Chamber Running Club boasts 4 comrades

Four runners of the Chamber Running Club in Emmarentia can boast conquering one of the toughest ultra marathons – the Comrades Marathon.

Among the 20 000 runners taking on this year’s 87km up run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg, were Owen Murphy, Xolani Mbambo, John Raphela and Tony Nocton-Smith, who have medals to prove they were victorious.

“After completing my 10th Comrades last year and getting my green number, I said to myself this is it and I need to save my joints for when I grow up. But as soon as the Comrades opened up I was among the first to sign up – I guess I’m hooked,” commented Mbambo.

READ: Randburg Harriers marvel over 35 years in the Comrades Marathon 

For Nocton-Smith, competing in his 14th Comrades. it was a ‘good, comfortable run’ and he plans to be back next year.

Murphy said for him the greatest challenge was to be realistic about his pace. “If I go out too fast then I will battle so I always try to run at a comfortable pace… if you do this it helps you to survive the last two hours where the real test lies,” he said.

For Raphela, competing in his 11th Comrades, the strategy was simple. “[I would] run the first half of the race, then walk the hills in the second half. In the end, it worked fine. I finished the race without any problem,” he said.

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