Running News Daily

Gerda Steyn hopes for a fourth win at Two Oceans

With 50 days to go to the “world’s most scenic race”, the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon (TTOM) is shaping up to be an elite fest with a stellar field.

Once again, any athlete who breaks the record in the Men’s or Women’s Ultra Marathon Race can look forward to a record incentive of ZAR 250,000 (EUR 12,800) in cash.

With prize money for the Totalsports Two Oceans Ultra Marathon at ZAR 250,000, any record-breaker could look forward to a massive ZAR 500,000 pay day on 15 April 2023.

Nkosikhona “Pitbull” Mhlakwana, who made a sensational Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon debut last year, lived up to his nickname showing tremendous tenacity finishing in a superb second place behind Ethiopia’s Endale Belachew, with Sboniso Sikhakhane coming in third.

As expected, the 30-year-old considers himself to be a bit stronger and wiser, and determined to do one better this year.

“My main goal is to improve my position from last year,” says Mhlakwana.

The Hollywood Athletic club athlete says he picked up invaluable experience last year and now knows what to expect.

Another epic battle for supremacy is expected this year in the women’s Ultra. Gerda Steyn and ASICS athlete, Irvette van Zyl, who both shattered Frith van der Merwe’s longstanding women’s 56km record of 3:30:36 set in 1989, have confirmed they will line up again this year.

Steyn (3:29:42) became the first woman to run the grueling route in sub 3:30. The 32-year-old returns this year in a bid to be crowned champion for an unprecedented fourth consecutive time, while running as the current record-holder.

The three-time champion, who will be running in her permanent blue number, 6067, will, however, not have it all her own way, with the 34-year-old Van Zyl (3:30:31) finishing just a few seconds behind her last year. The purists can rest assured that Van Zyl will come out guns blazing and ready for another classic battle with Steyn.

Steyn says she is very excited to be preparing for the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon again.

“This will be my fifth time running the race, and I am really hoping for a fourth win after taking the title three times in a row now. Last year was such a highlight for me. I am just hoping to repeat that experience and that win. The preparations until now have been going well, which makes me even more excited for the race,” she says.

With 50 days to go before Race Day, Steyn feels the next three to four weeks will be crucial to her preparations.

“Another very exciting aspect of this year’s Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon is that it will be the first time that I will be running in my permanent number in any race.

“Usually, one has to complete 10 Ultra Marathons, but I managed to win the race three times, therefore earned a blue number. This brings a very special touch for me. At the moment I am preparing for the Two Oceans in Johannesburg. The energy level and excitement is at an all-time high," adds Steyn before wishing all runners everything of the best with the final stretch of preparations.

If excitement levels are high for the Ultra on the Saturday, the battle for supremacy in the Half Marathon on Sunday, 16 April, will be even higher. The likes of previous winners Stephen Mokoka, Elroy Gelant, as well as Precious Mashele from the Boxer Athletic Clubs, have all confirmed their entries. Moses Tarakinyu from Zimbabwe is back to defend his title with Entsika’s Desmond Mokgobu also looking to improve on his third place from last year.

Last year’s winner, Fortunate Chidzivo, will not be lining up to defend her title in the women’s Half Marathon this year, which leaves the race wide open for a new champion to be crowned.

(02/28/2023) Views: 715 ⚡AMP
by AIMS

9 Tips To Make Your Body Feel OK When Traveling

If they ever figured out wormholes or teleportation or time travel, I would be the last person to sign up. I can't imagine how I'd feel traveling to another dimension when short plane flights make me feel like such a piece of soggy garbage.

Or that's how I used to feel. Then, over the last few years, I saw how expert traveling runners do it. I asked them about their secrets. And I learned a few things that have helped me feel a bit less like a lazy parasite after travel.

In 2018, Cat Bradley went from Europe to the U.S. to Europe in the week before a top-10 finish at UTMB. A few weeks ago, Zach Ornelas traveled from Michigan to South Africa just a day before a top-10 at the Two Oceans Ultramarathon. So it's definitely possible to do almost any trip and excel physically. From talking to Cat, Zach and many others, I came up with a list of nine things that I have seen among many good travel-runners. The science in this area is not settled, so pick and choose what works for you.

