Local athletes commute on foot as preparation for Comrades Marathon
Brothers-in-law Lesiba Sethoga and Raymond Ndzo are preparing for the Comrades Marathon, after a combined 25 years of training through commuting to and from work.
With the Comrades Marathon on the doorstep, runners are gearing up and training for the prestigious race. With most athlete’s training before and after work, as well as over weekends, Lesiba Sethoga, and his brother-in-law Raymond Ndzo, have a slightly different schedule. They train by running to work, to their children’s school, and back home again, and have been doing so for over two decades.
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Sethoga, a 45year-old from Bromhof, first took up running to improve his health. In 2011, he combined this new habit with a practical goal: Commuting to work on foot and by bike to save money while building a home for his parents in Limpopo.
He explained that training and commuting at the same time has worked well. “It helped me build my endurance, strength, and speed overtime. As a result, I improved my performance in marathons, including the Comrades.”
He was able to achieve a personal best of 03:25:00 in a marathon in 2023, and 08:44:00 at the 2023 Comrades Marathon as a result of his consistency and discipline.
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Sethoga had low blood pressure, and other health concerns, before he took up running, but he has been perfectly healthy since starting. “Being fit and healthy has enabled me to think, reflect, plan, and work harder than ever before. Importantly, completing marathons and ultramarathons, such as the Comrades, inspires me to achieve greater goals in life. I have also been blessed to run in Munich and Barcelona at Allianz Sports in 2018 and 2022.”
He added that his goal for this year’s Comrades is to better his personal best time. “Training was tough this year, as it took a while to recover from runner’s knee. So, I will be very pleased if I achieve this goal.”
Ndzo, from Randpark Ridge, began running in 2014, and has consistently commuted by foot between Randpark and Braamfontein.
Together, Sethoga and Ndzo have trained through the streets of Johannesburg for over 25 combined years. Their daily commutes have turned into a training programme shaped by traffic lights, stop signs, yield signs, hills, and purpose.
Ndzo stated that the intense training has also helped him improve his finish times for marathon and ultra-marathon races. “I also used to have issues with cramps during races, but through intense training, that is no longer a problem. Running gave me my health back. It gave me space to think about faith, purpose, family, career, and the future.”
The duo plans to run their 10th and 7th Comrades, respectively, on June 8.
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