It’s never too late to take on your first Comrades Marathon
Setting out her collection of marathon medals on the table, the 43-year-old Veronica Ngomane's eyes twinkle as she talks about her plans to compete in the Comrades Marathon next year.
LANGELOOP – Domestic worker Veronica Ngomane loves hitting the road and regularly jogs the 28 kilometres between her home in Langeloop and her family living near the Mlumati River in the Schoemansdal area as extra training over weekends.
Her goal is to compete in the Comrades Marathon next year but she needs sponsors to get her there. She aims to work hard to qualify for it in the coming months.
The athlete started running to lose weight in November 2015 and, once she started training on the main road, ran into a friend who told her about the annual Selati Marathon in Malalane. She completed her first 10 kilometres there in 2016 and the bug bit.
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Since then she’s competed in the marathon each year, as well as other local events such as the Halls Marathon near Mbombela, the Boulders Marathon in Kaapmuiden and the Ehlanzeni Sports Tourism Day at Mbombela Stadium.
Most recently, she competed in the Legogote Villagers’ annual marathon last month. She usually runs between 21 and 25 kilometres, depending on the distances on offer. With a smile, she said that she’s not lazy and likes people who can keep up with her running pace.
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To train, the domestic worker runs from Ngwenya Lodge to Umbhaba Estates at the Tenbosch turn-off every Tuesday after work. On Thursdays she runs from One Tree Hill to KaMhlushwa.
When asked about traffic on the route, she said she doesn’t mind it, that it actually helps her feel safer.
On Saturdays she does the weekly parkrun at Tonga and enjoys socialising with other runners.
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Ngomane explained that her new hobby has helped her get healthy and strong. She’d love to compete in more races but, as a domestic worker, lacks the funds to do so. She implored community members or businesses to consider sponsoring her and help her add more medals to her growing collection.
Her family is very supportive, and she said the eldest of her four children always wants to run with her, but he can’t keep up.
To help improve her skills, Ngomane aims to join the local running club, the Gijima Nkomazi Athletics Club, soon.
READ: Athletics club promotes fitness with spring run
She aims to compete in a 42-kilometre Comrades qualifier in November and is working on running longer distances in preparation for the ultra-marathon next year.
Anyone interested in assisting Ngomane can contact her on 072-968-0813.
