Compared to other running races, the Dischem half marathon unnerves me. It’s a tough course. It starts out with 10kms of undulating road before you get hit with a gradual pull which last from around 11kms to 18kms. The next 3kms to the finish line is a massive downhill drop which can be rough on the knees and quads.
Given what I’ve just described, it remains one of the most popular races on the race calendar and sells out pretty quickly with a field of over 6500 runners.
I knew I had to pace myself carefully. Go out too fast and have nothing left for the uphill pull. Go out too slowly and miss the 3-hour cut off. It’s a daunting task! I decided to use the run to get the time on my legs and not overdue it. I had pushed quite hard the week before at the Wits Kudu’s 15km race.
But as a race review, there’s something to Sunday’s race that goes beyond the fantastic organisation, the ice cold water stops, the brilliant marshalling on the busy streets or even the teams of photographers along the route capturing runner’s faces. It’s the vibe that reminded me of what running is all about.
Dischem Half Marathon tweeted a picture of the last lady finishing the race. Alongside her is a crowd of supporters, cheering her on, running the last km with her. That tweet was followed by so many well wishes and words of encouragement from so many people, including one from Jenna Challenor, who finished the race in 2nd position. It touched my heart! What an awesome message! 
The winning time was 1:06. The last runner finished in 4:07. Both runners would have felt nerves at the start, both would’ve experienced pain heading up those steep hills and both would’ve been absolutely elated crossing the finish line.
It doesn’t matter how fast you run, or what your finishing time is, the race is still the same. The victory just as sweet!
Well done to all runners!
See you next year Dischem.
I had never run further than 21kms and this distance frightened me! I had sleepless nights worrying that I’d fail. In the weeks leading up to the race, it consumed my thoughts. But I did it! And loved it! I experienced moments of pleasure as well as extreme doubt & pain on the day. There were blisters. But wow, I floated on air pretty much for days after the race.
I had heard the stories that this race was easy, flat (downhill) and a piece of cake. In fact most people spoke of PB’s. I believed them and repeated their stories with confidence. But on race day, my experience was different. The race was tough. The weather was unbearably hot. The camber of the road was painful and I did not manage to shave off the time I had expected to.
If you’ve followed my blog then you’d know that Two Oceans and I have not had the easiest of relationships. In fact I’ve hated the race since I missed cutoff a few years back. But last year I ran the race with my Dad. We ran together the entire way and as the light drizzle came down and we chatted and laughed at stories along the way, my fear and anxiety of the race disappeared. I didn’t care what my pace was or what my finish time would be. Nothing could take away that special moment.
Keeping up with the Walkers... 