Camaraderie comes alive with Westville Athletics

WHILE many may think of running as a solo sport, Westville Athletic Club’s Steve Gossman was inundated with support from his fellow teammates as he laced up to complete the recent virtual Comrades Marathon for a second year in a row.

The sport relies heavily on an internal drive to get from the start and motor to the finish.

Many athletes have to rely on an internal monologue to help them from the first step all the way through to the final kilometre of that particular adventure.

“When I started running in 2013, I always said that every person in Durban should try to run at least one Comrades to feel the amazing ‘gees’ or ‘togetherness’ of running in a very large crowd,” said Gossman (49).

He believed the 2021 Comrades Marathon was always set to be special as it was not only the Centenary edition, but it was also set almost 18 months into a global pandemic.

The novelty of a virtual race has worn off for all but a handful of the more hardcore running community, particularly when it comes to distances longer distances 10km.

Armed with a successful route from his 2020 run, Steve decided to take a shot at his back-to-back virtual streak.

Steve made one small change to his strategy this year as he discreetly put his route out there to let club mates, friends and family know of his route and plans for the day.

Organically, it grew into a wave of red and white support for his journey.

“It was an awesome day on the road, even though it was a lot quieter than last year. I had family, friends and fellow runners from Westville Athletic Club running with me. The support was incredible and, every few kilometres, more runners would join and others would leave. Some friends waited in the dark for me to come past, some drove past a few times to offer support and help, some followed in their car with ice and cold water and drinks – a life saver in the 26-degree heat.

ALSO READ: Third wave sees Durban SPAR Grand Prix postponed

My family joined in as well. My brother running and my nephew cycling with me in the early morning. It really made the Comrades feel more like Comrades and I sincerely thank everyone for their support and time on the day.”

It was also the continued support that saw him push through after technical difficulties near the end of the race.

“I started feeling some knee pain around 70km in and I slowed my fellow runners so I could walk for a while. We slowly managed to get back to a slow run to the finish. At 6kms to go, my mom even drove past to offer me a lift home. At that stage, I had to politely refuse, even with the sore knee and tired legs!”

Steve completed the event just before 16:00. He left home at 05:00 with 10 hours and 8 minutes of running, 50 minutes of water stops, chatting with runners and friends, and making the most of his second virtual event.

When asked about his immediate plans, Steve said he was focused on keeping it simple.

“I’m looking forward to a few days of recovery walking and receiving the Centenary Hope Challenge medal and, hopefully next year, we can run the usual route and enjoy that Comrades feeling again.”

To sign up and become a member of the Westville Athletic Club, visit www.westvilleac.co.za/membership.

* Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news

Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).