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Note from the Chairman
Dean Karnazes, the American ultra marathon runner and author of Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All Night Runner, is well known amongst the long distance running community for his very famous quote “Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up.”
I'm sure that most athletes will agree with me when I say that very few sports are as much a test of the human spirit as is long distance running. The human mind and body are pushed to the limits and we learn just how far we are able to persevere before breaking point. I believe that the race which encompasses this human drive, along with true teamwork, camaraderie and real guts and determination is none other than the king of South African100 Milers, the Washie ultra marathon.
For those who are not familiar with this race, the Washie 100 is run from Port Alfred to East London over a distance of 161km. The race takes place on the first Friday evening of July that coincides with the full moon, know to runners and seconders alike as “the Washie moon.” It was first run on 12 July 1977 along the rugged coastline road between Port Alfred and East London. The 12 runners who finished the race within the (then stipulated) 27 hours could hardly have imagined they were the first of many athletes who would test themselves over a distance almost twice the distance of Comrades. This grueling event, which includes such hills as the Kieskama mountain pass, can be summed up by a quote from a previous Washie runner, Stuart Wainright, in 2008 and also the lyrics to the Chris Rea song "The Road to hell", played at the start every year, "Learn this lesson fast and learn it well, THIS is the road to hell".
On 3 July 2015 at 5pm, 65 hopeful runners lined up at the Port Alfred Mariner, the start line to the 39th ELB Washie 100 miler ultra marathon. Of these 65 athletes, 51 were able to complete the race with the 26 hour cut-off. The race was won by Johan van der Merwe, four-time winner, in a time of 13h39min. Congratulations to our two Nedbank Central Gauteng participants, Stephen Meijers who completed the race in a time of 18h36min finishing in 6th position and Justin Sher in 23rd position with a time of 22h22min. Both Stephen and Justin have completed 4 consecutive Washie ultra marathons and we wish them the best of luck for their Washie 2016, which once completed will earn them each their race permanent number.
For those who would like to find out more about running the Washie 100 miler or any other 100 mile race in South Africa, please contact us on info@nedbankrunningclubcg.co.za
Kindest regards,
Romy Menter
NRCCG Chairman
Congratulations!
A very hearty congratulations to our member of the month, Franci Myburgh.
We asked Franci to share a little about her running and how she has progressed and become the superb athlete that she is today. Here is a little of her story:
I used to run a bit at school and in the gym, but nothing serious at all- mainly just to keep fit generally and for my other school sports. My first ‘proper’ road running event was 5 years ago in 2010, when my mom asked me to do a 10km race with her in Buffalo Bay (a small seaside town near Knysna) over holidays. I enjoyed it so much that I immediately got into doing more 10km races back home in Jozi…which led to half marathons…which led to marathons and ultras….you know, the usual story!
During my first 2 years of road running, my average 10km time was at about 58 minutes, it took me well over 2 hours to run 21km, and I finished my first marathon (Slow Mag marathon) in 04h33min. Since then I’ve managed to improve quite a bit, and my current PBs for those distances are:
- 10km: 46min
- 21km: 99min
- 42km: 03h27min
I think the key reason for this progression is undoubtedly consistent and correct training. With distance running (as with so many other things in life), the recipe is very simple – what you put in is what you get out. The moment I started training more regularly (and with other like-minded runners), my times started to improve. The real game changer however was Neville Beeton, who started coaching me towards the end of 2014. The impact of Neville’s guidance, and the benefits of having a tailor-made training programme (which focusses not only on mileage, but also on strength, speed and AMPLE REST) have been truly remarkable. Comrades 2015 is a case in point, which I finished in 08h40min as the 90th lady overall – an hour and 10 minutes faster than my first Comrades in 2014! Hopefully we will be able to maintain this momentum over the next couple of years and, who knows, maybe even get that elusive silver medal one day!
Franci Myburgh, Nedbank Running Club, Central Gauteng
Upcoming social events
Potjie Competition
On Saturday, 18 July 2015, we will have a team taking part in the Sandton Sports Club's annual potjie competition. This will be the third straight year that the NRCCG has taken part in the contest, which raises money for charities involved in the fight against rare diseases. In 2013, we came in second place overall and last year won the fish category. If any members want to drop by, there should be some left-over after the midday judging. Come and support the club and share in the fun!
Save the Date
The NRCCG will be holding the following social functions for the remainder of this year, all are welcome and lots of fun is guaranteed!!
Potjie competition
Venue: George Lea Park
Date: Saturday 18th July
Halloween themed time trial
Venue: George Lea Park time trial
Date: Wednesday 28th October
Year-end awards dinner
Venue: tbc
Date: Thursday 3rd December
Christmas pub run
Venue: George Lea Park time trial
Date: Wednesday 9th December
Happy running!
Regards the NRCCG team
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