IT is a telling fact that only 163 runners older than 70 have finished the Comrades Marathon since 1984. Looking to break that mould along with a healthy dose of sibling rivalry are local Comrades veterans Tony (71) and Mike Evered-Hall (72). The brothers have only run the 90km race together three times with the last time being 2005.

There’s a mischievous glint in Tony Evered-Hall’s eyes when he says he draws great confidence from his brother, Mike, who will be running alongside him in this year’s Comrades Marathon, ‘just as long as I beat him’.

“My goal was to run the race in my 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and now 70s. I entered last year and for the first time ever, I bailed at Umlaas Road, just 20km from the finish. It was an extremely tough decision to make. My mind was fighting every part of my body which was shutting down,” he said.

Tony though disappointed by his decision to retire so close in the end, said it has only made him more determined to finish this year’s race. The added bonus of having his brother Mike alongside him has only spurred him on.

“He won’t let me retire,” he laughed. “Both Mike and I qualified in the same race and it’s a wonderful feeling to be running with someone every bit of determined as you are. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner than my brother.”

His brother Mike, who is running his first Comrades marathon since 2006 and 21st overall said his preparations for the race have been hampered by a hamstring injury.

“Ideally I would have liked three or four more months but that’s life,” he said succinctly. “We’ve decided to run the in stages and take it from there. I’m a little apprehensive but having Tony alongside me is all the motivation I need. Not many brothers get the chance to run the Comrades in their 70s,” Mike said.

One thing the brothers unanimously agree on is that the camaraderie and spirit of the marathon is unrivalled in any other sporting code. “The race really captures the imagination of the nation and to be part of an 18 000 strong field of runners makes that fact even more special,” Mike said.

Evered-Hall stats

Tony: 13 Dusi Canoe marathons and 23 Comrades marathons. Permanent number 3091

Mike: 3 Dusi Canoe marathons and 20 Comrades marathons. Permanent number 1514

The pair placed 15th in the 1974 Dusi race.

The duo who are both in the 70+ age category only make up 0.38% of the 18 000 field.

Comrades: How it started

The race was the idea of World War I veteran Vic Clapham, to commemorate the South African soldiers killed during the war. Clapham, who had endured a 2,700-kilometre route march through sweltering German East Africa, wanted the memorial to be a unique test of the physical endurance of the entrants. The constitution of the race states that one of its primary aims is to “celebrate mankind’s spirit over adversity”.