Innholdsfortegnelse for Jul/Aug 2025 i Runner's World South Africa

Mike F, Editor “Find the adventure. Winter’s a time to explore new roads or undiscovered trails. I like early-morning excursions where you can get to a sunrise viewpoint without waking up crazy early. And then a rewarding mocha, and maybe a pastry (or three!).” Alana M, Creative Director “Chasing waterfalls! I live close to a forest, and I love how it comes alive in the winter rain.” Ryan S, Gear Ed “It’s an oppo to wear all the great winter gear, and try out some layering. And I enjoy a snazzy pair of running gloves.” Kim W, RW Digital “What gets me out of bed is running with a friend or a group of friends, embracing the adventure, and ensuring I have a goal race or something to train for…

TEN YEARS AGO, A ‘RUNFLUENCER’ WASN’T A THING. The word was probably the best way to describe what gave you the sniffles you get after a long race. But these days, runners like our cover model Rachel Beaton make a living creating content around running. For us Gen Xers (those born between 1960 and 1970), it may be hard to fathom how anyone can earn money by creating videos and pictures about running on social media channels. But Rachel does so, almost every day; and like social media influencers in other fields, she’s making running cool, hip and happening. In fact, so influential are the ‘runfluencers’ of today that much of this ‘third boom’ in running we’re experiencing is being credited to them, as they’ve turned running into a viral…

Calf Is King New study underlines the importance of strong calves – here’s how to make yours bulletproof. WHEN FOCUSING ON strengthening the lower body, most runners automatically think of their quads, hamstrings and glutes. But a recent article on running injuries has highlighted the importance of a muscle a little further down your leg: the calf. “The soleus is particularly important, generating forces up to 6-8 x body weight during running,” said the researchers. Therefore, runners need to “include high-load strength and plyometric training such as skipping and hopping for the calf and Achilles, to prepare them adequately to perform their critical function in running.” Here are two to try. Single-leg calf raise: • Stand on a step, with your forefoot in contact and your heels hanging off. •…

I’M STANDING ON THE EASTERN EDGE OF Scotland, looking out over the rugged North Sea coastline. The next landfall, more than 600km in the distance, is Denmark. It’s particularly cold today, autumn slowly turning to winter, the morning sun hanging low over the choppy, cresting waves, my breath clouding in the air. This is Tentsmuir Forest, at the very north-eastern tip of Fife, on the coast between Edinburgh and Aberdeen. I can see the spires of St Andrews Cathedral to my right and hear the muffled crack of military gunfire to my left, at the Barry Buddon firing range over the wide mouth of the River Tay. To run here, through the trees or along the beaches, is to feel immersed in something reassuringly solid; but this forest is barely a hundred…

Rachel ‘Big Dog’ Beaton looks as if she’s about to do something mischievous… all the time! As one of South Africa’s most popular social media running influencers, the 24-year-old from Cape Town regales her loyal audience daily with updates on her running career, and her thoughts on the sport that she enjoys and is so passionate about. Beaton is part of a new generation of running personalities who play an important role in driving the current wave of interest in the sport. Her cheeky grin, sharp wit, and impressively mature outlook on her role and influence have amassed her a significant following. Almost all the content is tongue-in-cheek, and it’s clear she doesn’t take herself or running too seriously. But that doesn’t mean she’s all memes and no action. Having…

Plantar Fasciitis The symptoms Nasty pain in the bottom of the foot, especially when running or even taking your first steps out of bed in the morning. What’s going on? Plantar means the bottom of the foot, and its fascia is the band of connective tissue running from your heel bone to the front of your foot. This tissue helps support your foot’s arch and gives it shape, and it aids in stability when your foot strikes the ground and then pushes off. So, plantar fasciitis is basically inflammation of the plantar fascia. An injury to the fascia usually begins where the fascia connects to the bony bump on the bottom of the heel called the calcaneal tuberosity. The inflammation and pain come from excessive tension. The muscles above, and…

Salomon Genesis PRICE: R3 499 WEIGHT: 235g (M), → As always with Salomon’s development process, this shoe started with an S/Lab model. The S/Lab Genesis was a surprise release in 2022 – this shoe, the non-S/Lab Genesis, carries some of that S/Lab trickle-down philosophy through into a trail trainer. Specifically, it keeps the thicker protective toe cap and durable Matryx knit upper. Matryx has come a long way since the early versions of the material we knew in the Hoka EVO Speedgoat and EVO Mafate shoes. Though still stiff, it’s far more comfortable than it was; yet still abrasion-resistant on technical trails. It’s also a fantastic material if you have to deal with water crossings, as it doesn’t absorb much water into its fibres, and the knit allows moisture to escape…

