THIS year is a proud moment for Durban North resident Duane Taylor as he will be running the Comrades Marathon in his prestigious Green Number for the first time.

Athletes who have won the Comrades Marathon three times, or won five gold medals or completed the Comrades 10 times, get a permanent Green Number (which is theirs in perpetuity).

It is an exclusive band of runners who have experienced a special relationship with this great race and the Faku Chiefs Athletics Club member is no different.

Duane has in the past run alongside his brother Jody, who has completed 13 Comrades Marathons, but this year the 42-year-old is taking a relaxed approach.

Training approach different this year

“This year I want to run without any pressure. Training hasn’t gone as well as previous years. It has been a bit tough for me this year, we don’t have a training crew from Faku Chiefs (Durban) that we normally train with and my boet is in Cape Town. I have done a lot of training on my own. I know normally there is a bit of banter and sibling rivalry between me and Jody but this year I’m taking a relaxed approach.

“He may give it some hammer and tongs. The big thing for me is running in my permanent Green Number. I wasn’t going to run this year but I got bored after completing the Dusi Canoe Marathon so I laced up my running shoes. The Comrades Marathon is a great day out for athletes, it’s the challenge for me,” he said.

The father of two young boys said he has been juggling work and family life but he has also made use of his sons’ rugby fixtures.

“School commitments are always in the forefront for me so I’ve been using the last couple of weekends to run to the venues where they play club rugby. I’ll take my kit with me and run to their rugby events. Last weekend one of my sons was playing in Pietermaritzburg and I ran from Cato Ridge to the club they were playing at. It was about 35km out from the finish. Another time I ran from 45th Cutting to Inchanga to watch them play,” he said.

Wife has my back

An important tradition of the Comrades Marathon is that of a seconder.

It’s best summed up as a supporter, friend, or family member who provides runners with physical, nutritional, and emotional support along the 80+km route.

“My wife Jo and my sons will be out on the route and they always lift me when I see them. My boys egg me on and make sure I’m not dropping off on the pace. My wife has seconded us in all our races since my mother and father’s passing. She is a tough cookie and she makes sure I’m not complaining or slowing down, she makes sure I get to the finish line.

“Seconding is really hard. I’ve done it before and honestly it can be really stressful for whoever is your seconder for the race. They have to get to specific points on the route ahead of you and sometimes with all the pressures you can end up missing each other. But Jo pushes along and always makes sure she is there when I need her with my nutritional needs and emotional support,” he said.

Remembering my mother

Duane, who lost his mother Des to cancer in 2013, says the run up Polly Shortts, a steep, notorious 1.8km hill, is always an emotional one as the PinkDrive have their table stationed there.

“I always see the PinkDrive table and it brings back good memories. My brother and I would do the Dusi Canoe Marathon and the Comrades in support of the charity. We know why we are doing it and seeing that table reminds me of why I’m there. It’s a stark reminder because while it’s a challenge going up Polly Shortts, it is nothing compared to the fight from cancer survivors. I also write both my mother’s and father’s names on my shoes which is a reminder of them when I’m running. They supported us at every single race we did and this is my way of honouring them,” he said.

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