Ronny Ndlovu completes the Comrades Marathon at 63
Run Alex Juniors coach Ronny Ndlovu dared to take on the gruelling 89.98 km Comrades Marathon and conquered it with perseverance.
At 63, most athletes would think twice about tackling the 89.98km Comrades Marathon, but Ronny Ndlovu, coach of the Run Alex Juniors, saw it as an opportunity to push his limits and inspire those who look up to him.
Even when his toes started to hurt at 30km and exhaustion hit with 9km left, he just kept on going, defying all odds to complete the race.
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“The motivation was to challenge oneself. In terms of sports in general. So, I just found that the Comrades Marathon is one thing that can motivate me, and make me want to challenge myself to see just how far I can go.”
Ndlovu noted that running the Comrades extended beyond personal ambition; he was representing more than himself, he was representing his family, and his community. Even more, as a running coach, he had to lead by example. “You cannot give excuses such as ‘I struggled with an injury, so I decided to quit. That does not serve as a good motivation to those who look up to you. You must push and finish what you started.”
Despite his age, he refuses to let it be a limitation. “Age is not a factor. If I do the necessary preparation, running 60km twice, 42km four times, and a single 50km, I am ready. Even if I were not running the Comrades, I would still train because it is my lifestyle.”
He completed the marathon in about 10 hours and said the last stretch was brutal. “The last 9km were difficult. My toes were sore, and I wanted to finish, but I could not even see the finish line. I had hoped to finish in nine hours, but after 30 km, I adjusted my goal, and still finished about an hour and 30 minutes before the cut-off.”
He stated that for him, the marathon was more than a race but a lesson in grit and perseverance. “Once you reach 79km, you just want that medal. You keep pushing, and even when your mind tells you to walk, you refuse.”
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