Baobab Archives - The Running Mann

14th October 202414th October 2024

Musina Marathon (Borderline crazy)

[MARATHON #272 / UNIQUE MARATHON #165 / 7 September 2024]

The inaugural Musina Marathon held in the northern extremities of Limpopo was the only marathon in the whole of South Africa over the entire weekend of 7-8 September. Musina is a stone’s throw from the Zimbabwean border and the last town on the N1 before hitting the Beit Bridge border post and crossing the Limpopo River.

Musina is where the devil spends his winters when he wants to warm up. It’s a place where your entry level sunblock is Factor 50. Legend has it that a Scotsman visiting Musina made the fatal mistake of sitting down on the pavement and ended up with hard boiled eggs in under three minutes. In other words, this is a fantastic place for a connoisseur to run a marathon.

19th October 202220th October 2022

Timbavati Traverse (Fantastic Beasts & where we found them)

Back in the BC (before children) days of disposable income, I was fortunate enough to stay at some of the luxury lodges in the greater Kruger National Park area which included a couple of trips to the Timbavati. In addition to the morning and evening game drives, the lodges offer post-breakfast bush walks. I would always enquire (much to my wife’s embarrassment) about the possibility of a post-breakfast run instead of the more sedate walking option. Lodge staff are trained in exceptional customer service and are used to dealing with stupid questions from demanding guests. However, my question always broke through the poker-faced veneer of the luxury hospitality industry and produced a look of extreme incredulity before composure was regained and a polite, “No chance of that I’m afraid” was received. Continue reading “Timbavati Traverse (Fantastic Beasts & where we found them)”

21st October 201821st October 2018

Two Countries Marathon (Musina in Action)

[MARATHON #194 / UNIQUE MARATHON #106 / 22 September 2018]

There are marathons that are tough to get to and marathons that are tough to run. The Two Countries Marathons is both. The race starts 10km inside Zimbabwe near Beitbridge Town and ends back across the South African border in the sweltering furnace that is Musina.

Pay no heed to what they say about kitchens, if you can’t take the heat stay out of the Musina hotpot: The marathon ingredients are a gruelling drive to the far northern boundaries of South Africa, an early morning border crossing on one of the busiest roads in Africa and precisely 42.2km over vast expanses of heinous hills. Throw them together and cook for several hours in 35°C heat – and you have the recipe for a fantastic and unique marathon experience!

To tick this race off the bucket list, you must successfully conquer three arduous challenges… Continue reading “Two Countries Marathon (Musina in Action)”