By Jamie Parker
Coastal Senior

Special to Coastal Senior
Calvin Coetsee seen competinig here in the Two Oceans Ultra-Marathon, runs every morning on the beach at Hilton Head Island.

Calvin Coetsee is a runner, an extremely gifted runner. He's completed more than 100 marathons, once as fast as 3 hours and 2 minutes. He's run the Two Oceans Ultra-marathon, 35 miles across the tip of South Africa from the Indian to the Atlantic Ocean. He's qualified to run this year's Boston Marathon. With that kind of running resume it's not surprising that perhaps the race that means the most to him is one as grand as the New York City Marathon. What is surprising is that Calvin has never officially competed in a New York City Marathon.

The rewards runners get from running vary. For some it's improved health and appearance, for others it's the feeling of accomplishment they get from achieving a goal, while some run for a spiritual or emotional high.

While Calvin may run for all those reasons, the most gratifying part to him is that through running he is able to help others.

He finished the 2001 New York Marathon in just under 4 hours and 15 minutes, scarcely a half step behind step behind Richard Elavoneske. Even though the two had met only that morning they ran the entire race together. Not because they were equal in speed, they weren't, Calvin was much faster, he could have passed Richard at anytime. Calvin and Richard ran together because Richard is blind and Calvin was his guide.

Calvin started helping people early in life. "My father died when I was 15, to help my family out I went to work. I sold stamps at the Post office during the day and I went to school at night," he says as if it was just something he decided to do. A year later he'd finished grades 11 and 12, two and half years later he finished university. By age 19 he was an elementary school teacher.

Calvin applied to compete in the NYC Marathon 2001 but didn't get a spot in the field. The race uses a lottery system to select the 35,000 runners who are allowed to run each year.

"Then I got a letter asking if I would be interested in leading a blind runner. Even though I wasn't qualified, they wanted people with experience; I sent the application back anyway. I felt I could help."

In his response he wrote that runners, especially inexperienced ones often fade around the 20-mile mark in a marathon and that in order to finish they need encouragement and someone to run with. "Not being concerned about my time I often pick someone who's struggling and run the last 6 miles with them. That's how I got in."

The guide and blind runner are connected wrist to wrist with a six-foot long tether. But since guides are never supposed to lead the blind runner, navigating the course presents a challenge. "You have to remember you're not supposed to ever be ahead of him - leading him. It's his race - you're only his eyes," he explained. "When you're on the road with that many other runners just passing someone and going around turns can be tough. The guide has to tap the runner in front and say 'Guided runner coming through,' then they'll make a path for you." In turns the guide winds the tether up and literally runs shoulder with the blind runner, steering him though it.

Since being tethered to each other means that if one runner goes the other is likely to go too, the biggest concern for both the blind and guide runner is falling. If that happens the guide runner not only has to pick himself up but get the blind runner up and oriented again. "Richard had a goal of finishing under 4:15:00. With a half-mile to go he got worried that we wouldn't make it. He tried to go too fast, he picked up the pace too quickly and ended up stumbling and falling. I went down with him. Fortunately we were able to get up and finish in time."

The reason Calvin has never officailly competed in the NYC Marathon is that guides aren't official runners; they don't wear a number, their times are not recorded, and they get no medal for finishing. Calvin has to pay his own expenses. Yet he has no regrets about the experience. "I don't even apply for a regular entry anymore, I'd rather run with a blind runner. It's so gratifying to help these athletes. For 1000 reasons it's gratifying. When we finished, Richard asked me to guide him again next year. I couldn't make the promise but it's so gratifying to see how grateful he was. If I could afford to I'd go to as many races as I could. Because to me the rewards we get in life can't be measured in money, you can always make money. My reward is to help others."

Calvin Coetsee, age 60 is a native of South Africa. His runs at the NYC Marathon as a guide for blind runners are organized through the Achilles Track Club, an organization established to encourage disabled people to participate in long distance running with the general public. For more information go to www.archillestrackclub.org or call 212-354-0300.