Innholdsfortegnelse for Mar/Apr 2025 i Runner's World South Africa

Mike F, Editor “The Dodo Trail, in Mauritius – from jungle paths to tall peaks, and a beachfront finish.” Alana M, Creative Director “The Lavaredo in northern Italy, in 2017… the Tre Cime in the Dolomites must be the most spectacular backdrop I’ve seen for a trail race. ” Ryan S, Gear Ed “The Hout Bay Trail Challenge, for the endless views!” Dave B, Chief Sub “Tough one… maybe the West Coast Half. You run through the reserve; we had buck crossing our path, and dolphins in the bay. Brilliant.” Kim W, RW Digital “The Whale of Trail. Mountain views, and beautiful beaches. And plenty of whales!” Paul G, Sales “We run or bike the route so often we take it for granted, but the Two Oceans Marathon must rank…

WHEN IT COMES TO SPORTS DRINKS or gels, most runners prefer ready-made to homemade. But you needn’t be MasterChef material to concoct your own running fuel. Simple recipes include a mixture of water, sugar or honey, and salt – and the best part is, you can adjust the quantities to fit your needs and taste. Here are two do-it-yourself drinks, created by leading sports dietitian and Runner’s World columnist Renee McGregor, to rival anything on the shelves. Totally tropical INGREDIENTS: 300ml pineapple juice, 200ml coconut water, ¼ tsp salt PROVIDES: 55g carbs, 35 mmol sodium BEST SUITED FOR: longer runs, as it’ll support your carbohydrate needs and prevent dehydration Amazing orange INGREDIENTS: 300ml orange juice, 300ml water, ¼ tsp salt PROVIDES: 30g carbs, 25 mmol sodium (equivalent to Lucozade) BEST…

Apples Batch-prep this easy breakfast for carb-rich run-fuel to power your muscles The chef: Kiwi Miles Kirby is co-founder of Caravan restaurants, and former head chef at London’s The Providores and Tapa Room Carrot & Apple Overnight Oats (3 of 10) INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4) 4 BRAEBURN APPLES3 CARROTS200G OATS200ML APPLE JUICE100ML OAT MILK1 TBSP MAPLE SYRUP TO SERVE 1 BANANA, SLICEDHANDFUL OF PECANS METHOD 1 The old apple-a-day adage has bona fide nutritional merit, as apples’ phytonutrients trigger beneficial changes in gut bacteria. Peel and grate them, along with the carrots.  2 Combine the oats (rich in beta glucan, a cholesterol-lowering fibre) with the apple juice, oat milk and maple syrup in a mixing bowl. Maple syrup, sadly, doesn’t count as one of your 10, though it is a far…

Standing at the start line of the Pyramids Half Marathon in Cairo may be the highlight of my many running experiences. Under starter’s orders with 7 000 others, I was about to do 21.1km in the restricted desert area around one of the most famous historical sites in existence, and the last of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World still standing: the Great Pyramid of Giza. THE BUS TO ZAMALEK I arrived in Cairo three days before the race. On our final approach to landing, as the plane banked sharply over the sprawling city, I pressed my nose against the window and gazed down at what looked like a Star Wars movie set: a far-off planet with a city of buildings all matching the colour of the desert, thousands…

PUMA FAST-R NITRO ELITE 2 DROP: 8MM | PRICE: R7 999 | WEIGHT: 255G (MENS UK 9) ZA.PUMA.COM THERE IS SOME EXCITING INNOVATION HAPPENING IN RUNNING-SHOE DESIGN THESE DAYS, and nobody is pushing the boundaries further than Puma. What happens in the laboratory of other shoe brands may or may not make it to the shop floor; but Puma has been bold, and thankfully for carbon freaks, their futuristic creations are available to all. The on-trend Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 3 has become a firm race-day favourite for several of the RW staff. But it’s with shoes like the Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 2 that Puma – always a giant of the sprint world – is re-engaging with the edgy side of distance running, and in a very exciting way. ARE…

THE ROUTES The Mac Mac Ultra, held annually in early June, caters for every trail runner. From the 25km, perfect if you just want a ‘proper’ trail adventure, right through to the 200-miler to take the hardest ultra enthusiast to a place of transcendence, all the routes take runners along some of the most stunning landscapes in the Sabie and Graskop area. They incorporate sections of one of SA’s oldest trail networks, the Fanie Botha Trail (which you can run at any time, not just during the Mac Mac event). You’ll find it all on the northernmost section of the Great Drakensberg escarpment, and as you might imagine, the variety in terrain is incredible. One minute you’re running through afro-montane grassland on the plateau; the next, descending into deep gorges…

