Queensburgh Harriers complete Comrades Marathon mission

THERE was much to celebrate last week for Queensburgh Harriers Running Club as all 14 members of the club who entered the 96th Comrades Marathon completed what is considered one of the toughest ultra-distance marathons in the world.

There were also plenty of milestones to celebrate, from debut runs to Green Number Milestones.

One of those to earn their place on the coveted Comrades Green Number Roll of Honour was Dean Wight, who completed his 30th Comrades Marathon.

“It was just a wonderful day. My idea was to run from the back to the front and just enjoy the race. I ended up going a little quicker than I had expected, but it was all good fun. It’s a huge honour to get my 30th, and really, it has just spurred me on to keep going. I’ll definitely be back next year, and in fact, I’d like to reach the goal of completing 40 Comrades. That would be an ever rarer feat,” he said.

Also read: Dijana wins back-to-back Comrades Marathon title

Another local who will be back next year is Escombe resident Brett Jackson, who ran his first Comrades Marathon.

“The vibe, the atmosphere and the camaraderie on marathon day was just incredible. I had a little niggle with my calves going into race day. It sort of hit me at Drummond, but I walked for a bit before my pit crew, as I like to call them, gave me a spray for the tightness. I caught the 11:30 bus and finished just ahead of them. I certainly will be back next year, whether it’s an Up Run or Down Run,” Jackson said.

Fellow Escombe resident Paula Humphreys echoed Jackson’s sentiments.

“The crowds just give you that lift or extra bit of motivation when you start to feel it a bit more. This year for me was number five overall, and my goal heading in was to secure my best time, which I did. I’m also so proud of my fellow club members who smashed it at this year’s Comrades, especially those doing it for the first time. We all have the hunger now to keep going,” Humphreys said.

Another man who aims to keep going is Shallcross resident Leslie Naidoo, who completed his 18th Comrades Marathon.

Also read: Veteran seconder shares her tips for Comrades Marathon

“I think Paula and Dean have touched on it, but the Comrades Marathon is like a drug – once you have a taste for it, you just want to keep coming back. The person who inspired me to run Comrades was Bruce Fordyce. He was there to give me my permanent number, 44944, after my 10th, and I thought, why stop there? I want to keep going to 20 and beyond. The one thing I will also say of the race is I find it’s the one day when everyone is united and rooting for you as an athlete, no matter where you are on the course,” Naidoo said.

Another newbie to the Comrades Marathon, Ryan Grobbelaar, said he is now one event away from completing his biggest goal as an athlete this year.

“So this year, I wanted to swim the Midmar Mile, run the Comrades Marathon and cycle the Amashova. I’ve now ticked two boxes, and my focus now is on completing the cycling race. I must say, while I did enjoy running the Comrades, it was the toughest thing I’ve ever done before. My dad was my inspiration leading into it, but I think I may give next year a skip until I’m ready to take on another,” the Escombe resident said.

Results breakdown

• Dean Wight completed his run in a time of 09:34:53 and received a Robert Mtshali Medal.
• Brett Jackson completed his run in a time of 11:25:18 and received a Vic Clapham Medal.
• Paula Humphreys completed her run in a time of 11:08:04 and received a Vic Clapham Medal.
• Leslie Naidoo completed his run in a time of 08:53:22 and received a Bill Rowan Medal.
• Ryan Grobbelaar completed his run in a time of 11:03:28 and received a Vic Clapham Medal.

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