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...
Olympics Special: Irvette Van Zyl’s remarkable comeback
By Stephen Granger
In May 2020, three-time Soweto Marathon and SPAR Grand Prix 10km series winner, Irvette Van Zyl, chose to go under the knife to relieve the nagging knee pain she had experienced ever since a scooter accident as...
Olympics Special – Elroy Gelant on chasing that medal with the “lion pack”
By Stephen Granger
Elroy Gelant faces one of the biggest tests of his athletics career in Japan in three weeks’ time when he lines up at the start of the Olympic Marathon in Sapporo, 800km north of the Olympic City...
African challenge on Golden Trail from Morocco’s Elazzaoui
by Stephen Granger
Norwegian athlete Stian Angermund made it three in a row in the Golden Trail World Series (GTWS) at the 20km Dolomyths Run in the Italian Alps on Sunday morning (18 July), while Moroccan Elhousine ‘Hassan’ Elazzaoui began...