“This is why we run Comrades”

THE 2015 Comrades Marathon will be run TODAY.

What motivates people to enter this behemoth of races and how do they cope with the preparation required? We asked four local Comrades’ runners why they tackle the gruelling race and about their training

Willie Shabalala

– What made you decide to run the Comrades?

I retired from running in 1993 as a track runner and focused on my family affairs. I had never even run a marathon. Deep down, I never recognised myself as an athlete, but in 2003, I decided to go back to running and started training for the Two Oceans and Comrades as a once-off. I was hooked after I finished my first one.

– How many times have you competed?

I have run eight already, but I never took it seriously until 2012, when I managed to complete the marathon in under eight hours.

– How do you manage the commitment and sacrifice to train and prepare for Comrades?

With self discipline and some encouragement from the family, especially my son and grandson who I always take to every fun run around Zululand. I would like to thank my company, Tronox, who have done a lot recently in athletics for my colleagues and I.

Trish Winterboer

– What made you decide to run the Comrades?

The thud of thousands of feet. People of all shapes and sizes, colours and creeds united in one objective – to complete the ‘ultimate human race’ – this is what motivated me. Watching the Comrades Marathon on television many, many times and admiring the ‘super humans’ who took on the daunting challenge of completing this +/- 90km race, I never dreamed that one day I would be standing on the starting line waiting for the cock to crow to set us on our way. I decided to run Comrades after seconding a whole group of my friends on their first Comrades. Watching the athletes go past on the route between Durban and Pietermaritzburg – some running, some walking and some shuffling, all fighting and overcoming their own personal difficulties – was inspirational to me. I wanted to take on the challenge – this was for me, it was 2005.

– How many times have you competed?

Ten consecutive Comrades Marathons later, many thousands of kilometres on the road (and trail for some extra fun and to gain strength), dozens of pairs of shoes, actual blood, sweat and tears and, my own bugbear, too many damaged and shed toenails. This is what I call ‘fun’ and it’s what I do. This year, God willing, I will be standing on the start line again in Durban, preparing to run ‘up’ to Pietermaritzburg and completing the race for the 11th time, proudly sporting my Green Number, a permanent number issued after completing 10 Comrades Marathons.

– How do you manage the commitment and sacrifice to train and prepare for Comrades?

Fortunately for me, I have the most amazing husband and friends. Bruce is the best second any runner could wish for. He is on the Comrades route, on the side of the road handing me chicken legs, sandwiches or anything else I may or may not wish for, enduring my sugar induced mood swings and just taking it for granted that he will see me at the finish line. I train in the early morning with my many running friends, leaving home at 4.15am and back again by 6am. They don’t all run competitively as I do, but they are there morning after morning encouraging me, listening to my moans and groans, staying by my side, ensuring that I get the training I require to enable me to compete in and complete my main race of the year – the Comrades Marathon.

Roy Singh

– What made you decide to run the Comrades?

When I began running 16 years ago it was purely as a means to keep fit . As I recall, a friend of mine was training for Comrades and invited me to join their Saturday morning club runs where almost everyone ran the big C. I guess from then on it became my goal to train hard enough to be able to complete the race.

– How many times have you competed?

I have competed 12 times.

– How do you manage the commitment and sacrifice to train and prepare for Comrades?

It is quite difficult to juggle a family life; work commitments and long distance running, however, if you have a passion you always find a way to manage to get it right.

Desiree Verwey

– What made you decide to run the Comrades?

I have watched Comrades for many years, and seeing the joy on the runners’ faces as they enter the stadium and cross the finish line, I wanted to experience that exact same feeling. For many years I kept saying to myself that next year is the year that I am going to do Comrades but then the year would come and go, until I met my current training partner, Camilla. We motivated and challenged each other to enter Comrades in 2014.

– How many times have you competed?

I completed my first Comrades in 2014. And now I am hooked, so will be participating in my second Comrades this year, the ‘up run’.

– How do you manage the commitment and sacrifice to train and prepare for Comrades?

For me, the commitment is straightforward. Once I set myself a goal, I’m all in. I will do whatever it takes to conquer the goal I have set. The sacrifice is, however, a different story all together. Training for Comrades is all about time in your takkies and that is time away from work, family and friends. For the runner, the weight of the sacrifice is counter balanced by the reward of crossing off the mileage, crossing off the qualifying races to get one to the start of Comrades, getting to the start and if all goes according to plan, finishing the race. The biggest sacrifice is made by my family and friends, they don’t get the T-shirt or the finisher’s medal, but they are there, nonetheless, providing hugs, wiping tears and giving a hand up when I am down. So I don’t manage the sacrifice, I am just grateful that my family and friends, especially my husband and my mom make the sacrifice so that I can do what I love to do.

Read more about Desiree Verwey HERE 

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