A License to Race
Running in South Africa
Melkbosstrand, South Africa, 11 November 2000
It's called the fastest race in the West…..the Western Cape of Good Hope, in South
Africa, that is…..and it's the "Only 15km race with Coke at each water
table"…..as a rule, Coke is always on the water tables only in races longer than
15km….
These two claims to fame were just the tip of the differences between racing in the USA
and racing in South Africa……
I couldn't pass up the chance to experience racing in another country and so while
visiting my dad in Capetown, SA, I ran the Melkbos 15km, presented by the Melkbos Athletic
Club. The seaside town of Melkbos (translation: Milk Bush), is located on the Western
coast of South Africa, just above Capetown, on the Atlantic Ocean. The race starts at the
beach, runs through town, then out and around the only nuclear power station in the
country, which is usually restricted, then through a nature preserve and back again. This
area of South Africa resembles Southern California in the lay of the land and the climate,
but you have to add vast rolling golden farmlands, verdant green vineyards and blue-glazed
mountains as a backdrop. But as far as racing is concerned, that's where the resemblance
ends….
To be eligible to race in SA, runners must display their annual fabric license # on the
front and back of their club-colored singlet, as well as their age category. Most people
sew their numbers on, which means they wear the same singlet every race….the more
recreational runners leave the top of their front number unsewn, so they can stuff things
into the "pocket". The license number is their insurance and is part of their
club dues. They must wear their club colors and any deviation from the above, renders them
ineligible for prizes (our awards). If you don't belong to a club, don't have a license #,
or like me, show up for one race, you must purchase a temporary paper license for Rand
7.00… ($.91 US)….good for one day…..then everyone, license or no, has to
register for the day for Rand 15.00 ($1.95 US). That system is kinda Jim Gerweck style, a
small card with name and age, which goes into a plastic zip lock bag and pinned to your
shorts….this gets handed in at the finish, with a place card handed to you when you
cross the line and you turn both things in and the card goes in the proper finish # slot
on an elaborate wooden display board.
Then you queue up for the Coke booth…..this was the strangest custom by far…..
There is a predetermined cut-off time for each race and if you cross the finish line after
that time, you are basically a DNF and receive no medal and no finish time.
Age categories are different than ours, but only in the names they assign the brackets….
14-19-Junior, 20-39-Senior, 40-49-Veteran, 50-59-Masters, and 60+ is GM. Nothing beyond
that. Under 14 years is not allowed to race, period.
T-shirts are really not a big deal here. Sorry guys! (A group of people is ALWAYS called
"guys" in SA.) In fact, one race application stated that there were t-shirts
included in the registration fee, but that "This is not a right, but a gift from the
sponsor." Good line for Marty.
On the course, things were pretty much the same, with the exception of the k-marks instead
of miles, which is a bit disconcerting….but this was the real thing, not a Jim
Gerweck k-marked course.
As for the aid stations, which some call seconding, water cups were replaced with
"water sachets"…..this threw me off for a second…I was handed a clear
plastic sealed bag about 3 x 5, full of water…didn't take long to get the technique
down, chew off the corner and suck out the water….squeeze some over your head (it was
a hot day)) and keep what is left for further down the road…no sloshing, no waste….very
neat, really. What threw me was the Coke on the table, and people holding out cups of
Coke, which no one but me refused…..this is the Gatorade/Powerade of South Africa…these
people LOVE Coke!!
They do not use it in races shorter than 15k, but is the standard in all longer races, and
they even use it in their training. The following day I went for a 20k run with the
Durbanville Athletic Club, all of which had done the 15k race the previous day, (all
Kaniacs) and the aid on the training run set up a table of water and Coke. So when in
Rome... I tried it and fought puking for the next few miles……crazy Americans!……
Speaking of which, I really took the heat re the election snafu in the USA…I had no
defense, they were right, and they took great delight in ribbing me about it. They even
suggested sending some of their own crooked politicians over to the States to assist in
the recount.
There is no food at SA races, unless it is a very special race…no bagels, no fruit,
no nothing! These people are there to race, not to get a t-shirt or chow down.
There are no rankings in SA, even for the top runners.
Raffle prizes included bags of potatoes and local wine and chocolate, along with some
vouchers (our gift certificates).
BTW….Just ask any SA runner…..Two Oceans is MUCH more prestigious than Comrades
and the Comrades DOWN course is the hardest, not the UP.
So the next time you race in the good old USA, and there are no t-shirts and not much
food, just think, it could be worse….you could be in another country. We really are
spoiled…which is probably one of the reasons that South African runners are fitter
and faster than US runners. Just look at the results…
Carol Kane
11/11/2000
RESULTS