Road warriors can go like the wind in fair-weather glory run

BUFFALO City’s strongest selling point in respect of attracting events is its moderate climate.

While organisers have no control over such forces they do rely a lot on the weather playing along in order to deliver a truly appreciated and successful event.

There has thankfully not been a situation like that confronted at the Argus Cycle Tour earlier this year.

Those in the sporting community that were at the Orient Beach on the day that Mathews Temane, Zithulele Sinqe, Jan Tau, Xolile Yawa and others set about dismantling the world best time for the half-marathon, will wax lyrical about the weather. It was simply perfect.

The exact same thing will be endorsed about the morning Elana Meyer thrashed the women’s best over the same distance.

This happened 30 and 26 years ago respectively, and yet everyone still remembers the weather. Such is its impact on both performance and perception of an event and the venue.

On Sunday morning, as runners prepare to tackle the Legends road races, the weather conditions could be critical to the performances of the athletes. Some perform better in heat than others, while some manage a wind better than their opposition. The long-term forecast is good. The start of the 68km event in Bhisho, where it can get very cold and blustery, looks settled. An air temperature of 16°C is predicted with a moderate breeze. This will be maintained past Berlin and Mdantsane but will warm up as the runners get closer to East London, where a maximum of 22°C awaits.

The half-marathon, the 10km and the 5km all start and finish close to the Orient Beach, where temperatures will range between 13 and 22°C. A moderate breeze is predicted.

Even a moderate breeze might well disrupt the runners from Gauteng and other inland provinces, but locals can turn it to their advantage.

It seems unlikely that the temperatures will affect the racing, but what mild conditions can do is lull runners into a false sense of security on the hydration front, especially with a cooling breeze.

Seasoned runners such as Bongmusa Mthembu, Gift Kelehe and David Gatebe will be well provided for from their teams. It will be locals who might not have the same resources that will need to be careful.

A following wind, however, would perhaps best assist Gatebe, who with a 2:14 marathon to his credit has the greater leg speed.

The organisers have done a yeoman job in providing adequate feeding stations, which on a point to point course is a tough task.

The 60:11 half-marathon will ultimately be most affected, in respect of fast times, by any adverse conditions. The runners are often much lighter and, of course, a good deal faster than their ultra-marathon compatriots, so someone like Lukhanyo Ngxoko, who is diminutive, will battle in a headwind and take flight in one from behind. As one of the favourites in the half-marathon, the weather predictions are probably in his favour.

Stephanie Smith is also running the half-marathon and is slight, but a strong runner who has powered over the hills of Comrades and indeed into a very strong wind over Chapman’s Peak at Two Oceans.

Cindy Schwulst, as a top tri-athlete, is more accustomed to tough conditions than most, but will still be happy with the mild weather on offer.

A strong allrounder such as Jaime Griffiths, on the other hand, might find advantage in the wind.

Basically it will come down to a horses for courses scenario, but as things stand it looks as if Buffalo City will live up to its marketing strong point of a moderate climate.