Vladimir Kotov is about to get sick of the name Wayne Spies. For many years a holder of a few age-category best times at the Comrades Marathon, the revered Belarussian can only watch as Spies deposes him as “king of the Masters“.
Last year, at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, Kotov managed to flash a wry smile when told the Australia-based South African had bettered his Down Run time for the 50+ age group. Spies had run a fantastic 5:42:01 to improve on the 5:48:12 that the three-time champion had set. Granted, last year’s course was a few metres shorter than when Kotov set that mark.
Spies, now 51, will line up for this year’s Up Run on June 9 with his sights set yet again on running a best time for the “Masters“. And there’s no reward for guessing who the current owner of the best time is.
Back in 2008, Kotov had just turned 50 and was still fit to even challenge for overall honours. He earned his seventh and final gold medal with an impressive eighth place finish in a time of 5:48:42. It is a time no “Master” has ever really gotten close to. Until now, that is.
Spies, a member of the “Happy Bunch“ that includes champions Tete Dijana and Edward Mothibi, coached by the quiet master Dave Adams, is a fantastic runner as shown by his 26th place overall finish last year.
The Durbanite is coming over yet again intent on adding the Up Run best time to his name. “I am coming to SA in two weeks’ time and coach will be picking me up for us to go to Rustenburg before the usual camp in Dullstroom. We’ve spoken about the Up Run best time and like the Down, it is also a 5:48 and the goal is to beat it.”
Spies showed at the weekend that he is ready to run well with a ‘surprise’ victory in the Hobart Airport Marathon where he ran a 2:33:39.
“I did not plan on going to win it,” he chuckled during our trans-Atlantic phone interview. “The course is a bit hilly so coach said it was okay for me to and do it as part of the preparations for the Up Run. It felt very easy and I felt very comfortable with the run. Towards the end, everyone seemed to fate and I decided to go for it. Such results show that age is just a number and that it is all a case of ‘if you do the hard work, you can get the results’.”
He is ready to do the hard work for Comrades when he teams up with the likes of gold medallists Dan Matshailwe, Joseph Manyedi, Johannes Makgettla and Galaletsang Mekgoe in Adams’ camp, with his sights firmly set on the goal of unseating Kotov.
“I am confident that with my training we will break that time. My main goal for Comrades this year is to chase that record. And this year they’ve given me that 800m, so I know it is doable,” Spies said in reference to the fact that the distance for this year’s race is 85.91.
This year’s distance is actually a kilometre less than when Kotov set the record as they ran 86.94 back in 2008.
“The Up Run is my favourite, I enjoy going up the hills. I am a light and small guy so climbing is much easier. I don’t enjoy the Down – it is not easy because the body takes a serious pounding.”
With Spies set for another ‘record’ to leave Kotov without the Master’s crown, there is good reason to believe that the happy Bunch will once again be the team to beat at this year’s Comrades Marathon.
IOL Sport