The Two Oceans Marathon is more than a run of 56 km. It is not just about the difficulty of accomplishing the distance, but also about the scenic route it follows. As is the norm with most running events in South Africa, there is a stringent cut-off time for finishers — seven hours from the gun shot and not a second more.
Started in 1970 as a training run for the Comrades Marathon, it soon entered the marathon calendar of South Africa and became one of the most popular events in the world. This year over 11,000 participants registered within two days of registrations being opened.
At the Two Oceans Marathon in South Africa
Organised every year during the Easter weekend, the event was later expanded to include a half-marathon race, an international friendship run, trail runs, kids run and so on. There is an event for everyone in the family and it attracts over 35,000 runners from all over the world. I was one of them this year.
I arrived at Cape Town on March 28 against the backdrop of an acute water shortage in the city. A few minutes after my arrival, dark clouds gathered from nowhere and I was welcomed with thunderstorms and heavy rains! Needless to say, the runners can claim some credit for that and the rains during the next two days. Considering the situation, the organisers had ensured that the event did not use water from the city’s resources and sought the runners’ help to be mindful about the wastage of water. Runners were even asked to carry their own hydration packs to be refilled at specified points.
My running weekend started with a visit to the Marathon Expo on March 29 to collect my bibs for both the marathon and the international friendship run. I then window surfed some irresistible products designed for runners. It was also an opportunity to meet runners from other countries. The expo also featured talks by eminent runners including those with ‘Blue numbers’, an honour for those completing 10 Two Oceans Marathon. There were legendary runners who have run it even 40 times!
The international friendship run on March 30 had runners from the world over with Germany, the UK and Brazil having the highest number of participants. The organisers had arranged flags of all the countries and I had the fortune of carrying the tricolour. It was a 6K run through the beautiful promenade of Cape Town. Every country was cheered and welcomed by the spectators, including Australia, whose cricketers had encountered a harrowing time a week earlier at Cape Town.
At the Two Oceans Marathon in South Africa
On March 31, the two major events were flagged off. The first at 5.50 am was the Half Marathon with 16,000 runners followed by the Ultra Marathon at 6:30 am. The initial 30 km was fairly flat terrain where the only challenge was to conserve energy for the second half. The route took us towards the East where one ran alongside the Indian Ocean glistening in the morning sun. The routes passed through the suburbs of Cape Town, where residents came out in big numbers to cheer us. From the 29th kilometre the gradual ascent towards the Chapman’s Peak, where the English explorer John Chapman landed in South Africa, began. Situated on the coast of Atlantic Ocean, the road leading to the peak provided us with breathtaking views.
After reaching the top, a downhill run followed by a relatively flat terrain. At about 46 km, the next challenge awaited us — a steep climb for a couple of kilometres followed by a steep downhill. This is the place where the race is won or lost, and I feared I might miss the cut-off mark as my legs had begun cramping. But I could appreciate the green cover of Cape Town that shielded us from the African sun.
Seeing me struggle with cramps, one of the runners stopped to offer salt tablets and another urged me on to keep going. I was joined by an Aussie runner in what I would call as the mission impossible and we kept each other motivated.
Not for nothing was the theme for the event “Run As One”. Still the uncertainty persisted until the last kilometre when it dawned on me that I could actually make it to the finish line! With 64 seconds to spare, I finished the race with gratitude in my heart for my fellow runners and the wonderful Capetonians who made the experience the “World’s Most Beautiful Race.”
The writer was the only one from Coimbatore to participate in the Two Oceans Marathon.
