THE Northglen News’ Zoe Buchan will be tackling her 12th Comrades Marathon this Sunday. The uMgeni Park resident and popular Northglen News sales representative ran her first Comrades in 1985 and has decided to do this year’s race for the love of running.

“I’m not even wearing a watch, I’m running it for the fun,” said the Savages Running Club member. With the permanent number, 4216, Buchan said she is looking forward to the challenge.

“I’ve been training very hard, especially on the weekends. Our club also attempted a route check earlier this year, but it was so hot that it was very hard to run in. So we started in Pietermaritzburg and ended the run at Kearsney College. It looks like it will be cooler so it will work out in favour of all those taking part,” she said.

On whether she was nervous she said: “Nahhhh, I’m well prepared.” We asked what plans she had made for the gruelling journey.

“I take a plastic bank bag and fold tissues into it. A friend of mine will have roast potatoes for me in Hillcrest. Then I will have a Bar One chocolate in Kloof and beer in Pinetown. But before I leave I will eat breakfast and on my way to the race, I will eat an energy bar.”

With her colleagues rooting for her, Buchan said her best time was seven hours and 58 minutes. And on what time she anticipated she would finish the race this year she smiled and said: “Oh I don’t know, I’ll see, because I am not wearing a watch, it won’t really matter to me.”