Valentine’s Day Archives - The Running Mann

21st March 2020

Bielie Mielie Marathon (Valentine’s Day in the Free State)

[MARATHON #238 / Unique Marathon #138 / 15 February 2020]

This year I spent Valentine’s Day in Frankfort. By choice I might add. That is a scenario that needs some explanation so here is the backstory…

I’ve been told that the most romantic thing you can do in the Free State is take your lover to an agricultural festival. As agricultural festivals go, they don’t get much bigger than the VKB Bielie Mielie Festival in Reitz and, as luck would have it for Free State romantics, this year the festival fell over Valentine’s weekend. Continue reading “Bielie Mielie Marathon (Valentine’s Day in the Free State)”

13th March 202016th March 2020

Hillcrest Marathon (Code Brown on the Comrades route)

[MARATHON #237 / Unique Marathon #137 / 9 February 2020]

I was viewing the Hillcrest Marathon as something of a grudge purpose. Big field, big city, double-lap routes are my least favourite marathon type. Once a year is more than enough to ingratiate my legs on the Comrades route – and my muscle memory still hadn’t forgotten their last visit in June. Needless to say, my legs were happy to wait another few months before setting foot in Hillcrest again. What is more, during the Red Hill Marathon in Cape Town, barefoot runner Peter Taylor told me that Hillcrest has the roughest roads on the Comrades route. Continue reading “Hillcrest Marathon (Code Brown on the Comrades route)”

10th March 2020

Julian Draai turns heads at the Hillcrest Marathon

If you’ve run the Hillcrest Marathon over the last decade, no doubt you would have seen the curious site of a distinguished gentleman sitting down to a fully-laden romantic breakfast for one. He paints a refined picture as one heads back into Hillcrest at the end of the first lap, leisurely working his way through an elaborate banquet whilst watching the runners steadily traipse past.

Continue reading “Julian Draai turns heads at the Hillcrest Marathon”