Its all about altitude and diet – Ethiopian SPAR Women’s Grand Prix winner Tade...
“It’s all about the chickens,” was Ethiopian athlete Tadu Nare’s explanation for her impressive speed in racing to a record-breaking victory in this morning’s (Saturday 4 September) SPAR Women’s Grand Prix race in Cape Town.
The diminutive athlete from the...
Learning at altitude – African trail runners blown away by Mont Blanc
by Stephen Granger
The dust has settled on the first post-COVID Ultra-trail Mont Blanc (UTMB), and the trail and ultra-distance world is reflecting on the most intense competition in the 18-year history of the world’s largest trail event, a week...
Western Europe’s highest mountain woos Africa’s trail runners (part 2)
By Stephen Granger
While the full circumnavigation around Mont Blanc in the form of the Ultra-trail Mont Blanc 100 miler is undoubtedly the showpiece of this week’s running festival at the French Alpine town of Chamonix, the shorter-distance faces have...
Sportspeople can pivot too – the story of a rugby player turned ultra-distance runner
By Stephen Granger
Two years ago, a re-wired former South African provincial rugby player signalled his arrival on the ultra-trail scene with a convincing win in the 50km Bastille Day Trail Run. Last weekend, Matt Healy reminded the local trail...
Scramble for places as Trail addition for Cape Town Marathon gets real
By Stephen Granger
The only standard marathon on the African continent to have achieved World Athletics gold status has added a trail marathon carrying the signature of the country’s preeminent athlete trail athlete to its bouquet of events, from 2021.
The...
Potential African moves on ‘Fast and Furious”
By Stephen Granger
Several of Africa’s leading trail athletes take on the best in the world on Saturday (7 August) at one of the biggest and oldest races on the calendar – the Sierre Zinal (SZ) 31km – raced over...
Olympics Special – SA’s Olympics marathoners to make the most of Sapporo
By Stephen Granger
Tatjana Schoenmaker’s gold medal in the 200m breaststroke was undoubtedly the high point of South Africa’s Tokyo Olympic endeavours, while surfer Bianca Buitendag’s silver medal proved an added delight. Can the talented marathon team, currently honing their...
Gerda Steyn’s ultra-long route to Japan
It’s 13 786 km from Durban, South Africa, to Sapporo, Japan, but Gerda Steyn will attempt to bridge the distance between the Comrades and the Olympics marathons with a few strides next Saturday, 7 August, as she goes to the...
Olympics Special – Mokgobu’s dreams of gold
Story by Stephen Granger
Desmond Mokgobu is running shoulder to shoulder with one of host Japan’s favourite marathoners, in the final stages of the biggest race of his life. The two enter the stadium almost stride for stride, but Mokgobu’s...