The scene is set for a “down run” Comrades this Sunday

The 2022 Comrades Marathon takes place on Sunday, 28 August. This year will be a “down run” starting at the City Hall in Pietermaritzburg and finishing 90 km away at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
Ultra and endurance runners from Parys who are in high spirits and making their way to the start of the 2022 Comrades Marathon are:
Peter Mothubi (Nedbank)
Wida de Klerk (Murray & Roberts)
Tara Walmsley (Parys Multisport)
Andrew Beckerling (Parys Multisport)
Annemi Beukes (Parys Multisport)
Anina De Villiers (Parys Multisport).
Comrades is known to have taken place in July each year but has now moved to August. This raises some concern about how athletes will acclimatise and adapt to physiological changes and demands.

Wida de Klerk. Photo: Supplied

However, after a quick interview with our local runners, it is clear that their excitement far exceeds concerns over climatic conditions and risk.
Peter Mothubi, coached by our very own Johan Brits (Oupa), will meet with Nick Bester and the rest of the Nedbank team upon arrival in Durban. Peter is set on running a winning race this year. “I will be targeting time ,and focus on pace. I am aiming for a sub-05:35 (03:40/km) for Comrades,” said Peter. Peter ran a 02:25 marathon earlier in Pietersburg this season, and he looks stronger than ever.
Wida de Klerk running for Murray & Roberts Elite might be forced to take things a little slower after a recent knee injury during a long-run training session. “My focus will be on ‘Plan C’ since I might not be able to go as fast as I intended to. My primary goal is to finish comfortably and enjoy the race without setting the bar too high,” said Wida.
Tara and Andrew, our inspiring father-daughter team, have been training and running endurance races together for nearly three years leading up to Com- rades. This year will be Tara’s first Comrades starting next to Andrew, who will be running his fifth Comrades this year.
They aim for a sub-9-hour run. “You should see us on TV at around 14:15 if everything goes according to plan,” says Andrew. “We ran roughly 1,900 km and cycled about 1,900 km to prepare for this race. So, we’ve put in the miles and I rely on my brother to meet me on the grass at the finish line with a cold beer in his hand.”
Tara has grown to become a very confident runner this season after completing a succession of marathon- and ultra events. “I am not scared or anxious about Comrades. My biggest concern at this point is staying healthy. The start of a big race is never fun for me because I always feel a bit nervous and emotional. Once we are out on the road, things settle down, and I focus on finishing the race. In the beginning, I told myself I couldn’t do it.
Now I couldn’t feel more confident that I will complete this race,” says Tara.
Another first-time Comrades runner is Anina De Villiers. Anina started training for the Iron Man triathlon but changed gears to do the Comrades after the Iron Man was cancelled earlier this year.
Anina qualified to run the Comrades at the Sedibeng Marathon and improved her seeding at the Benoni Marathon. “I don’t know how far I ran to prepare for Comrades, but I did the work for Iron Man, which should get me through. I came home with an injury after the Two Oceans marathon, and Comrades turned into a leap of faith. Having the privilege of getting an entry for this year’s Com- rades was a sign from above. I also have no injuries, and I’m ready to run.”
Annemi Beukes is a familiar face in the ultra and trail running community. For those who know Annemi well, it is no surprise that running the Comrades this year was a last-minute decision for her. Annemi qualified at the Benoni Marathon earlier this year. “I decided to run Comrades in June. I couldn’t make peace with the idea of sitting at home and watching my friends on TV while they cross the finish line. I would rather see it through to the finish and then head straight down to the nearest beach with my family afterwards.”
The work is done, and the scene is set for Comrades 2022.
We wish all our runners a fantastic experience and a safe journey as they head towards the ultimate human race.