A mile in their shoes
Two runners from eMalahleni have first hand experience of the moments that make this marathon so great. Adri van Jaarsveld and Neels Vermeulen two local and well known runners have made the trip 17 times already.
Adri, from Eskom Athletics Club, among more than a dozen of her fellow runners from the club, started their trek on May 25 in Pietermaritzburg for the 90km marathon to Durban. The starting line alternates every year between Durban and Pietermaritzburg making it almost an entirely different race every time.
Adri has done 10 consecutive Comrade Marathon’s and then only attended every second one from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. With a rigours training regime that begins in January she says that it is not only the race that is tough but the months of training and correct eating tests a persons determination to do well in the race.
“I was unable to train for about the last three weeks before the race so it was harder on me than I expected but I still did ok,” said Adri.
Running the Comrades is just as much a mental challenge as it is a physical challenge. “If you are mentally ready then you will be ok, but the thing is that a person will never know if they are ready until they start running. 15km into the race and you will usually know if it going to be a good day or a bad day,” explained Adri.
She is part of the Eskom Athletics Club. Neels also ran his 17th Comrades and finished in the 11th hour. He ran for Coaldust Road Runners Club.
Abie Smit, another well known runner in eMalahleni, dropped out of the race at kilometre 52 because he was feeling unwell.
The top three times from Eskom Athletics Club runners are as follows: Johannes Thukwane 07:26:23, Leon van Moerkerken 08:33:13, Amanda Ligthelm 08:35:13.
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