Room including massage and ice baths. Thanks everyone!! See you all next year!!
Images:  Marty Rowney and Chris Huang  

Comrades Sth Africa by Chris

Comrades Marathon 88km ‘Down Run’ 2023

By Chris Truscott

I have been a member of Sydney Striders for going on 30yrs. Many newer members would have no idea who I am but there was a time I was a very active member. Alongside brother Pete, we attended every STaR and we were both on the committee for a while. My role was the social stuff and the awards dinners. At these awards nights, we would invite a guest speaker to attend and one year, some founding members suggested they could get Bruce Fordyce to accept. Not really knowing who that was, I was certainly guided by their advice about a man that had become synonymous with an event called the Comrades Marathon in South Africa.

It didn’t take too long to study up about this ‘marathon’. First thing that jumped out was that it wasn’t a marathon but rather an ultra marathon and it exceeded twice the distance of the regular marathon. In the months leading up to the awards night I came to understand the many overarching facts about the event. Starting and finishing between the two cities of Pietermaritzburg and Durban, changing each year which way you ran it. One was an UP run and the other obviously DOWN. And so by the time I met Bruce, ate dinner with him and watched as he took to the stage to commence his talk, I pretty much had what I thought was a great understanding about this event.........

Runcation happy snap with bruce fordyce out front of our hotel at 2.30am

I sit here a week later gazing out over Amakhala Game Reserve on the East Cape still reflecting on my new understanding of the Comrades marathon. Sure, this has been a bucket list race for me since hearing of Bruce’s epic feats of conquering the event throughout the entirety of the 80’s (did I mention that he won it nine times - eight of those consecutively). Of course I knew the essentials. Roughly 88/89 or 90km depending on exact start / finish locations, a few uphills on the way down but ultimately quicker right? It’s downhill.

And sitting here, I am roughly 20yrs down the track and have realised my dream of completing the Comrades marathon finally. What transpires next is an account of my day out last week and my new understanding of this iconic South African event.

Logistically, it’s just too hard. So far away, where to stay, how to get around, we’ll get mugged for sure, what happens with our 11yr old Jaden as Greta and I run this thing. Is it worth the effort? These were real thoughts and conversations. Luckily we were encouraged to contact Lance, the owner of a company called Runcation who are the experts in all things associated with SA running events and travel logistics. Our previous thoughts and concerns evaporated in the months leading into our trip as Lance assured us of the planning, and so as the alarm sounded at 1:45am on Sunday morning the 11th June, the three of us jumped out of bed ready to meet Lance, our good Rejoov mate Nadya Caminer, and the other Runcation crew downstairs for our 2:30am departure to Pietermaritzburg. And low & behold, who should we bump into in the foyer but none other than Bruce Fordyce. I casually strode up to him and announced that I was a Sydney Strider and it was his fault that I was standing here. He was generous with his time and after a few pics, we set off.

Lance made sure we were there in time that’s for sure. We drove the 88km and pulled up without delay into a servo 500m down the road from the start banner and the place looked rather quiet. I suppose being there 2hrs in advance will do that but we had coffee, a toilet and a warm van to wait out the 5-6 degree clear conditions. Jaden was busily messaging his mates back in Sydney and well prepared for a big day ahead watching Mum & Dad do their thing.

And so the time came to make the short walk up to our starting areas where we bumped into fellow locals Pat McNamara (Patty Mac), Kirsten Coggins and Charles Buxton. The vibe in the A group area was quite relaxed until right up to 15-20mins before the 5.30am starting time when everything suddenly became real and the countdown was on.

There is a traditional set of sounds and songs that occur before Comrades commences. The South African National Anthem is played then a very inspiring African song called Shosholoza which was fantastic to hear with the crowd chanting along. But then the PA system unfortunately starting cracking up so Chariots of Fire was hit and miss, the 2 x Rooster crowing tradition was stagnant but the starting canon unmistakable - we were off!

