Runner's World South Africa

THE EXPERIENCE Running in paradise… these words ring 100% true once you set foot on Rodrigues, a tiny island set in the jade expanse of the Indian Ocean. This outlier – just on 560km east of Mauritius, yet an autonomous part of this tiny republic – is a mere 18km long by 8km wide, but packs a huge trail-running punch. Every year in early November, the laid-back tropical vibe makes space for frenetic activity, as runners from around the world descend on Rodrigues to take part in a festival of running during the ‘Trail de Rodrigues’ event. You don’t have to race in order to enjoy the allure of the trails here in this tropical paradise, and solo runners have a safe and easily accessible network of singletrack totalling at least 50km. The…

THE EXPERIENCE Running in paradise… these words ring 100% true once you set foot on Rodrigues, a tiny island set in the jade expanse of the Indian Ocean. This outlier – just on 560km east of Mauritius, yet an autonomous part of this tiny republic – is a mere 18km long by 8km wide, but packs a huge trail-running punch. Every year in early November, the laid-back tropical vibe makes space for frenetic activity, as runners from around the world descend on Rodrigues to take part in a festival of running during the ‘Trail de Rodrigues’ event. You don’t have to race in order to enjoy the allure of the trails here in this tropical paradise, and solo runners have a safe and easily accessible network of singletrack totalling at…

THESE ARE CHALLENGING TIMES… no doubt about it! But if any group of people has risen above these challenges – and even embraced them – it’s us runners. At the time of writing, the Comrades Marathon had just hosted (unofficially) the world’s biggest virtual race, with 40 700 runners from over 100 countries taking part in distances from 5km to the full 90km (yes, close on 900 runners opted to run the 90.1km distance, including Kenneth Ramaano who did it while running on the spot using a step counter!). On that Sunday, all around Cape Town I spotted hundreds of runners wearing their ‘Race The Comrades Legends’ numbers. Some were clearly going long; but for many, even the 5km was enough for them to feel part of the event. What could have been…

The worst was the lack of running – that running around in a 40m circle didn’t do it for me! The best was to find a little trail within my 5km radius! – Tommy Gibson Recovering from an injury without that guilty feeling. – Shani Hayward Worst: Not having any organised races! – Kelly Neal Best (Level 4): actually getting to see people and just wave. Also, being able to run outside the confines of my garden. – Dee Alcock Best: hills. Worst: hills! – Warren Lester THE POLL WHAT’S THE MOST ENJOYABLE PART OF A RACE? 8.5 % NONE OF IT 10.2% THE START 19.9% EVERY MOMENT IS JOY 61.4 % THE END THE GALLERY #INSTARWRUN Planking my way into the new week. I’m having to make do with minimal exercise equipment at home for my strength work at the moment – but thankfully,…

THESE ARE CHALLENGING TIMES… no doubt about it! But if any group of people has risen above these challenges – and even embraced them – it’s us runners. At the time of writing, the Comrades Marathon had just hosted (unofficially) the world’s biggest virtual race, with 40 700 runners from over 100 countries taking part in distances from 5km to the full 90km (yes, close on 900 runners opted to run the 90.1km distance, including Kenneth Ramaano who did it while running on the spot using a step counter!). On that Sunday, all around Cape Town I spotted hundreds of runners wearing their ‘Race The Comrades Legends’ numbers. Some were clearly going long; but for many, even the 5km was enough for them to feel part of the event. What…

The most basic mask out there is this Disposable 3-Layer Mask with elastic earloops, which gave testers a heat spot irritation on the ear after one test run. Still, the filtration fabric is created for basic medical-industry use; but as with all the masks tested, it doesn’t create a full seal on the face. All jmasks are ust precautionary measures – but way better than nothing. Dis-Chem R13 South African sports apparel brand Enjoy have put their factory to good use, creating some feel-good masks that cover the face comfortably, thanks to the pleated design with mouldable nose piece. This clamps down on the bridge of your nose – just be sure you get the correct size for the best fit. The Weatherlite fabric is moisture resistant on the outside, and…