100BEFORE40

31 - Sani Stagger Marathon, Sani Pass, South Africa, 25 November 2017. I first came across the Sani Stager Marathon in October 2014. Looking at the elevation profile, I thought it was one of the easiest marathons around. In my mind, all I had to do was run-walk to the top. Once I got to the top, I would fly down to the finish. It was that simple. I could not understand how running down that 'hill' could be difficult. I tried to register for the race at that time, but it was too late. In 2015 and 2016 my attention had shifted elsewhere and I did not even think of the Sani Stagger Marathon. It was also not part of my plans when I put together my “Wishlist” for 2017. It only became part of the “Wishlist” when I decided to drop The Two Countries Marathon from the list. It was an easy choice for me as I had postponed it for too long. I had also heard a few people “ The Sani is a must do ”, without explaining to what they meant by it is “ a must do .” Sani Stagger Marat...

The Blue Train retired after about 1000 kilometers of pounding the pavement. 29 - Imbube King's Marathon, Mbabane Swaziland, 8 October 2017 One of my 100BEFORE40 secrets, at least until now, has been avoiding running the same marathons whenever I can. Permanent numbers (green, blue or whatever colour) do not really appeal to me. I have great respect for the permanent number tradition, but it is not my kind of thing. For me completing a particular marathon once is a privilege. Given a chance, I prefer moving on to a different marathon. However, I have my favorite marathons that I would not miss lightly. These are the Soweto Marathon and the Wally Hayward Marathon. I have told the story of the Soweto Marathon repeatedly, but for the benefit of those who do not know, it was my first ever marathon in November 2014. It has become synonymous with marathon, just like Colgate in synonymous with toothpaste or OMO is synonymous with washing powder in many households. Wally Hayward’...