Trail runner still has many dreams to achieve

Johardt van Heerden, South Africa’s 2016 long-distance trail champion, has many dreams, two of which are climbing Mount Everest and winning the Comrades Marathon. For most people, both of these would remain just dreams. For this 23-year-old, however, they seem reachable.

Van Heerden, who works as a candidate attorney by day, won the SA long-distance trail championship for the second year in a row on March 19, overcoming one of the strongest fields in many years. The 40-kilometre course at the Drakensburg Northern Trail SkyMarathon is known for its challenging terrain and magnificent scenery.

“I was stoked to defend my 2015 title but I had my doubts going into the race. At about the 22-kilometre mark, on an insanely steep pass, I made my move to break away from the field. It involved mountaineering and a lot of strength,” he said.
“My GPS watch wasn’t working. I had no idea where I was so I had to run on feel. From that point, the run was smooth and peaceful almost until the end.”

He finished in 3:44, 13 minutes ahead of Iain Don Wauchope in second place and 16 minutes ahead of Christiaan Greyling in third. He was selected to represent South Africa at the 2016 World Championships in Podbro, Slovenia in June. Unfortunately, Van Heerden developed a stress fracture in his left foot some weeks ago and is unable to take part in the competition. Because his training was going so well earlier in the year, he was hoping for a top-10 finish but knows he has to be careful to rest properly and look toward his next big race.

“I was really disappointed at first but I had to learn to accept my situation. If I want to prolong my running career, I need to make smart decisions,” Van Heerden said.
“I wish the South African representatives all the best. I hope I’ll have the chance to represent the country again in the future. It’s what we athletes always work towards.”

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When fit, Van Heerden runs between 140 and 160 kilometres a week comprising a balanced programme of shorter and longer distances, as well as road and trail running. He has been running since he was six years old but came upon trail running during a training camp at the end of his first year at university. He noticed he was better than his contemporaries at uphill running and on tough terrain. He started reading articles and watching videos about trail running and the rest is history.

“Mountains have intrigued me since I was a little boy. I dream of climbing Mount Everest one day. Running in the mountains with minimal gear is something special. Last year’s world championships were held in the beautiful Swiss Alps and I was too tired to even look at the mountains at the end of the trail race,” Van Heerden said.

He makes sure to keep working on his road-running speed and strength as he hopes to run the Comrades Marathon in the near future. And he wants to win it.

For this year, though, he will be watching it from the couch.