As the Comrades Marathon approaches (June 14), the Sunday Crew Health and Fitness Club gathered for a special breakfast send-off on May 29 to honour the athletes who will proudly represent the club in the iconic ultra-distance race.

As part of the send-off, the club and community members took part in a 12km race.

Speaking to the African Reporter, the club’s chairperson, Mojalefa Mojafela, said the event was designed to bridge the gap between runners and the community that supports them throughout the year.

“People often see us returning with medals, but they do not know where it starts. We wanted the community to understand the work and preparation that goes into running the Comrades Marathon and to come and wish us well,” he added.

He described the Comrades Marathon as the ultimate race, requiring months of dedication, discipline and training.

The club will be represented by about 20 runners in this year’s Comrades Marathon, including novices.

For the club, seeing members participate in the prestigious race year after year is a sign of growth and consistency.

“Our objective is to see beginners who have never run a marathon before progress and eventually conquer the Comrades Marathon and come back with a medal,” said Mojalefa.

Now in its fifth year, the club continues to encourage new runners to challenge themselves and achieve their goals.

The chairperson highlighted the club’s structured training programmes as a key factor in preparing runners for major races.

Training sessions are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the week, while long-distance runs take place on weekends.

“These programmes prepare runners to participate in any marathon and ensure they are ready for the demands of races such as Comrades,” explained Mojalefa.

The event also served as a way for the club to thank community members for their continued support.

Sibusiso Mthembu, who is the club’s founder, will be making his eighth appearance in the Comrades.

Mthembu’s Comrades journey began in 2017 after years of watching the race on television.

“I used to watch Comrades on TV and see the buses coming in. Everybody was happy and enjoying themselves. That inspired me to start running,” he shared.

His passion for the race eventually led him to become an official Comrades pacesetter, commonly known as a bus driver.

This year, he will officially pace a sub-11-hour bus for the fourth time, helping runners achieve a coveted bronze medal finish.

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While he has previously paced sub-12-hour buses, Mthembu sees the move to the bronze medal bus as an opportunity to help more runners reach an important milestone.

“My personal goal is to bring as many runners as possible to the finish line with a bronze medal. Many runners dream of achieving that medal, and I want to help them get there,” he said.

According to Mthembu, preparations for this year’s race have gone smoothly, and runners are now in the tapering phase ahead of race day.

He highlighted that the runners in the club are well prepared and healthy. He added that the runners are ready and cannot wait for race day.

For aspiring runners hoping to one day conquer the marathon, Mthembu has a simple message.

“Commitment and consistency are key, and Comrades is not scary. All you need is to be committed and trust the process,” concluded Mthembu.

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