The 17th Tom Jenkins Challenge

Get the kit ready, and crash for some sleep only to wake up at 4am with an excitement for the race... Creep thru the house and quietly as possible head out by ten past and head north East to Tswane. Arrived at the Union Buildings in Pretoria with the beautiful Jackaranda trees in bloom and the sounds of the PA system calling runners to register. Facinating to see the many different types of people arriving and we all share the love of road running. Bang... and we are off... thousands of what I used to think were crazy people, now I am one of them. At 6km I pass two 75 year old men running, and that always amazes me that runners can run long into life. No arm chairs and walking sticks for these dudes. For 6km they have been in front of me! Flat and downhills till 7km and there in front looms Tom Jenkins Drive! 800m of serious uphill which I manage to run up whilst most walk. Then dash down to the half way mark where most people turn in to complete the 10km race, but the tough continue for another loop. I am running well and my time is looking great but then alas at 18km Tom Jenkins Drive appears again! This time the body is not feeling as strong and although I run most of it, the time ticks away, leaving me very little time to dash down the hill to the finish line. My goal of beating my best of 1:55 changes to can I do a sub 2 hour, but I come in on 2:01. Still very pleasing and greatly enjoyable. I head home to my family with another medal and feel so blessed to be healthy enough to do this.