JOHANNESBURG – Any sane person would be taking it easy, his mind far away from all things road-running if they’d had the harrowing experience I endured at Comrades Marathon on Sunday.
But then again anyone who lines up for the Ultimate Human Race has a screw or two loose upstairs, don’t they?
I got confirmation of this fact when I found myself excitedly talking about the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon which was officially launched yesterday.
Granted I am taking a break from training, but my mind is already working overtime as I envisage another sub three hour run to secure an A seeding for Comrades.
I ran my maiden Sanlam Cape Town Marathon last year and to say I loved it would be an understatement. For one, it was there that I ran my first ever sub three and where I began to believe that I have it in me to be a top runner.
But after twice failing to achieve the two major goals I’d set myself this year - to get silver medals at both the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon and the Comrades Marathon - it is perhaps only natural to start wondering if that good run was a fluke.
And there’s only one way to find out. Go back and push for a sub three at Africa’s only IAAF Gold Label Status race. It takes place on September 23 and with South Africa’s grandest marathon runner finally making it into the line-up, Stephen Mokoka, there is every possibility that this year’s edition is going to be lightning fast.
The route-map. The 100-day countdown to the 2018 Cape Town Marathon started yesterday. Photo: @CTMarathon via Twitter
Desmond Mokgobu is another local runner likely to set the race alight - his splendid win in Japan’s Beppu-Oita Marathon earlier this year having given Hendrick Ramaala’s protege great confidence.
The Cape Town Sanlam Marathon is traditionally a firm favourite for many a social runners who like the comfort of getting their Comrades qualifying out of the way early.
Besides that though, this is the closest to a top class international marathon many of us would get as the New York, Berlin, Boston and London Marathons are out of reach.
And so it will be with the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon in mind that when I go back to training once I’ve fully recovered from Sunday’s traumatic experience.