EDITOR – My friend and gardener for many years, Jabulani Mkhize of Kearsney Striders, completed his 18th Comrades Marathon, which in itself is a truly staggering achievement.
Having seen him go past at Umlaas Road and then Inchanga, I had a long and anxious wait at the Everton Bridge. Jabulani had been going superbly up until Hillcrest Toyota. At that point he thought his race was over, a devastating possibility after so much effort and training.
But it was not to be. A total stranger, a spectator from Hillcrest, Steven Herman, took off his own shoes and gave them to Jabulani, who went on to finish very comfortably in Durban. It is such a random act of kindness as this – to go barefoot and allow a stranger to reach his dream – that reflects what a unifying and inspiring race the marathon is. Truly a race of comrades.
And so to Steven from Hillcrest, and all the others like him who supported and helped and cheered, on behalf of Jabulani and all those that love the spirit of the Comrades, runners and spectators alike, I salute you.
Sean Knox
Hillcrest
