Local running club shines in the Cape

A GROUP of North Durban runners shone the light of a local running club at the recent at the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon recently. DHS Old Boys’ Athletics Club members, Nic Kinsley, Paul Forbes, Glen Gore and Justin Hand, recently completed the 56km ultra-marathon, dubbed The World’s Most Beautiful Marathon, finshing second in the 40 to 49 age category for men.

What’s more, the incredible achievement was made more significant seeing that the quartet finished as the second place veterans’ team to a professional Nedbank team that included previous New York Marathon winner, Hendrick Ramaala.

“We were stoked and surprised to be honest. I was flying home from Cape Town when I opened a copy of the Cape Argus and I spotted the results. We are just a bunch of amateurs, but it was incredibly pleasing to see our achievement. We didn’t have a set goal to finish as strongly as we did,” said Forbes, who ran his eighth Two Oceans.

Not event the recent fires and a change in the route could deter the determined runners. The marathon started in Main Road, Newlands, and took runners along the scenic South Peninsula route. But instead of heading towards Chapman’s Peak, runners turned towards Ou Kaapse Weg, a detour route used for four years between 2000 and 2003 when Chapman’s Peak was originally closed while the tunnels and catchment nets were being constructed.

“We all ran similar times, which was pleasing. I found the route change made it tougher but the results were made all the sweeter with where we finished up. To be in a huge field of 11 000 runners and to finish where we did was an incredible achievement,” said Kinsley.

The club members have now turned their attention to the Comrades Marathon and hope to replicate their form in this year’s up run.