Local Runner Travels To South Africa To Run Big 5 Marathon

The goal of running a marathon on every continent has taken Michael Messerschmidt of Macungie to South Africa. Running The Big 5 Marathon got Michael one step closer to joining an estimated 300 people who have run a marathon all over the world. The Big 5 Marathon is run in Entabeni, a 110,000 acre private game reserve. This beautiful setting for a marathon is located between Johannesburg and Kruger National Park. Upon arrival in Johannesburg, participants make a three hour transport to Entabeni via private coach. The 18 hours of traveling are immediately rewarded when the view of the reserve comes into sight.

Within the reserve there are several choices for accommodations ranging from tents to a luxury lodge with an amazing view of a lake and Mount Entabeni, this was the location for the start of the race. People staying in the camps at the base of the reserve were required to have armed escorts when walking from the main lodge to their tents at night for fear of lion attacks! The thought of lions and all of the other predators within the reserve were a factor for all runners, nothing like the thought of being being chased by one of the “Big 5″ to help a runner pick up the pace.

Prior to the race, marathon, half marathon and 10K runners, along with their family members, were taken on daily game drives within the reserve. They take place early in the morning and late in the afternoon, hoping to see the “big five”: elephants, rhinos, lions, cape buffalo, and cheetahs. The safari vehicles hold nine people and come equipped with blankets because it gets very cold when the sun goes down. On one of the drives, runners were lucky to view a lion eating a recently killed giraffe. They were so close that one could hear the massive lion crunching bones and pulling the hide off of the carcus.

The day before the marathon, participants were loaded into the safari vehicles and shown the route of their race. It took three hours to drive the course of the full marathon, only taking one short bathroom break. After seeing what was waiting for them, people registered for the full marathon could drop to the half marathon and those registered for the half could drop down to the 10K race.
All participants started on the top of a plateau. The full marathon course was brutal. The first six miles had an approximate 1,000 foot climb starting at 4500 feet above sea level and topping out at 5600. The elevation was also a factor for most runners, especially for Michael since the Lehigh Valley sits about 400 feet above sea level. The next three miles saw an approximate 2,000 foot drop down a steep hill ranging from 40 to 45 degree pitch. Running down the hill was difficult, participants had to be leary of falling and, of course, the burning quad muscles were a constant reminder of how steep the course really was. The next six miles were run on thick, dry sandy roads that meandered throughout the reserve. Trying to stay in the ruts left by safari vehicles was difficult and ate up a lot of energy. At this point in the course, runners were required to climb the steep hill that only a few miles prior had to run down. For most, cramps were a factor in making their way back to the top of the plateau. The last eight miles were rolling hills with terrain varying from compacted soil to small rocks to large boulders.

In addition to the difficult course, the weather was also a factor for runners. The 8:00 a.m. start of the race saw temperatures in the low to mid 30s, warming up to about 60 in the late afternoon with constant winds and gust up to 40 mph. Those braving the elements for hours crossed the finish line with wind-burn on any exposed skin.

Information found on the official web site for the Big Five Marathon, www.big-five-marathon.com, tells runners to add 25% to their typical/usual marathon time. For Michael, this turned out to be accurate. His time of 4:29:34 was his slowest marathon, but enabled him to finish in 8th place in a field of 73 marathoners, the first American to cross the finish line.

For anyone who likes to travel and is looking for a physical challenge, this is the race for you.