Latest news with #30thComradesMarathon
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
309 Lowvelders set to take on 2025 Comrades Marathon
So, your running friends seem to have gone missing. They're out late, they're eating and drinking less, and they seem to be even less sane than normal. Well if you guessed that it's Comrades Marathon time again, you'd be correct. As is Lowveld tradition, Nelspruit Marathon Club held their annual Comrades Breakfast Run on May 31. Runners enjoyed their choice of a 5km, 10km or 20km run out on the ring road, starting at Mbombela Stadium. No official winners are recorded and instead everyone runs together socially to enjoy a last run before the ultimate running test. This Sunday, tens of thousands of runners from around the world will flock to KZN to lace up their running shoes and take on the world's largest and oldest ultramarathon. The 2025 edition will be a down run, with the race starting in Pietermaritzburg and ending in Durban, an 89km route. It won't be any regular race this year either, as the 24 000 entrants who have put themselves down for the ultimate human race will make up the largest field for a down run in the history of the Comrades. This makes every participating Lowvelder a special part of Comrades history. Not only will every participating Lowvelder have a slice of the historical pie, but a good number will be aiming for personal milestones, too. Perhaps most significantly are Johannes Nyalunga of Ngodwana Marathon Club and Calvin Khoza of the Legogote Villagers who will both be running their 30th Comrades Marathon this year. There are also three runners, all from Nedbank LVCC Running Club, who are shooting for their green number. Adele Smit, Joshua Sibiya and Joseph Khoza will all be running their 10th Comrades Marathon come Sunday. Deon Cronje, also of Nedbank LVCC, is running his 25th Comrades while Chris Schutte is making his debut aiming for a silver sub-seven hour time. The Legogote Villagers' cohort will feature six novices this year, as well as Melusi and Delisiwe Mbatha who will face the ultimate test of their relationship – running the Comrades together. Johnson Mamba, who started running two years ago at the age of 60, will be making his Comrades debut as the only runner from KaNyamazane Marathon Club taking part. Bella's Athletics Club will have the largest field of Lowveld runners on Sunday as no fewer than 72 have entered the race. Of the 309 Lowvelders taking part, 216 are men and 93 are women. The largest age group is the men 40+ with 77 runners, and the largest women's age group is the senior group with 39. While the Comrades on any normal day is a serious test, this weekend will be exponentially tougher as some frigid temperatures are expected. According to Snow Report SA, there is snowfall possible in eight of the country's nine provinces this weekend. With snow expected in KZN from Monday, they predict Comrades Sunday will be very chilly indeed. Regardless, this event will bring out the best in all runners taking part, and Lowvelder wishes all the local runners the best in their pursuit of Comrades glory! > Photos: Blake Linder At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
IOL News
5 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Tuks doctor aims for historic 30th Comrades Marathon finish
MILESTONE HUNTING Llewelyn Curlewis, a University of Pretoria doctor, aims to complete his historic 30th Comrades Marathon, as he highlights the mental and physical challenges of the race. Seen here: Curlewis during his prime. Picture supplied. Age and injury have not stopped the Tuks runner from lining up each year for the historic race in KwaZulu-Natal between Pietermaritzburg and Durban. Back in the mid-90s, Curlewis laced up to take on his first Comrades and he has not looked back since. One such tale is that of Llewelyn Curlewis. The University of Pretoria (Tuks) doctor in the Procedural Law Department, will be hoping to finish his 30th Comrades. While names like Gerda Steyn and Piet Wiersma will likely steal the headlines at the Comrades Marathon on Sunday, there are thousands more unique stories waiting to be told. The mental and physical challenges of the Comrades Marathon "I've never been able to say no to a good adventure. That's just my personality,' said Curlewis. 'My first Comrades was exactly 30 years ago. For me, there really is little or no difference between the so-called "up" or "down" races. What most people don't realise is that every uphill climb has a corresponding downhill in the opposite direction. The place is not known as the Valley of 1,000 Hills for nothing. But yeah, I prefer an 'up' because of the challenge.' While many will see running close to 90 kilometres as a purely physical endeavour, Curlewis explained why it's just as much of a mental challenge. "The Comrades is as much a mental torture as an endurance race. You need a strong body and a strong head. Whatever you do, do it moving forward. Even if it's just a short walk, remember to drink water. I once heard someone say a long time ago that 'nothing is impossible until you are you know what, today is a good day to die trying at least'." Back in his prime, Curlewis managed a personal best time of seven hours and three minutes. These days, his goals have shifted due to the passing years. "The time when I was capable of such times is unfortunately over. Getting older is not for sissies. Sunday, the goal is to finish under 10 hours.' Ultimately though, Curlewis said running is a great activity for the masses. "It doesn't matter if you're young or old, whether you're an aspiring Olympic athlete or just doing it for the nice cold beer afterwards, do it. Running has a way of making you forget about all the other worries of life. It's the one sport where everyone is equal. Regardless of who or what you think you are or where you come from. There's a distance to suit everyone's ability. It can be done almost every day, and sweating has never hurt anyone." @Michael_Sherman IOL Sport
