Perils of the Cat Eye - by Bruce Fordyce

In 1934 Yorkshire’s Percy Shaw invented the road markings and lights that we know as cat's eyes. Their value to motorists was really proven in WW II when the blackout in the UK made night driving particularly hazardous.

With the Two Oceans a few days away I am reminded that one of the difficulties of climbing the monstrous Chapman’s Peak apart from the climb itself is to safely negotiate one’s way up and down the mountain without falling victim to the cat's-eye tumble.

There have been cat’s eyes on Chapman’s since it was first built but a few years ago somebody decided to replace the old ones with a small upright metal box that is a death trap for runners. I remember being alerted to the problem a couple of years ago when, with a yelled profanity the runner in front of me stumbled, flung his arms out, tried to grab the back of the runner in front of him, and crashed to the ground tearing the back number off the runner he had tried to grab for support.

Then the following year I saw medics carefully stitching a woman’s chin. Her red-stained running vest spoke volumes. That same year I had ridden the Cape Argus Cycle Tour and had been riding wonderfully until my front tyre was torn off by a cat's eye.

The problem is not confined to the Two Oceans. There are a number of road races in South Africa where cat's eyes are a menace. At this year’s Sunrise Monster in Pretoria a big, hefty bloke went sprawling in front of the small bus I was leading. His ¾ pike with side-roll was worth at least a 9.75 from the Olympic gymnastics judges. At the finish of the same race my mate Lawrence Mallen was lying on a stretcher in the medical tent while medics attended to his bloodied knees
and grazed shins. "Damn Cat's Eyes" was his response to my concerned question “What happened to you?”

Of course this problem is not the fault of the race organisers and the Two Oceans team have, for instance tried placing dozens of safety covers over the cat's eyes with some success. Despite these efforts and the warning shouts of other runners there are always going to be cat's eyes casualties. The problem is here to stay and it is one we runners need to be continually aware of.

That’s easier said than done. There are so many distractions in a race that prevent us from focusing on the dangers of little metal blocks dividing the road. Fatigue, shuffle running styles, crowded groups of runners covering the road and sheer forgetfulness will always help to trip us up.

I suppose some warning signs might help, but really we are just going to have to remember to remain vigilant and to look after each other.