If I'm doing the calculations correctly, that means drinking a swimming pool before touching down in Paris. But after my own struggles racing internationally, I tried approximating that hydrating formula, and I felt significantly better on future trips.

Hydrate Adequately, Especially on Planes

Lauren Fleshman, an amazing athlete, coach, writer, parent and entrepreneur (the EGOT of running), wrote a wonderful article on jetlag and athletes back in 2011. She recommended eight ounces of fluid every 45 minutes on a flight. If I'm doing the calculations correctly, that means drinking a swimming pool before touching down in Paris. But after my own struggles racing internationally, I tried approximating that formula, and I felt significantly better on future trips.

There's no need for a set formula (8 oz every 45 min may be excessive for many people), just don't dehydrate yourself in planes or cars. Plus, the extra bathroom breaks make for a solid excuse to move. I recommend some electrolyte mix in water to possibly support absorption (a complicated sub-question that depends on many variables-see this 2015 article from Nutrition Reviews for details). And make sure you don't overhydrate either, which can have its own nasty health effects. Hydration is hotly debated, with legendary exercise scientist Tim Noakes even publishing a book called Waterlogged that argues that overhydration is a major problem, so find what works for you.

Eat Like a Normal Person

Spending the trip subsisting on Smartfood popcorn and Werther's candies will probably make you feel crappy when you get where you are going. Trust me, I've done some real-world experiments, and I may or may not be typing this with fingers coated in cheese-like powder.

Don't overthink it, just make sure you fuel well. Pack healthy snacks like nuts, fruit and whole-food energy bars, and keep eating. Avoid fake sugars (and gum unless you know it doesn't bother you), too much alcohol and food that makes you feel like crap about yourself. Powdered cheese-like substance feels good in the moment, but note to self 10 servings of it usually isn't the best long-term life decision.

Consider Wearing Compression Tights/Socks on Your Trip

The science behind compression gear during travel is not settled, but there is some evidence that it could help prevent blood clots in susceptible people, and some athletes who travel frequently say that the circulation effects can make long trips go over easier on the body.

I like athletes to consider wearing graduated compression tights or socks if they have a pair, but not to worry about it too much one way or the other. Plus, compression socks are like calf-muscle Spanx.

Move as Much as Is Reasonable

Recommendations vary, but many sources say to move five to 10 minutes every hour. That is pretty difficult unless you want to be the worst seat-mate possible. Could you imagine if everyone on the plane did that? It'd be mass hysteria.

But as much movement as possible is good, even if you aren't playing musical chairs every few minutes. Stand up, do some light squats, maybe some stretching. During drives, walk around the gas station a few times and do some push-ups. There are benefits to circulation, and it's always good for sanity to avoid impersonating a human pretzel for too long.

After Sitting for an Extended Time, Go on a Walk and Do Mobility Work and/or Stretching

When you get where you're going, push back against the stationary inertia and get moving, even if you are really tired. I have seen athletes excel with a couple-mile walk, followed by doing whatever mobility/stretching they usually enjoy. For me, that means a walk followed by some comically poor yoga poses.

Consider Elevating Your Legs (or Using Compression Boots)

There is some evidence that elevating legs (against a wall or similar) can improve circulation and stop pooling of fluid that can happen in legs during travel. My feet usually look like sad little sausages after being on a car or plane, and elevation seems to help them regain some semblance of normal.

If you're really lucky, Normatec boots or similar air-compression methods seem to be really helpful, but that's a luxury that most travelers probably won't have. This bullet point won't make or break the trip, and some of the benefit that I see in athletes might just be taking the time to relax, rather than leg elevation or sexy space boots.

If Your Sleep Schedule Is Off, Still Give Yourself Restful Time

I have heard that for some athletes there is no more frustrating advice given all the time in the running world than "sleep more." I am guilty of saying it too. Sleep is good for recovery, hormones and performance. Never underestimate the power of performance-enhancing snoozles.

But for many athletes, it's not that simple. It is totally normal to suffer from issues with being able to get to sleep or stay asleep. If you're one of the athletes who has sleep struggles, I promise you that you're not alone. So many of the athletes I coach might not be captured in a study on insomnia, but have persistent problems with sleep. Sometimes, it even becomes a source of daily anxiety.

