The Mossel Bay Marathon: 'Rolling' Doesn't Mean Easy

The Course: What's Been Announced

The marathon runs along the waterfront, harbour, old town and scenic lookouts with views of the Outeniqua mountains. Official terrain: 'rolling'. The number of laps for the full hasn't been published yet, so we don't know how many times you'll pass the same spots. What we do know from the local 70.3 proxy: 365 m of elevation gain over 21 km, on a mix of tarmac and pedestrian walkways.

Do the math: if the full follows the same logic, you're looking at roughly 700 m of climbing in the marathon. After 180 km of hilly riding. It's not official data, but it's the most sensible reference available, and it's enough to make one thing clear: don't prepare for this marathon as if it were flat.

Rollers Late in the Race: The Real Problem

A 'rolling' run on fresh legs is manageable. At km 30 of a full, every 30-second ramp becomes a test of will. Two specific adaptations to train:

• Pace changes: on an undulating course there's no such thing as a steady pace. Train your ability to slow down on the climbs without stopping and to pick it back up on the descents without wrecking your quads.
• Descending when tired: repeated downhills late in the race destroy your legs more than the climbs do. Add long runs on rolling routes, with downhills included in the final kilometres of the session.

A concrete test: a 28-30 km long run on a route with 400-500 m of elevation gain, in the last weeks before your taper. If you finish it still controlling your pace on the climbs, you're ready.

Heat and DNFs: The Signal From Race Reports

Official April averages are mild: 23 °C highs, 12 °C lows. But a report from the local 70.3 mentions a hot run and a high DNF rate. It's southern-hemisphere autumn: the average doesn't protect you from the one hot day. Practical consequences:

• Plan hydration and electrolytes from the first kilometres, not when the crisis hits.
• Walk the aid stations if temperatures climb: 15 seconds lost at each station costs less than a blow-up at km 32.
• Prepare one plan for the hot scenario and one for the mild scenario, and decide on race morning.

Note: information on the number and location of aid stations for the full isn't available yet. Check the athlete guide.

Pacing: Start Slower Than You Think

Based on this guide's rough estimates, a mid-pack target runs the marathon in about 4:35; a relaxed finisher in 5:30. On an undulating course, the winning strategy is almost always the same: first 10 km deliberately slow, controlled effort on every climb, and keep something in reserve for the last 10. Anyone who starts at flat-marathon pace on a rolling course always pays for it.

Watch the surface too: the mix of tarmac and pedestrian walkways reported on the 70.3 proxy means possible surface changes. Shoes with good protection and stability, not the most extreme racing model, unless you're used to it.

What to Do Now

1. Move your long runs to rolling routes from now until race day. 2. Train pace changes: short hill repeats inside your tempo sessions. 3. Test your hot-scenario hydration plan in training. 4. As soon as the official course drops, check the laps, actual elevation gain and aid stations, and adjust your plan.