Five tips for novices from Comrades Marathon legend Louis Massyn

The Citizen

4 days ago

From the expo to the finish, Louis Massyn offers five pieces of advice for less experienced Comrades runners.
Louis Massyn will aim for his 50th Comrades finish in Durban next week. Picture: Deidre Cloete/Deds Photography
For any Comrades Marathon novice, the gruelling race can be intimidating.
So for any athletes who haven't got a great deal of experience at the annual ultra-marathon, to be held in KwaZulu-Natal next week, advice can be useful.
Who better to dish it out, we figured, than the man who is aiming to become the first person to finish the 90km race 50 times.
This is what 74-year-old Louis Massyn had to say, in his own words…
Expo caution
Do not try out new samples or gels. There can be implications and it's not worthwhile.
The 32Gi gel that works for me might not work for you, so whatever you consume ahead of the race needs to have been tried before.
Also, if you buy new shoes at the expo, don't wear them during the race because it can cause blisters. For the same reason, don't wear new socks on race day.
Arrive early
Get to the start at least an hour before the race begins.
You need to find your start batch, and the field at the start stretches further in Pietermaritzburg than it does in Durban because the road is narrower, so you might need to do some walking to find your batch.
If you're travelling from Durban on the morning of the race, give yourself enough time to deal with the traffic, which can be chaotic.
Morning refreshments
I have a FutureLife shake in the morning, around two or three hours before the start.
You should have something to give you energy after you get up.
It's also important to take an extra bottle of liquid with you because the first few refreshment stations can get crowded and it can be challenging to access the tables.
Eating food
This can be risky for hygienic reasons, if you're relying on refreshment stations for food.
Runners are sweating and then touching the plates and the food, and I know of a lot of people who have picked up stomach problems.
If you do take that risk and eat at refreshment stations during the race, which might be necessary if you're hungry, don't eat anything you are not already used to eating.
Finding supporters
At the finish, one of the biggest challenges is finding your family, friends and supporters.
I think it's best to agree on a meeting point in advance which is near the finish area.
Find a landmark nearby and go there the day before the race so everyone in your group knows where to go to meet each other after the race.