RUNNING WILL ALWAYS be my first fitness love. It ignited my passion for physical movement in primary school, when I ran circles around my parents’ backyard. And while my relationship with running has ebbed and flowed over the years, it’s also provided a path to new ways to stay active. I don’t remember my first time in a weight room, though I’d guess it was some time in high school phys ed periods, getting prepped for whatever upcoming sports season there was. But I do remember working with a trainer at university, learning about bench presses and deadlifts and the importance of lifting heavy weights. When I moved cities and started working in fitness media, I had ample opportunity to try out other types of workouts, especially in the form…

Science-fiction storytellers often describe the future as a tech-driven travel utopia filled with flying cars, autonomous vehicles, robo-cabs and hoverboards. But now that we’re lived through the most sci-fi few years we’ve ever had, with a planet-wide pandemic and a global climate emergency, we need to question our transport plans. Cars may fly, someday; but self-powered forms of active travel such as running, cycling and walking hold more of the answers we need right now. Even if we feel we’re back to ‘normal’, the world has been radically changed by Covid-19, and getting from A to B by our usual methods is harder. People are more aware of safe social-distancing requirements, less happy to share public transport with loads of others. Yet if everyone jumps into their cars, our towns…

I’ve just banked my biggest training run ahead of my next race. As I bask in relief and glory, I glance at my watch for confirmation that my hard work has moved me closer to my goals. But staring back at me is the word so many runners fear: ‘unproductive’. Somehow, I haven’t done enough to please The Algorithm. And just like that, my post-run happy bubble bursts. I’m not the only one who sometimes feels deflated by their running watch. “I’m convinced that GPS training devices are meant to demoralise us,” writes Steve Magness, world-renowned performance coach and author of Do Hard Things, on X. “Great workout? Overtraining. Take a week off. PB? I’ll update your predicted time to be slower than you actually ran. A little fatigue? Minus…

Probably like most people who now call themselves runners, I got into this madcap sport by signing up for a race: a half marathon, in 2011. I was working too hard (too many late nights), feeling a bit overweight (too many Romany Creams); and I registered on a whim, really, with zero idea of how life-changing the event would be. I remember really wanting to beat my brother-in-law’s time of 1:48 (which I did – sorry, James), and I remember a fresh type of leg pain, both during and after. I remember a tragicomic attempt at grabbing a jelly baby from a young supporter that resulted in a plate of them being catapulted across the road. (Sorry again.) And I remember being shocked by all the plastic-bottle waste. Other than…

In this issue we bring you the story of Tebello Ramakongoana, a 28-year-old marathon runner from Lesotho (‘The Outsider’, p50). It’s a story of fortitude, undeniable determination, glorious raw talent and the goodness of the human race (yes, there’s still lots of it out there!). I felt pain over all my body. Then I said, No, everyone here is feeling what I am. I have to push. Ramakongoana grew up poor, often went to school hungry, and had to fight his way to the top. And to the top he has risen: he finished seventh at the Paris Olympics last year, fourth at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest in 2023, and second in the C&D Xiamen Marathon in China in January, in a new personal best of 2:06.18. He’s…

WITH ALL THE WAITING AROUND associated with racing, it’s easy to become preoccupied with worrying about all the things that could go wrong. There are a lot of things to get right for the perfect race, which can lead to a huge amount of pressure. Maintaining a good mindset and shifting your pre-race nerves into excitement can massively help your run. Performance physiologist Dr Greg Wells (drgregwells.com) suggests strategies to conquer your jitters: Move your body: some gentle movement and stretching can get your blood flowing and take your mind off your race worries. It can be an effective ‘priming’ technique to warm up both body and mind, and get you in the racing mindset. Use high-energy self-talk: how you feel about yourself and your own capabilities can heavily influence…

STANDING ON THE STARTING LINE of any race – but especially when I’m vying for a faster finish time – I feel a twinge of anxiety pop up, whispering worries in my ear that something might go wrong. For example, I’ll miss my goal, and all the hard work of training will have been for nothing. Or I’ll end up slogging through the kays and regretting every step. Or worse, I’ll find myself injured and sidelined. These storylines have an even more negative tone when I’m on the starting line of a 5K, compared to longer distances up to a half marathon. As I try to accept the fact that I’m going to feel uncomfortable (really uncomfortable!) for a solid 20-plus minutes, my mind tells me the pace will feel impossible…

MENTAL TOUGHNESS IS HIGHLY VALUED among runners. We’ve come to embrace the notion that strength of mind can power our bodies onwards. But sports psychologists are increasingly recognising that mindlessly pushing on won’t serve you if you can’t adapt when a run or race doesn’t go to plan. A far more mindful and effective approach is cultivating mental flexibility, also known as ‘psychological flexibility’. Developing this ability will help you to maximise your motivation, protect you from stress and help you perform at your best in training and races – just as physical stretching keeps your body flexible and primed for performance, and protects against injury. The good news is there are practical, simple things you can do to stay psychologically flexible. We’ll call it ‘brain yoga’ – the mental…