Those problems are especially evident during travel. Jason Schlarb just finished 2nd at the Maxi Ultra Race in France, and on the phone afterward I asked about his travel schedule. Jason would never make an excuse, so I had to press him on his sleep. He estimated that he slept around three hours in the few days before the race, which started at midnight local time.

While the travel made sleep difficult, Jason still gave his body plenty of rest, which let him perform really well anyway. What I like athletes to do is carve out eight to 10 hours at night when they'll be in bed, lying down without any screens or social stimulation. A book is OK (and make sure you always have two-plus amazing books in your bag), but lying there and meditating peacefully is even better. If that results in a solid trip to dreamland, awesome. If it means no sleep, that's OK too. Just try to avoid spirals where worrying about sleep makes the restful time full of anxiety about being awake, rather than mindful relaxation.

I have seen tons of athletes excel off almost no sleep (especially the night before races), so cut yourself slack and let your brain shut off, knowing that it's OK if you get an eight-hour session of gratitude instead. Some athletes swear by melatonin to help reset their natural sleep cycles, but everyone is different, so make sure you don't do anything for the first time before a race.

Use Caffeine Strategically

Caffeine is a blessing and a curse during travel. It can help you feel like a normal, functioning human being. But it can also prevent your body from falling into a new pattern in a new time zone.

There are no set rules that work for everyone, but the best advice I have heard is to stick to your normal schedule for short trips (ideally with no caffeine after the morning), and to consider abstaining entirely before and during long plane trips. Then, a little bit of caffeine as the sun comes up can jump start your system and your bowels (another problem that many athletes struggle with on long trips).

Accept Feeling Like Crap, and Do a Few Fast Strides to Jump-Start Your Body

Even if you do everything right, there's a solid chance your body will feel all wrong. And that feeling is OK. Accept it, embrace it and laugh at it if you can. There is great power to be had in understanding you don't have complete power over how you feel.

I like athletes to do a few strides on their first run after travel to give their neuromuscular and aerobic systems a jump start. Something like 4 to 6 x 20 seconds fast on slight uphills after an easy run will get the heart pumping and often helps athletes feel way better. At the very least, it usually shows them that while they might not feel normal, their bodies are still strong and powerful.

Travel is fun. Running is fun. Mixing the two can sometimes be where fun goes to die. So be patient with your body, giving it the grace and space to adjust. After all, every legendary adventure requires an epic journey.

(07/19/2021) Views: 903 ⚡AMP
by Trail Runner Magazine

Defending champions Kenyan Justin Kemboi Chesire and local favorite Gerda Steyn are hoping to successfully defend their titles at Two Oceans

A quality field of top local and international elite athletes will take part in this year's Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon in Cape Town on Saturday April 20.

Defending champions Kenyan Justin Kemboi Chesire (3:09:22) and local favourite Gerda Steyn (3:39:32), both from Nedbank Running Club, will be hoping to successfully defend their titles.

Steyn is training with an end goal of Comrades in mind, and with the Easter weekend being that much later this year, it might be a tough task to pull off both wins.

Chesire's training has been going according to plan but he can expect some tough competition from a quality field of ultra runners who have all been training to win.

His fellow countryman Abraham Kiprotich, who boasts the fastest marathon of the entire field (2:10 at the Istanbul Marathon late last year), will be running his first ultra marathon and it will be an interesting test to see how he fares over the last 14km with the Constantia Nek climb part of this last section.

Another popular Maxed Elite runner, Zimbabwean Prodigal Khumalo, is back running after a foot injury had him sidelined since December last year. Khumalo has chosen to run the 24km trail event.

Joining this strong field of male runners is local trail legend Ryan Sandes. He has switched from running the trail event for this year, to running his first 56km ultra event. Sandes is hoping to add the Old Mutual Two Oceans Ultra Marathon to his illustrious list of achievements.

(04/03/2019) Views: 1,962 ⚡AMP

Dave Chamberlain is running the Two Oceans ultra marathon 50 times in 50 days that's 2800km

As if running the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon isn’t an astonishing enough feat, one man has taken on an epic challenge to run it 50 times in the 50 days leading up to the race.

Dave Chamberlain is celebrating the Two Oceans’ 50th anniversary by running the race 50 times over - totalling a mind-blowing 2800km.

He's already clocked up 25 of the 50 runs, putting more than 1400km behind him.  Determination keeps him going.

