What do you do when you have been training for one of South Africa’s most scenic marathons… and you find yourself stuck in lockdown? If you are Stuart Schabram, you carry right ongoing. We had a chat with Stuart regarding his virtual but very, very real accomplishments for the last edition of our mini-mag. This is the story, as it appeared.
BCE: When did you start running and what have you completed thus far?
SS: I started running while living in London in 2006 and completed the London Marathon in 2006 and the Paris Marathon in 2012. Two Oceans was always so appealing because of the location so I entered the race in 2020 in order to keep the momentum going (for Comrades 2021).
BCE: And then lockdown happened…?
SS: And then, lockdown happened! I have always enjoyed pushing myself and taking on big challenges, so I wasn’t going to waste the training or the chance to run 58.2kms.
BCE: What was the route?
SS: The route consisted of a 6.25km loop, which I ran 9 and 1/4 times. Brentwood is such a beautiful and scenic estate and I definitely got in all the best bits on both road and trail.
BCE: What was the best part of the experience for you?
I wanted to raise some funds for the Soup initiative that some amazing Brettenwood families were supporting so I told some of my neighbors and friends on the Estate about the race. The donations were fantastic and the support on the day was next level. My wife and 2 girls set up an aid station and hearing their little voices “I hear daddy, he’s coming he’s coming” was such a huge boost for me each lap.
Coming down the steps after completing the 58.2kms and seeing my family and some of my neighbors was such a special moment. My girls (Ava and Ella) had a ribbon for me to run through, and a medal, which they had made. Everyone that was involved had a really fun experience.
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