Bluff AC’s Craig places 11th in Washie 100 Miler

A DARE made in 2015 turned into an addiction for 44-year-old Bluff Athletics Club runner, Craig Smerdon who just completed the grueling Washie 100 Miler race from 27 to 28 July.

Smerdon began running with Bluff AC four years ago with only the goal of keeping fit.

He then met his old school friend at the club who dared him to enter his first Comrades Marathon in 2015. Since then the running bug bit him. “It has become a way of life for me now and I’m always looking for a new challenge. After my second Comrades in 2016, I set my target on running my first Washie but couldn’t do it due to work commitment and lack of organisation, so I skipped it,” he said.

READ: Comrades’ oldest finisher keeps it simple

After completing his fourth Comrades this year, Smerdon finally decided it was time to attempt the Washie. “I was ready to tackle the race and continued with training.

It was only 300km between the Comrades and the Washie, so I knew it would be a tough race, physically and mentally,” he said.

But despite the challenges, he managed to place 11th out of 153 participants in a time of 19 hours and 13 minutes. He thanked his support crew who help him along the route. “Thank you to Wayne and Justin who went without sleep for as long as I did. They kept me going with snacks and water throughout the route. I was not sure how far my body would go before it gave up, as I had never run further than the Comrades distance (89km) in one go. I do believe if you set a goal in your mind, then you have already achieved it,” said the runner.

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