Making A Runner

It’s not about the size of the dog in the fight but the size of fight in the dog.  This phrase was proven true when Annie Bothma raced her way to her first official marathon victory and SA Marathon Champion title at the Durban International Marathon. At the time of recording this episode, Annie was 3 days out from this event. To understand what this victory means to Annie you need to understa...

If there’s anyone that you should take advice from on running the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon, it’s from Barry Holland, who has run the 56km ultra-marathon a whopping 32 times.  You may recognise the name, Barry Holland, from one of our post popular episodes to date - The Comrades Marathon Special (which he has run 48 times, consecutively!). He is quite clearly well versed in ultra-d...

What do you get when you add talent + burning passion + continuous hard work, you get just a little Bester every time you show up to the start line. South African Marathon Runner, Nick Bester, holds a personal best marathon time of 2:20 and he considers himself a social runner, crazy right?! He ran his debut marathon 9 years ago in a finish time of 3:17 and since then has taken the running world b...

Nutrition is an often overlooked yet essential component to your success in any run or race, so we cannot stress the importance of it enough when it comes to an ultra distance endurance event like the TTOM!  In this episode, professional long distance runner, sports nutritionist and running coach, Annie Bothma, gives us the run down on everything you need to know about nutrition and hydration...

Matt Walsh aka. @Walshingtin on Instagram, is and isn’t your every day runner. Like many of us he started running to shed a few kilograms, but what he discovered was a surprising amount of talent.  What sets Matt apart from other runners is his mindset and eagerness to learn. As you’ll hear in this episode, he has done the time both on the road and in his research, to understand exactly what...

Tackling the TTOM is a bucket list event for 1000’s of runners world wide. In fact 29000 participants are expected to hit the streets of Cape Town for the 2023 weekend running festival. But how do you know if you’re ready for an ultra marathon? And surely you’ve heard of the dreaded climb up Constantianek straight after Champan’s Peak? In this episode Nic and Davey get into the specifics of traini...

Runners are notoriously poor when it comes to adopting nutrition strategies during training and races with most of us leaving these decisions to last minute chance. As we move into a space where professional advice is no longer reserved for elite athletes, every day runners are benefiting from adopting nutrition strategies for their running goals - this is no easy task though. That’s why we sat do...

What started as a training run for the mighty Comrades Marathon in 1970 with a mere 26 participants now holds the title of an IAU Gold Label Status Race, also known as Africa’s largest race and the world’s most beautiful race - The Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon. In this first episode of the limited series we speak to TTOM Race Manager, Hilton Kearns, who expects 29 000 participants (cumulatively...

Irevette van Zyl makes being a professional athlete look easy, but behind the fierce “race face” is a lifetime of passion and perseverance.  Of course she has been gifted with the kind of talent that most of can only dream of but the road to success has had a few bumps along the way.  In this episode we take a glance into the world of a professional athlete, world record holder and Olymp...

If you are running the 2023 Total Sports Two Oceans Marathon, 56km or 21km, this is the series you’ve been looking for. The 6 episode limited series aims to help you prepare for the start line, covering all you need to know form route breakdown to nutrition strategies. PLUS 1 episode specially dedicated to answering your questions (get in touch info@makingarunner.com). Jam packed with the usual Ni...

After a break, it can be daunting to lace up and hit the road again. In this episode, Julie Rawdon, a physiotherapist and speedy marathon runner, helps us take it back to basics. Through her experience and expertise she helps remove the fear of making common mistakes and reassures us that human nature will get the better of us all, at some point in time, but we can allow our running to ebb and flo...

In 2022 Brad McNeil realised a life long dream, he ran the Comrades Marathon (the ultimate human race) in the same year he was meant to die. He's been living with autoimmune disease since the second grade, battling years worth of pain, uncertainty and embarrassment in trying to lead a normal life. In 2018 he received a terminal diagnosis, or as he would see it, a blessing of foresight that allows...