WALK INTO ANY GYM and you’ll see a host of cardio options – the cross-trainer, the bike, the rowing machine and so on. Each has its merits, but a new study* suggests it’s hard to beat the humble treadmill. When researchers examined energy expenditure, oxygen consumption and heart rate across a range of indoor cardio machines, the ’mill topped the podium each time. Thirty regularly active adults took part in the study, and performed 12 minutes of high-intensity work on seven machines: spin bike, upright bike, recumbent bike, elliptical trainer, stair climber, rowing machine and treadmill. The treadmill triumphed, followed by the stair climber and elliptical. The bikes and rower scored lowest.…

YOUR LIST OF EXCUSES for not running the Barkley Marathons may have got one item shorter. According to new research*, exceedingly long exercise does not appear to cause any worrying cardiovascular issues in the short term. The researchers looked at 41 recent finishers of the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, one of the most demanding ultramarathons in the world. They found that although participants’ skeletal muscles were trashed, there was no apparent increase in arterial stiffness (which is a positive thing), and blood pressure actually dropped (another plus). “Aerobic exercise is undeniably beneficial for your cardiovascular health,” says sports cardiologist Dr Dan Augustine, of sportscardiology.co.uk. “Aortic stiffness, a measure of the elasticity of our aorta, is an indicator of cardiovascular health. While this study found that endurance running doesn’t worsen…

WHEN PEOPLE COME TO Katherine Metzelaar asking for her help, they seem to have one thing on their mind. Metzelaar is a US-based dietitian specialising in nutritional therapy. With patient eyes and a warm, easy smile, she’s the kind of expert who helps her clients untangle their attitudes and beliefs about food. In her nine years of clinical practice, she says that many of her clients have shared one fear: carbohydrates. “Guilt is a very common emotion associated with eating carbohydrates,” says Metzelaar. “And then if you restrict those foods, you’re going to feel out of control.” ‘Fear’ seems extreme. Except that when you look back over the millennia-spanning history of carbs, the stigma that surrounds them makes total sense. More than fat, more than artificial ingredients, more than GMOs…

403 403km. 12 500 metres of climbing. These are the bare facts. But the Cocodona 250 trail run in Arizona, USA throws way more at you than just distance and climbing. Sleep deprivation, hallucinations, cold and mud were all challenges that Ryan Sandes had to face on his way to second place after 61 hours, 21 minutes and four seconds of racing. Runner’s World sat down for a debrief. RW: You've done pretty much every single important trail event around the world; and you've won some big ones, like Western States. So take us through your decision to do this race? RS: I always thought that after running a 100-mile event – like a Western States, or a UTMB – that would be the end of my racing, and I…

In the world of endurance sports, where every drop counts, Oasis Water stands as a beacon of sustainability and community involvement. Our recent sponsorship as the official water sponsor for the Mountain Ultra-Trail (MUT) by UTMB in George exemplifies our dedication to supporting athletes and preserving the natural beauty that surrounds these events. Oasis Water’s core belief is that “Water is the source of living better”. This philosophy resonates deeply with the ethos of marathon and trail running, disciplines that demand resilience, health, and a connection to nature. By providing clean, safe drinking water in an environmentally friendly manner, we ensure that runners are well-hydrated while minimizing our ecological footprint. Our involvement in the MUT by UTMB was made even more special by the active participation of our George franchisee,…

ON A RUN A WHILE BACK, I couldn’t help myself. Granted, I was coming back from injury, but I kept looking at my pace and heart rate and felt embarrassed. It wasn’t just the numbers; I was struggling, and all sorts of negative things started going through my head. It went on and on and could have spiralled out of control. So I made one change: I started responding to that negative voice in my head. When it said, “Why are you even running?” I replied, “Because it helps me feel alive!” Talking to yourself can really help you keep going when you want to stop; so instead of ignoring negative thoughts, challenge them. It’ll help you overcome those moments when you’re struggling through something in your daily life, too.…

DISPATCHES Training Cycles Health RUNNING AND MENSTRUATION entered my life around the same time, at age 13. I got hooked on running the 1 600m; and swayed by a persistent and impactful athletics coach, I eventually left soccer behind to join the cross-country team. My first period arrived right before my first track season; however, while the training cycles progressed, my menstrual cycle didn’t – my second period wouldn’t come until five months later. Throughout my years on the high school cross-country team, this irregular pattern stuck: I only had about four periods a year, and never knew when they would arrive. I felt confused and left out whenever my teammates asked me for a menstrual pad I had no use for, like my body couldn’t do what it was…

On Paper, I Consider Myself A Runner. The stats: fairly consistent weekly mileage, frequently replaced running shoes, unintentionally black-and-blue-painted toenails, and a wardrobe made up mainly of activewear. With a 100km finish, a few marathons, a couple of 21s and plenty of 5km parkruns under my belt, I can build a fair case for calling myself ‘a runner’. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t find myself changing outfits over and over again before heading out for a run. Or rummaging through a worn and wet pile of clothes to see if my ‘more flattering’ pair of pants and T-shirt will pass the sniff test for one more sweat session. I’ve shamelessly skipped runs on bad-body days, opting to eat peanut butter straight out of the jar and doomscroll on social…