My personal lead up to this event was quite straight forward and consistent. Weekly mileage of between 90 - 120km, a few 50-60km long runs building in some hills around Centennial Park but otherwise, training as usual. I was told repeatedly that the Comrades down is brutal on the quads, tough on the legs, it disables most who go out too fast, be careful, watch out, don’t be too confident and so on and so on. In fact of all my years of running, my expectations leading into an event have never been more managed than with this one. Even as I touched down, and spending the first week with both Lance & also Nadya from Rejoov who was running her back to back, the pre race hype and strategy continued. By race day I wasn’t sure whether I was totally psyched up or out! Luckily a casual 5km Parkrun out front of our hotel in Durban the day before with just 1200 others helped get me even more geared up for it.

durban park run with over 1000 runners on average every saturday

My plan was originally 4:40 pace but because of all the conversations and course study I had done, I revised this to 4:50’s. The goal was to enjoy most if not all of it and finish well. A sub 7hr 30min and silver medal would be a bonus if I was on for it. Oh, and to make sure that I took out line honours in the Truscott household - becoming harder these days with the longer events. Unfortunately Greta ate something dodgy early in the week which played havoc right up to the race and as such she had to contend with loading up to have enough energy & fluids whilst still taking antibiotics even on race day.

What I didn’t realise was that she had decided or was caught up in the B back starting pace, to head out at a faster per km clip than me. So when I pulled off for a wee at roughly 8km, she snuck by - both of us oblivious to one another. She was now in front as the first tiny signs of daylight broke. Patty Mac soon slipped ahead of me also. I was quite proud of myself with the restraint I was showing. 4:50’s, that’s it. I do that, I break 7:30. Simple. Eat, drink and cruise along. Problem was, I was too hydrated and had to stop again for a wee.

I ran with gloves on, arm sleeve warmers & thermal top careful not to throw them away after hearing that the big downhill at Polly Shorts tends to end with a chilly section. This downhill went for quite a while and the first thing that was starting to strike me was that these hills really were quite a lot more pronounced gradient wise than people had made out from my many many attempts to find out pre race. Even the first few kms included a steady 1.5km climb similar to our own Paddo Hill in Centennial Park.

The sun arrived and started slowly warming my upper body (my legs are always ok) as I continued to look around and soak up the atmosphere that was gradually building alongside us with locals making their way out of their homes. Hard to believe that 20,000 line up for this 88km run but it’s mind boggling to see the level of support and almost cult like status this run has on the population both local and across the country. Not a single South African is oblivious to Comrades.

runcation / consports seconding point at the 29.5km mark so happy to see jaden

I wanted to give Jaden and Lance the heads up ahead of the first ‘seconding’ support station (our very own area and one of three en route). Jaden’s face came up on my phone and I was immediately relieved, happy and excited to see him and a lot more confident that everything was going to be ok and he was in good hands. “I’ll be there in 4-5km bud”. Lance then chimed in that Greta was 400m ahead of me. Too many people ahead to spot her but I was certain that it was a tracker mistake. She’s way back surely.

Nope. She was in front but It was also then that she decided to have her own pit stop and I ran past not seeing her in a complete reversal of what had occurred just 90mins earlier. Through the 29.5km station giving Jaden a hug to the bewildered faces of those wondering how Greta and I were avoiding each other so easily. We never once discussed running it together. We like our own independence with events and this experience was certainly going to be unique to us both.

“See ya bud. Say hi to mum if she turns up”. And I was off again and past the highest point of the course at Umlaas Rd where it flattens out a bit across Camperdown, Cato Ridge & Harrison flats, before we hit the second of the ‘Big 5 hills’ - Inchanga, a 3km climb of similar gradient to our own Loch Ave in Centennial Park. We then started descending into Drummond and the halfway mark. I was still very mindful of preserving my quads for later in the run so I continued to take this very easy and it was great to be feeling so good through the crucial halfway mark that signifies distance left being shorter than distance covered (yep it’s an obvious observation I know but one I have always looked forward to in these ultras).

couldn’t wait to see jaden at 2 spots 29.5km and 62.7km .. so relieved to find him along the busy road

I was fortunate to join a small pack of locals from the Pirates running club in J’Berg who were aiming for a silver medal after several previous attempts and as such were very helpful in explaining the course ahead, in plain language. Yep of course they asked if I needed a small piece of yellow sandpaper to help me get to the finish but as the laughter died down, advised me to keep exercising the same restraint for a little while longer. The main guy who broke off the front, Mark, had just run a 2:50 marathon and was of similar age so I was happy to cruise along with him snapping pics & videos along the way. Believe me, there’s times when a 7km training run around Malabar feels hard. So to have a day like this unfolding was almost divine intervention. But I was not counting those chickens just yet as I have always sunk into a bad energy deficit / hole in pretty much all my ultras over 50km. I was still nervous about this even as I passed that same mark feeling great. I am certainly now a massive advocate of munching away on small baked or roasted potatoes. These were available the whole way and it just worked. I had practiced in my longer runs so the stomach was fine and along with the Tailwind and aid station hydration, I was in control.