Some prefer road running while others head for the trails, and then there’s the runners that seek out the path less travelled; exploring the furthest corners of the globe, covering 100’s of kilometre, on foot, for hours on end. Salomon athlete, Andrew Erasmus, is a competition trail runner and Jordi, a Sports Doctor with an impressive set of endurance genetics. They share an insatiable love for ru...

The Startliners began when Matt, a Biokineticist, and Britt, an everyday girl that loves running, noticed that there was nothing in the market that allowed new runners to learn in a safe and guided environment, alongside other newbies. Three years later, they have helped 100’s of people take their first steps with their couch to 10km program. This episode covers the common barriers to entry and co...

Linda has been a majorly successful ultra-distance trail runner since before trail running was even a"big thing". She's run (and won) all over the globe and although she’s currently making her way back from injury, she’s nowhere near done. She has lived her passion for running through her years spent on the trails (and road), her work as a journalist and now, through the athletes she coaches. This...

Martin is a chiropractor by profession but a critical thinker by nature, his greatest gift as a practitioner (and human being) is his ability to ask the questions that no one else is asking. He has a special interest in “pain” and pain management, which he has studied at length.  This episode provides deep insight into how pain is perceived by the human brain; we discuss chronic pain as a con...

What started as a weight loss journey led to a relentless passion for health and fitness. Lauren went from running Park Run’s to running the Comrades Marathon within a year and became an Iron Man World Champion contender. In this episode the 28 year ASICS Front Runner and school teacher talks about overcoming societal pressures, limiting self beliefs and how she’s used her story to guide and...

Zak is a 24 year old South African rising star who made his Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In this episode we gain insight into the lives of professional athletes and an understanding of the different mental and physical demands of sprinting vs long distance running. As a young talent, Zak has faced his fair share of challenges including the covid 19 pandemic and making a name for himse...

Since the running boom of the 70’s, there have been major scientific advancements that have helped forge some of the worlds greatest athletes. The same advancements have made running more accessible to the average person and injected a level of competition that is enjoyed by front runners and sweepers alike. In this episode we explore the latest science in running; from fuelling strategies to the...

Jenna Challenor stole the hearts of 1000’s when she crawled her way to a Comrades 4th place victory, yes 4th - why is this such a remarkable feat you may ask? Because of the broad smile that she wore across her face from start to finish. A year prior to lining up at the start of the 2022 Comrades Marathon, Jenna was clawing her way back from long-COVID. An experience that she feared may have broug...

Your go-to source to get pumped up for the Comrades Marathon (whether you’re running this year or plan on tackling the beast in the future). Jam packed with inspiration, advice and special guest speakers with words of wisdom and encouragement including: Barry Holland (47 x Comrades Veteran) from episode 8; Prodigal Khumalo (2 x Comrades Gold Medalist) from episode 6 and our MVP novice, Sean Clarke...

Travis Warwick-Olivier is a self-described madman, an all-or-nothing character who had his leg amputated below the knee after a motocross accident (he competed semi-professionally). True to form, 6 months post-amputation he traded his riding boots for trail shoes and a blade where he lined up at the start of the Karkloof 50 miler. A year post-amputation he stood at the start-line of one of South A...

Lindi (founder of LIV2RUN), Coach Beckham & Coach Sinovuyo aka. “The Bullet” are paving the road to a better future for 100’s of children by using running as a vehicle for change and “common unity”. All 3 of them are passionate & talented runners who have decided their life’s work to passing on their gifts. They live & work at the LIV Village & surrounds. LIV village is a dedicated...

Some intro’s are better left to the pro’s - so we’ll hand over to 9 x Comrades Marathon Winner, Bruce Fordyce, to tell you more about what you can expect to learn from Barry Holland. “Barry’s greatest achievements have not been his own. Literally dozens of runners have achieved their own goals and dreams in running because of the firm and guiding hand of Barry Holland. It is as a coach, mentor and...

Nelfrie is a podiatrist, not a foot doctor but a health professional that specialises in the form & function of the feet. Her passion lies in biomechanics, ie. how you move. We typically pay very little attention to our feet when it comes to training & conditioning, but it is our feet that make contact with the ground and determine what happens next as we move up the kinetic chain. You can...