Three from RandMark complete this year’s virtual Comrades
South African runners, including three from RandMark, and others from around the world inspired hope in their villages, towns and cities by participating in the Comrades Centenary Hope Challenge.
Three RandMark runners were among 12 811 South Africans to take on the Comrades Centenary Hope Challenge on June 13.
When entries closed for the Comrades Marathon Association’s (CMA) second virtual event, dubbed the #HopeChallenge, a total of 14 484 entrants from just about every continent had signed up to be a part of it.
Runners could choose to run 10km; 21,1km; 45km; or 90km, and RandMark’s Karin Bezuidenhout, Butch Grobbelaar and Hendrik Naudè opted to complete the 21,1km.
Karin, the stand-in spokesperson for running at RandMark said with the virtual race runners could run wherever they wanted and decide on the difficulty of their route, with their time and distance being tracked by an app or their smart watches.
The RandMark members started running at 08:30 and it took them two hours and 45 minutes to finish the distance.
For Karin, who is still recovering from an Achilles injury, the race was tough.
Closer to the end I started to wonder how I would get back to Randfontein because of my injury. We ran on the Krugersdorp Road to Dirt Bronco and back, but I pulled through,” Karin said.
For Hendrik, the virtual Comrades was as easy as pie, as he runs two to three times a week. Karin on the other hand explained she has not been running due to injury and only cycled indoors, so she knew tackling 21,1km on the road was not going to be easy.
According to Karin, because everyone ran their own route and some might have done more difficult routes than others, there were no placements, but they will be receiving medals and a shirt soon for having completed the race.
Butch added, “Nothing compares to the vibe and high of the Comrades start, support on the way and the finish. It is so sad that many potential Comrades runners may never experience it, but this one was also very special to us.
We did it with friends for charity and in memory of those who went before us. Clive Crawly’s wife Trish commemorated his first year of passing on.”
Anyone who would like to join RandMark can contact Karin Bezuidenhout on 084 500 0522.
WHAT THE ORGANISERS HAD TO SAY
CMA chairperson Cheryl Winn thanked South Africans and the world at large for supporting what has been The Ultimate Virtual Race, making it an all-round inclusive running affair attracting runners, their families, friends and even their pets to be part of the virtual event.
Runners showcased the camaraderie, triumph and hope of the human spirit in yesterday’s virtual event, especially in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and the social-distancing directives issued by governments around the world.
“We had planned to make the 100th year of the Comrades Marathon that much more fun, inclusive and memorable, but Covid-19 certainly precluded a lot of the festivities from taking place. However, we are extremely grateful that this year’s second virtual event had resonated so strongly with the running community all over the world that so many participants dared to hope with us and be part of the Comrades Centenary Hope Challenge.”
