Cancer survivor ready for Comrades
Edward Kodisang was diagnosed with colon cancer but that didn't stop him from running,
Daveyton Hearts’ elite runner Edward Kodisang will run his first Comrades Marathon on June 11 following a four-year battle with cancer.
A veteran of six Comrades with four Bill Rowan and two bronze medals, Kodisang had to pack away his running shoes after being diagnosed with colon cancer.
But he couldn’t stay away from the thrill and excitement of long-distance running for too long, often texting his Daveyton Hearts comrades that he missed the cheers and sounds of footsteps on the road.
“I missed running so much but I had challenges,” he said.
With a colostomy bag attached to his waist and after frequent walks which later turned into short runs around the neighbourhood, the ultra-marathoner took his first challenge in the Vosloorus Half-Marathon, completing the 10km race.
Although the challenge taxed his frail body, Kodisang realised he still had the strength to run and so he took part in more events throughout his battle with cancer.
“The more I ran, I realised my system worked quickly. I drained twice on the road in one of my training sessions, meaning my system worked well when I ran.”
After his second operation, his colostomy was reversed and he began training for the 21.1km, which prepared him well for his first post-recovery marathon.
“My first ultra after my recovery was last year. My personal best in the ultras is around 3:30 but I completed the race in over four hours just to feel how strong I was.
“This year in the Irene Running Festival, I did well and training has been fantastic,” he said.
Inspired by the race’s stalwarts like Vincent Rakabaele, Hoseah Tjale and Sam Tshabalala, who inspired masses of South Africans in the 1970s and 1980s, Kodisang is ready for his seventh Comrades.
“The name says it all. It’s the ultimate human race. You go beyond your limits when you run the Comrades.
“I’ve told my chairperson I wish they could say we are running today. I want to inspire people that although you are ill or have just recovered, there are still possibilities to reach.”
A Bill Rowan specialist with a personal milestone of 08:31:39 achieved in the 2017 up-run, Kodisang has accepted her chairperson, Dikeledi Nhlapo’s challenge of bringing home a silver medal from the world’s oldest and largest ultra-marathon.
Kodisang is an inspiration to Nhlapo, who still runs despite a biliary drainage bag wrapped around her waist due to a gallbladder condition.
“You can’t stay at home doing nothing. Go out there and be around people. This helps you to forget about your illness and you heal quickly. The more active you are, the more you help your body to recover,” said Kodisang.
As the day of reckoning draws closer and the excitement of the race first ran in 1921 in honour of World War One heroes gather speed, Kodisang looks back with relief and is thankful for what the sport has done for him.
“Running saved my life,” he said.
Also Read: Finishing Comrades is the best thing that can happen to you
Also Read: WIN a copy of “In Your Stride, 100 Years of the Comrades Marathon, 1921 – 2021”