Those 6km from Drummond are broken into three hills, the third being Botha’s Hill and the next seconding station which was good timing. We passed Arthur’s Seat & the wall that houses thousands of participant names who have and are still running every year. We then passed the very loud and supportive Kernsey College which gave me a further uplift. I was super impressed with the community support so far and thought about our own Sydney marathon vying for major status. If we had this support along the route, it would be a foregone conclusion to be awarded the major tag.

Onwards I ran, with 10km of mostly uninterrupted downhill running into Pinetown. I was still averaging around 4:45-4:50 so even at 60km after showing so much restraint, I still held back from kicking it down. Down through Hillcrest, Kloof and the much talked about steep 3km Fields downhill into Pinetown. Only two more climbs to come (apparently). First of these is Cowies Hill. Can’t remember how far this was. I was so used to running up by then I didn’t really care anymore that we were running a DOWN year. Next was the 45th cutting uphill after which signalled we had less than 10km to go.

By this stage, I had already started to wind the pace up. Approx 16km out I decided to start my fast finish gradually bringing the pace down to mid 4:30’s as a start and as I saw the 10k to go sign, I wondered if I could run a sub 40min (yep I know how I sound but stuff it, I’ve had so many shockers, I need to boast a little about this one). The last 10km are not overly aesthetically appealing with a lot of it on a freeway but it didn’t matter, I counted down the kms and at the 5km to go marker, I spotted Patty Mac in the distance. His bright yellow Australia singlet and long locks flapping in the freeway breeze was unmistakable. It was all I needed to close this run out so I took flight and bowled down the wide concrete expanse after him but also I just wanted a beer.

And of course there were still uphills right to the end. A sharp incline onto said freeway, a longer gradual rise soon after and even with 2km to go there was another. That bloke back at the 45th cutting that said “this is it mate - no more hills” was clearly smoking the good stuff. But nothing was going to hold me back now I had sight of Kingsmead cricket stadium and complete confidence in the closing few kms.

I felt like my last km was done in 3:30 but it was just on 4min pace, nonetheless I cantered into the stadium after catching and pulling away just enough from Pat with approx 2km to go. The atmosphere inside was just as I imagined and actually as per the remainder of the 88km, electric. Lance had Jaden ready and waiting on the inside fence for me to high 5 which sealed the amazing experience and just 200m around the grass later, I crossed in 7:05:19 and a silver medal. I was elated to achieved the two main objectives. Run well and cross under 7:30hr if the first was happening. Nailed both and so now the celebrations could begin.

Jaden was there to greet me the little champion. He really does lift to a new level with these long days of supporting us and for that, he could ask me to buy him anything for the rest of the trip. I had time for a quick physio rub, grabbed a beer and headed to the same spot on the fence just in time for us to see Greta also streaming around the finish lap. She had absolutely smashed it considering the stomach bug that took her out all week. 7hrs 44mins with that to deal with was incredible and from my perspective, the run of the day from our camp. Tough to award when you have Patty Mac on debut at 7:06, Nadya who completed her back to back with an unbelievable 2hr PB over last year of 9:09, then Kirsten and Charles also nailing their debut. We also had a few more in our group who were making there way through thereafter. Hein in just on 10hrs and Dave, Michael and Lee who were not far after that. It was now certainly party time all round. No one was disappointed and I think Lance now had a new appreciation for us newbies from just across the ‘other ditch’. We came in prepared and executed accordingly. Definitely not to say if I am ever to go back, I would treat the race with any less respect. It is the respect that gets you to the end in one piece and it’s the training, determination and a little bit of luck coupled with seamless organisation and logistics supporting you that will get you a PB there.

And so there you have it. We drank a few beers in the sun, we celebrated the next day with a long lunch, we parted ways with mates for the next exciting destinations on our Sth African itinerary and yes we wore our newly acquired medals all day the next day.

Would I recommend that you do Comrades. It depends on where you’re at with your running journey and what elements haven’t been achieved yet. In the world of ultra running, it certainly is a pinnacle event to tick off and beyond that, if you really want to be picked up, swept along and dumped at the finish by the most amazing human tidal wave of support to be experienced, then start the planning now.

I may just be there with you..........

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