The annual, much renowned, Comrades Marathon took place in South Africa on Sunday, 14th June. The actual distance of the race was approximately 53.3 miles or 85.8km, which is slightly more than twice the normal marathon distance of 26.2 miles or 42.2km. The course alternates direction each year; either starting in Durban on the southeast coast of South Africa and finishing in Pietermaritzburg, some 50 miles inland (as it was this year), or starting in Pietermaritzburg and finishing in Durban. When starting from Durban, the race is known as the ‘Up Run’, as it is mostly climbing gradually uphill, while the race in the opposite direction is called the ‘Down Run’. There is a strict rule that no one will be given a time or receive a medal unless they finish in a chip time of 11:59:59 or less….better luck next year😬. Even one second over time is one second too many. This requires an average pace of at least 13:30/mi or 8:23/km (including all stops and non-moving time) and is presumably designed to deter slower runners and walkers from entering. The weather was kind, with cloud and sunny intervals, at a reasonably cool starting temperature of around 15°C, though it would have risen significantly during the race. There was a slight breeze.
One current club member, Jimmy Smith, and one very recent former member, Kirsty McDermott, were among 255 entrants from the UK. Both are shown as representing Newmarket Joggers in the results. Jimmy Smith (7:51:41, 1,162nd M of 14,283, 514th of 6,242 in M40-49) and Kirsty McDermott (7:38:35, 67th F of 3,762, 41st of 1,367 in FU40) were both in absolute peak form. Neither of them showed any signs of slowing down from beginning to end, keeping an even pace throughout. Jimmy actually recorded a negative halfway split of around 5 minutes; almost unheard of in an ultra marathon of this length. He recorded a total climb of 5,781ft and expended 5,925 Calories of energy, while keeping his average pace at 8:51/mi (5:30/km). Kirsty averaged even faster at 8:37/mi (5:21/km), finishing 4th F of 53 female runners from the UK, while Jimmy finished 18th of 176 male UK runners; very impressive figures indeed.
Above: Kirsty and Jimmy at North Beach parkrun in Durban, the day before the Comrades (not run on deep sand like Great Yarmouth North Beach); Kirsty & Jimmy with Comrades Marathon medals.
The Wall Ultra, road & trail,~67.6 mi (108.8km), Carlisle to Newcastle, Saturday, 13th June: Marc Drury M50 (13:02:45, 50th of 1,687 overall, including 248 retired, no age groups shown in results) finished high up in the order and was very pleased with the way his race went. He had been troubled by an Achilles injury for the previous month or two and feared he might be forced to retire early. As it turned out, he felt in very good shape all the way round and, apart from the very hilly bits of the course, kept his pace well under control, finishing as fast or faster than he started, keeping enough in reserve. The total elevation gain was 4,793ft, so no easy course. He was very grateful for the help of his wife Angela, who came to collect him from Newcastle, after she herself had run a half marathon in the Lake District, as reported below. He also thanked fellow Newmarket Jogger Reuben Smith for support along the route.
Above top left: Marc Drury locating his name on The Wall; top right: at the start in Carlisle; bottom left: the map and plot of the route; bottom right: at the finish in Newcastle.
While husband Marc was running in The Wall Ultra, Angela Drury (3:01:23, 80th F of 121, 18th of 28 in F40-49) took her chances in the Pooley Bridge Half Marathon, near Ullswater in the Lake District, organised by Wild Deer Events. It was certainly a wild course; in the words of Angela, it was “hideously hilly” and “bonkers boggy”. A group of them also took a wrong turning, adding an unwanted mile to the distance. The total climb was 1,959ft. Thankfully, it did stay dry and, hopefully, the scenery made up for the hills and bogs.
Above, top left: Angela Drury selfie plus action and scenery during the race. The lake is Ullswater.
Man v Horse over ~22.7 miles of trails, Llanwrtyd Wells, Powys, Wales, Saturday, 13th June: This was the 45th edition of the race, which began in 1980. It pits runners against riders on horses, over a distance of a little under 23 miles, with about 4,200ft of climb over the course. The prize for a person beating a horse into first place is currently £500 per event. If it’s not won this year, it gets carried over to the next year and so on, increasing by £500 per year. There have been several occasions when a runner did beat all the horses, once with a huge payout, following many years without a winner. Two Joggers decided to give it a go. First home was Dan Hutchison (4:13:11, 215th of 787 runners and horses overall, 113th male runner of 401, 43rd of 125 in M40), followed by Paul Holley (4:38:53, 365th overall, 194th male runner, 11th of 28 in M60). They both seemed to enjoy the novel experience.
Above, top centre: Dan Hutchison & Paul Holley after the race; other action and scenery shots.
Lotus TT 5K & 10K, Lotus Test Track, near Wymondham, Norfolk, Friday, June 12th: Jason Beeton (20:25, 117th of 411 overall, 15th of 33 in M40) did well to achieve his best 5km time this year, representing 1st claim Thetford AC. Interesting that Julian Moynihan of Cambridge & Coleridge AC was the overall winner of the Lotus TT 5K in an impressive time of 14:58. He was first male finisher in the Newmarket Joggers Summer 5K League race on Newmarket Heath two weeks ago.
Sandringham 24-hour, 5-mile lap relays, Sandringham Royal Estate, Saturday/Sunday, 13th-14th June: Newmarket Joggers put several teams into this event last year but no teams were entered this year. However, NJ Anna Mayhew was taking part, along with many of her Let’s Run Girls club members from Newmarket & surrounding villages. Anna herself did 10 of the 5-mile laps, covering 50 miles in all. The group photo is attached. Anna is second from left at the front.
Above: Anna Mayhew (second from left at front) with LRG members.
Many thanks for all the news, photos and Strava posts, without which this report would not be possible.
Happy running,
Chris Aylmer