Latest news with #TwoOceansMarathons
The Citizen
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Runner aims to finish Comrades Marathon in daytime
VINAY Lakhraj of Durban Athletic Club will be running his second Comrades Marathon this year. 'My second comrades, my first down run. I've been running for a total of three years. In that time, I have completed races successfully,' said Lakhraj. Apart from the Comrades, Lakhraj has completed two Two Oceans Marathons as well as the Cape Town Marathon twice. 'My father-in-law, Vis Padayachy, has a double green number in Comrades and has been a driving force in getting me to participate in the ultimate human race. 'However, my true inspiration is my wife and children. As a parent, I would like my children to see the sacrifice and hard work that goes into the preparation to conquer this challenge and for them to know that anything is possible with hard work and determination,' he added. Also read: 26 DUT staff, students, alumni to take on Comrades Marathon 'It's my second year running in support of the Community Chest. The Community Chest has done an excellent job in supporting early childhood development. If we can make a difference to one child's life, we can change the direction of society. Using the Comrades is an ideal time to create awareness for such a noble cause. My legacy that I can leave for my children is that I advocated to make a difference, and no matter who they are, they can make a difference too.' Lakhraj's diet and way of life are pretty simple. He believes that if one expects their body to perform at its best, one has to consume the best. 'A balanced diet, trying to keep it clean, with a cheat now and then.' Being a newcomer in the down run, his wish is to finish the race within the cut-off time, and even better would be to finish in the daytime. For more from Berea Mail, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
5 days ago
- General
- IOL News
Comrades Marathon athlete Marissa Groenewald - raising awareness for human trafficking - one skip at a time
Rope runner Marissa Groenewald will be skipping through the Comrades Marathon Image: Supplied Marissa Groenewald is bound to attract attention on Sunday when she skips her way to Durban from Pietermaritzburg during the Comrades Marathon. Groenewald, 41, from Hillcrest, known as the rope runner, will take on the gruelling 89.98km race while continuously skipping with her jump rope flicking the ground. This year marks the 98th edition of the Ultimate Human Race and is the 49th down run. She is making history while taking on this incredible feat for a cause that's close to her heart, Love Justice International. It is an organisation that is fighting against human trafficking. Love Justice specialises in transit monitoring, which means intercepting trafficking victims before they cross borders, bringing them back to safety and reuniting them with their families. "I witnessed the heartbreaking realities of human trafficking firsthand through my mother's work, where she dedicated herself to restoring dignity to women caught in trafficking in Asia. Her selfless work inspired me to use my platform to make a difference. "My goal is to raise R500 000, which will directly contribute to protecting lives from the horrors of human trafficking," she said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading While Groenewald attracts attention and stares from spectators, they will notice a QR code on a bib she will be wearing bearing the words Why Scan Here. The QR code will take people to the Love Justice International page to learn more about the cause and donate. "I have also started a crowdfunding page on Backabuddy," said the mother of two. Groenewald's taste of marathon rope running has been in the Cape Peninsula and the Two Oceans Marathons. "This is my third Comrades Marathon, but first time skipping and running. I will be starting at 5am with the wheelchair athletes. I get to lead the race for an hour at least before the rest of the athletes start. "I am just going for a finish and plan to reach the finish within 11 to 12 hours. Rope running is high intensity but significantly slower," she said. Groenewald took on skipping after suffering an injury about 18 months ago and was advised that a good way to keep fit was to skip. "I began running and skipping and after doing a kilometre I realised why no one else was doing it. You have to apply your mind and use your shoulders and back. Once I got my groove I grew in terms of distance and endurance. "I haven't hit anyone with my rope while running," she laughed. SUNDAY TRIBUNE
