21KM RUNNERS IN FOR HILLY ROUTE IN TUFF ONE

MBABANE – It is not called the ‘Tuff One’ Half Marathon for nothing.

For the first half of the race, 21km runners will be tricked of a jolly push to the finish line but immediately after taking the gravel route by Sikhaleni, suddenly it is a different race all together- really tough. Runners will endure a gravel hill of approximately three kilometres as they make their way to Coates Valley, Manzini.
Golden Foot Club will on Saturday present the 10th edition of the Tuff One Half Marathon which also includes the 10km event starting and finishing at Zakhele Sports Ground. 

When it comes to hilly races, there are runners who tear up the hill and then there are those who run fast and pass everyone on the downhill. Who has the better hill-running race strategy?
There’s no one-size-fits-all secret. How you should handle a hilly race depends on who you are and how you run. That means that the best way to finish on top, or at least to finish strong, is to follow the mantra, ‘Train your weakness; race your strength’.

“The Up Run is an enormous challenge that requires both physical and psychological preparation,” according to Comrades Marathon Expert and Coach Lindsey Parry. The Tuff One is nothing compared to the Comrades but the wise words to use to conquer this particular race.

“By forcing yourself to run conservatively over the first half, you will give yourself the best chance at a negative split during the slightly more favourable second half of the race,” according to the Director of the Prime Human Performance Centre, Dennis Jackson.

“Your stride length and stride rate should naturally decrease when running up hill but it is very important not to increase your stride length to run faster up the hill. What you gain in the short-term will definitely cause you more fatigue and problems towards the end of the race,” said Biokineticist and Director of the Prime Human Performance Centre, Dennis Jackson.

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