Are you ready for the up?
Do you now what I'm talking about? Probably not.
No, I'm not referring to the road from Durban to Pietermaritzburg. Well not all of it anyway. Just the first bit. From Durban to Kloof.
As we are getting closer to race day, this is a good time to start looking at the route you will be travelling. So in my next few posts, I'll be describing the route in detail, and giving you a route profile of that section.
For those that did the down run last year, you need to know that this year is not simply the same route in reverse. It is a totally different race, and is in no way comparable to what you did last year. It is 87km, which is better than the 89.7 you did last year, and way less than the 90km that everyone talks about. But is is uphill.
In summary, the start for the up run is at sea level in the centre of the city of Durban, and finishes in Pietermaritzburg at an altitude of 650m. Along the way, you will encounter 5 major hills, popularly known as "The Big Five". These are :
Cowies Hill
Fields Hill
Botha's Hill
Inchanga
Polly Shortts
Admittedly, “Big Five” has a nice little African ring to it and helps with the whole marketing thingy. Truth is there are a lot more than just five hills. Some of them don’t even have names! Hopefully the route descriptions will cover all this and more for you.
The first 25km:
The first great obstacle you will encounter after the gun is before you even cross the start line. The road is littered with newspapers, plastic bags, t-shirts, bottles, etc that runners have brought with and discarded. Be VERY careful of your footing and look carefully where you run. It is dark, and easy to trip over all this rubbish. There are also the permanent fixture in the road – the notorious runner’s landmine, or cat’s eye that can trip you up. Don’t start the race with grazed knees – it is guaranteed to ruin your entire day.
Without putting dread into the hearts of novices, this 25km section of road is what will make or break your day. Whether it is on the up run, or the down. Treat this section with respect, and tread carefully for the first 25km. Some hills in this section don't even have names, yet would be classified as mountains on a cycle race.
Soon after the start, the ascent towards Pietermaritzburg begins. The runners immediately join the highway, where the wider road creates little congestion for the thousands of pairs of feet. However, this also creates the risk of getting carried away in a wave of foolhardy feel-good adrenaline pumped runners. Start easy!
A steady climb up Berea Road to the top of Tollgate, where there is no longer a toll, nor a gate, is the first little pull of the day. In the dark of the early morning and among the throngs of runners, this hill is barely noticed, except to the legs which will build a memory of your actions throughout the day.
A short decent on the other side of Tollgate again lets foolish runners make up time lost on the start line. Then comes 45th Cutting, named after the British 45th Regiment of Foot (Sherwood Foresters) who constructed the cutting while stationed in Natal from 1843 to 1859. This is about 7km into the race. Not overly steep or long, but at least the legs, if not the mind, will be building some memory for later in the day.
Between Westville and Pinetown lies the first of the five. Cowies Hill. What starts out as a gentle incline gradually gets steeper, with a gain of about 130m over the last 1.5km. Although not too difficult an obstacle on fresh legs, the 14 km you have already done have been all up hill.
The descent from Cowies is short and steep, winding down into Pinetown, where some rowdy students will be waiting to greet the runners, already with beer in hand. The long, easy flat section through Pinetown offers some rest before the biggest climb of the day: Fields Hill.
Greeting you at the half-marathon mark, the runners will take a sharp right hand turn and begin the long climb up Fields Hill. This is the section of the course where races are won and lost - on the up or down run. This is a real monster, and because it lies relatively early on the up-run, many runners attack this hill with far too much enthusiasm, driven by fresh legs, adrenaline, and the excitement of the morning. As they say, if you are feeling good, that feeling too shall pass. Fields is a long climb - rising some 220m over a distance of 3km. So run Fields with caution, taking the odd planned walk. Every minute gained this early in the race will be paid back with interest later. And although you will get tired, the route does get easier later on.
Nearing the crest of Fields, as the road makes a bend to the left, it is worth glancing back over your shoulder. On a clear day, you will be able to see Durban, the harbour, and the beaches. All a pretty long way below where you are now. This is the last sight of Durban you will have on the route, until you get to the same point next year. You will realise the climbing you have done in these first 23km of the race, and hopefully won't regret having done it too fast.
You know you have reached the top when you enter the shady streets and leafy suburbs of Kloof, and cross over the the south side of the highway. This flat section is a good time to recover after the climb up Fields, rather than a time to make up the schedule.
You might need to rest after reading all this - but it would be better if you went for a run instead.
Regards,
Andrew.
Part 1
Part 2
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