“I think it’s just pigheaded stubbornness,” Chamberlain said.

“I have a belief that this project is within the realm of most people, so I feel I have to prove it. I’d be disappointed in myself if I didn’t.”

He’s doing the 50-50-50 challenge in aid of BirdLife South Africa, raising funds for the African Penguin Relocation Project.

It is not Chamberlain’s first crazy long-distance challenge.  The Pretoria-born athlete has run the length of Argentina, crossed Canada and run through the Namibian desert to Port Elizabeth.

To tackle this latest endurance adventure, he wakes up every morning at 4.30am, and focuses on eating a carb-rich breakfast before getting his run started at 6am in Newlands.

“I don’t worry about tomorrow or day 30, otherwise I’d do my head in,” he said. “Days 4, 5 and 6 are awful, as your body is getting used to it. Everything is inflamed, and your tendons feel like they want to snap.

“Then the body learns how to adapt and ups its efficiency at dealing with all the waste products.”  Once your body gets used to the demands of running an ultra marathon over and over, he said that each day’s run becomes active recovery from the day before.

“The body actually heals itself while you’re running,” he said.  Approaching the halfway mark this week, Chamberlain said he was feeling physically strong, but running the same loop every day was taking its toll psychologically.

“I feel like my body has adapted to the distance, it’s holding up much better than anticipated,” he said.

“It’s going to be a test of the mind. The boredom is going to be my biggest threat.”

(03/28/2019) Views: 2,065 ⚡AMP

South Africa’s ultra star Gerda Steyn is going to run the New York Marathon

Two Oceans champ Gerda Steyn to run New York Marathon. “So honored to be invited to the Greatest marathon on the earth!” Steyn tweeted on Tuesday. Dubbed the smiling assassin after her breakthrough Two Oceans ultra marathon victory in April to hoist her flag in the South African ultra-running landscape, the 28-year-old continues to improve in her fledgling career. In her first Comrades in 2015, the novice finished an impressive 56th in eight hours 19 minutes and eight seconds. A year later, Steyn was just outside the top-10 taking 14th in 7:08:23. Then in 2017, her phenomenal rise in the race continued with a fourth-place finish in 6:45:45. This year Steyn finished second in 6:15:34, beaten to first place by the phenomenal run of Ann Ashworth who took victory in 6:10:04. Steyn has a 42.2km personal best 2:37:22, and could well improve on that time at the New York Marathon. (08/22/2018) Views: 1,785 ⚡AMP

South Africa's mountain Climbing champion taking on Two Oceans for fifth time

The Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, is a grueling, character building Ultra Marathon attempted by thousands of citizens, and amongst them, is South Africa’s mountain climbing champion Sibusiso Vilane who became the first black African to summit Everest twice and by two different routes...“When I line up at the start of the Two Oceans ultra-marathon, this will mark the beginning of multiple challenges I have set for myself this year. This will lead to my attempt to summit Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen in May. These events are personal ambitions but with a purpose. This year’s Two Oceans will be my fifth yet it will be the most purposeful because all my efforts of trying to finish the 56 gruelling kilometres of the race will be for the education of an African Girl Child”, says Vilane. (03/27/2018) Views: 1,846 ⚡AMP

It Took Jessica Stabnau Five Years to Get Into The Two Oceans Ultra

The world’s most beautiful marathon takes place on a challenging route, with spectacular scenery, breath taking views of clear blue oceans, majestic mountains and enthusiastic supporters. This is Cape Town, South Africa Two Oceans Ultra...Jessica Stabnau from Montana will be running Easter Sunday. The Two Oceans marathon came to her attention after one of her South African bar patrons told her about it. Being able to participate in the race has been a long time coming, as she's waited about five years for the right timing. Stabnau is also speech therapist at two elementary schools in Missoula and she needs to schedule trips around her busy days. "The last time it coincided with my spring break, I didn't get on to register in time," Stabnau said. "I got on the website the next morning and it was already booked." This time around, Stabnau wasn't going to take any chances. "I had to wake up at 2AM, which was 10 o'clock Cape Town time," Stabnau said. "It took me two hours to get through the registration process but I got in." This will be Stabnau's second ultra-marathon. (03/21/2018) Views: 2,162 ⚡AMP