Gordon’s last Comrades hurrah
Gordon Trueluck ran his first Comrades marathon in 1977, it took 37 years before his next. Read more about his journey.
AS the Comrades Marathon enters the 90th year since its inception, one Durban North resident is preparing for his final Comrades Marathon.
Gordon Trueluck ran his first Comrades, an up-run in 1977, in which he secured a bronze medal. As he neared his 60th birthday he set his sights on completing his second; incredibly, it was a 37-year gap between the two.
But that didn’t faze the Riverside Harriers club member – he won a Vic Clapham medal and is now planning on ending his journey at the world’s oldest ultra-marathon race.
“The biggest difference between 1977 and 2014 was the amount of water tables,” he laughed. “There were also only about 1 000 runners that year, so there were long stretches where you were on your own. Now though, there’s hardly a moment when you are alone.”
His protracted absence from the Comrades Marathon also gave the local resident time to hone his fitness skills, most of which took place on a bicycle.
“I’ve run a number of duathlons and trail runs, and I’ve pretty much cycled all there is to compete in around the country. My hope is to run this year’s up-run in under 11 hours. I’m pretty confident that I will be fit enough come race day, but this will be my last Comrades. I’m going to concentrate on shorter runs,” he said.
Trueluck added that the camaraderie and spirit of the Comrades Marathon is unrivalled in any other sporting code.
“The race really captures the imagination of the nation, and to be part of an 18 000-strong field of runners makes that fact even more special,” he said.
