A huge debate has been raging in running circles over the past year or two in respect of barefoot or natural running, as opposed to technical running shoes.

Over the years there have been some great athletes – mostly African – who have competed successfully in their natural state – feet wise that is.

Zola Budd is the most famous in this neck of the woods, but we have in fact produced numerous Border/Kei locals who have favoured the shoe less state too.

Zola will be in town this weekend {20-22 Jan.} at the 70.3 Ironman Expo. She will also be hosted by the Goons at Beacon Bay Country Club at 5p.m. on Friday for a talk on this subject and a short run thereafter. There is no charge, but with space limited contact me to secure a spot.

Herbert Ndzondza was a fabulous masters runner {over 50} who ran barefoot in the marathon – yip on tar.

The Border Masters Association bought Herbert top of the range shoes, but I cannot recall that he ever finished a race in them.

Herbert represented Border for a good few years and we were often teased by the administrators of other provinces about not looking after our runners.

Maureen Dladla a top female runner started her career barefoot, while Philip Quvana one of the provinces fastest runners was always barefoot.

Buzelwa Nyanda held the Border Marathon record for many years and she ran barefoot.

I decided to test this out, starting with what they call minimalist shoes. I had been battling with a motor car induced knee ligament problem and all said I was crazy.

Whether it was the shoes or not, the injury cleared up.

More recently and not having done much training I took to the Gonubie Golf Course shoeless. At first only a kilometre or so, but gradually I have built up to 8km and loving the freedom that it offers. I have run on the fairways, in the rough and over gravel paths – only the sharpish seeds from the pine trees have caused a small degree of discomfort, but I expect that too will decipate with time.

Would I run Surfers barefoot, as some folk have done? Not the first leg of boulders to Gonubie, but thereafter I may well consider it.

What has surprised me the most is the natural grip that your toes offer, allowing me to mount some steep grass slopes, that with ordinary road shoes I’d have slipped back on.

The debate is interesting and I do not believe that the experiences over so short a span of time of an aging runner produces any answers, but I am going to listen to Zola, who interestingly, now represents the minimalist shoe range, Newton.

I’ll let you know what she thinks.