Feast of fare on menu up ahead
ROADRUNNERS and indeed athletes in general may feel the need to unwind as 2016 draws to a close in respect of major races or activities, but the reality is very different.
Every coach spoken to acknowledges racing at this time of year is likely to impact negatively on performances and targets in 2017.
That said, there are a host of leisure styled runs up and down the coast, or in the mountains, which can be entertained. The emphasis is likely to be just that, leisure, a few frosties and the renewal of many holiday acquaintances.
A number of others such as the Santa Run fundraiser for Greensleeves being run on December 16 offer an opportunity to show a community spirit at this festive time of year.
While much merriment may well be the order of these events, inclusive of Christmas Day and New Year’s Day parkruns at certain venues only, the real business end begins in mid-January.
The first race of 2017 is traditionally the PWC 10 and 5km evening race and the new calendar is no different. A popular first outing includes a mixture of road, beach and hills to deliver an early verdict of the effects of either a training schedule or the festive season – hopefully both. Old Selbornians are the organisers of the event that takes place on January 13.
The race revelation of the year in 2016 was quite possibly the East London Eye Hospital Laser Challenge 10km and 5km community run. East London Athletic Club were expecting an upward swing in numbers but few would have predicted the surge they got. Entries are already open for the race that will be run on January 21 and, with the number of T-shirts limited to 800 in the 10km, it is probably wise to visit entrytickets.net/laser10 and enter. Manual entries are available at Sportsmans Warehouse.
The route of the Elac race, which incorporates the Border Championships over 10km, is not overly easy on the legs but certainly easy on the eye as it meanders through the picturesque area surrounding Beacon Bay and finishing virtually on the banks of the Nahoon River where the Beacon Bay Country Club plays host.
Racing a 10km gives an honest assessment of one’s readiness for further challenges ahead, while the second running of the Bridledrift Half-Marathon in Mdantsane is a real tester of not speed, but stamina. On the same weekend the Kempston Rotary Polio Challenge, assisted by Born 2 Run, takes place on Friday evening January 27 with the Real Gijimas race on the Sunday morning.
Races of meaning do not come any bigger in East London than the traditional Buffs Marathon, sponsored by Hemingways Casino and Hotel. Back to where it belongs there is a huge sigh of relief in the running community as they prepare to race from close to MacLeantown on the N6 and into the finish at the Buffalo Club on February 25.
Already the debate around South Africa is “should we run the Penninsula (in Cape Town), or the Buffs”. Local and totally unbiased, of course, opinion is that it is a simple choice between running into the infamous South-Easter on a mostly flat route, or a challenging country run in the eastern part of the Eastern Cape that has delivered more personal bests than most.
Entries for Buffs are also open, both online at www.buffaloroadrunners.co.za or the same sports outlet in Beacon Bay as for the Elac race.
Other popular races such as Cabbage Patch, Surfers, Masters Half and more means 2017 is going to be more challenging than years past.
Whether the athletes themselves will be ready depends much on the emphasis both they and often their club place on running. Training methods, philosophy and the realities of running will ensure that the results themselves will deliver a verdict – certainly in the first five months of the year.