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Comrades Marathon reigning champion Edward Mothibi was nearing the crucial stage of his training programme ahead of his bid to defend his title, but the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic has severely disrupted his routine.
The 35-year-old is among a horde of professional runners who are trying to cope with the challenges of training amid the global health crisis. What’s worse is that running and jogging are prohibited under the strict regulations of the 21-day national lockdown.
Prior to the lockdown, Mothibi had already ticked off his “training run” in the build-up to the Comrades, even though it remains unclear whether the world-renowned marathon will go ahead on June 14 as planned.
Mothibi finished the 50km Om die Dam Ultra Marathon in Hartbeespoort, North West, in a targeted time of 3:30 on March 14.
“The lockdown is not easy for a runner because the body is used to a certain regular routine.
"For us, it’s a mess because, as a runner, you can skip eight days of training, but anything more than that is a big setback, especially if you are preparing for a big race such as the Comrades,” the Nedbank Running Club runner told City Press from his base in Rustenburg, North West, this week.
The nationwide lockdown has left Mothibi with only the option of running around his yard to keep fit, while his body is recovering from the shock of going for days without his regular long runs.
“For strength fitness, I mostly do squats and skipping,” Mothibi said.
The limited drills are a far cry from Mothibi’s weekly routine under normal circumstances.
“I had created a good balance between my day job and training. I normally trained in the afternoon,” said the runner, who is the head clerk in the utility technical services department at Impala Platinum Mine.
“Mondays are normally about doing speed work on an athletics track, then endurance on the road on Tuesday. On Wednesday, I’ll go for a mid-run, which is about 30km. On Thursdays, it’s back to the track.
“Depending on how I feel, I can go for a long run on Friday or simply take a rest like I would do on Saturdays. Sunday is also for long runs.”
While the coronavirus outbreak has forced the cancellation or postponement of many sporting events locally and around the world, the timing of the lockdown put a spanner in the works for Mothibi, who had set aside last month to focus more on speed work.
“I was starting to pick up and this month is a crucial time to prepare for Comrades. It [the lockdown] is a big setback. But I understand it’s all about our safety, and I encourage everyone to observe the regulations set by government and the health authorities.”
Mothibi won last year’s race – the up run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal – in five hours, 31 minutes and 33 seconds.
Spare a thought for qualifying time chasers...
While professional runners such as Mothibi are feeling the impact of the coronavirus, spare a thought for those who were still chasing a dream of running their maiden Comrades Marathon.
Budding runner Sphiwe Nkosi is one such hopeful. The lockdown came at a time when he and some of his club members were still chasing qualifying times.
The 40-year-old from Alexandra in Johannesburg established the Run Alex Club two years ago and was keen to lace up and tackle this year’s down run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban.
“Running is a health drug – once you are fit and get into the rhythm, you just don’t want to stop. You start discovering what your body can do and you want to keep pushing and get that feeling of fulfilment after every run. Many runners are struggling during this period. The best way to cope is to fully understand what it means if you contract this virus,” said Nkosi, a sports fanatic who is a computer programmer by trade.
As for their training programmes, he said the runners “lost the most important months of their training” as they had earmarked last month and this month to clock high mileage over long distances, even during the week.
“Social distancing was encouraged at the beginning of the month and this immediately affected runners as no one can go for a long run at 4am alone. The lockdown then meant no running at all. There are no further Comrades preparations that can be done in this period,” said Nkosi.
He is worried that if the marathon goes ahead in June, many runners will not even make it to the starting line.
“They will try to do too much in a month and this will lead to injuries. Others will start, but will not finish the race as they will not be fully prepared. My training was going very well. I was meant to run my qualifier in the Mall of the North Marathon in Polokwane, Limpopo, this weekend. Then I was going to do substitution if everything went well.”
Mothibi and Comrades hopefuls like Nkosi are not sure whether the marathon will go ahead as coronavirus infections continue to rise.
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