Bennie Roux completes astonishing “Comrades” in his yard in less than 12 hours
Only a week after running a standard marathon within 5 hours in his yard, Centurion's world-class trail runner completed the distance of the Comrades marathon (90km) on the same track around his house in less than 12 hours.
South Africa’s leading trail runner, Bennie Roux of Centurion, is a man who simply cannot resist a challenge.
Last week Rekord reported on Roux’s remarkable performance when – due to the national lockdown regulations that prevented him from following his normal training program – he ran the distance equivalent to a standard marathon on a measured track in his yard.
However, with more than two weeks of the national lockdown still ahead, Roux, true to his nature, has already started itching again for another challenge.
This opportunity came when some of his friends and family challenged him to try to run the distance of the Comrades marathon (90km) within one day on the track in his yard at home in Centurion.
Roux accepted the challenge on condition – he wanted to make the sacrifice worthwhile. This hitch was also quickly sorted out when, within a few days, he received offers from six sponsors who were willing to sponsor him at R50 per kilometre if he tackled the project for the benefit of the Con-Amore school for severely intellectually disabled children in Kempton Park.
So, it means that thanks to his sponsors BoutTime Event Management & Time Keeping, Rabie Street Engen in Centurion, Arrie Nel Wilgers Pharmacy, PSG Wealth, Alpha Pharm Reitz Pharmacy and another one who wants to remain anonymous, Roux eventually raised R27000 for the school.
Later, other donors also contributed and according to a very grateful Roux, the final donation to the school will be very close to R70 000.
With all the preparations to start this big ‘lockdown yard race’ on Saturday morning at 04:30 done, one last obstacle arose when Roux’s alarm went off and he heard pouring rain falling. He postponed his starting time with two hours, but eventually realized that he probably will have to tackle this project in rainy weather.
Because he is not a man who shies away from challenges and also did not want to disappoint anyone, he pushed through with the planned project on Saturday, though he could easily have postponed it if he wanted to, as the lockdown period would continue for two weeks.
Roux’s entire family assisted him throughout the day. His wife, Isabel, and three sons, Hugo (13), Ruben (11) and Zion (4) all took turns running a few laps with him, while otherwise taking care of moral and logistics support.
https://www.facebook.com/bennie.roux/videos/10158363842613784/
Just as athletes will do in the real Comrades Marathon, he sometimes stopped to eat and drink something, after which he would run again.
Even though it rained for long periods of the day in Centurion, Roux pushed through. Eventually, after about 360 laps of his 247m track through his garden, around his house and in the panhandle-driveway to the street, Roux completed this incredible project at dusk on Saturday evening.
Isabel and the boys were ready with a ribbon at the finish line and a medal for their hero, while the famous song Chariots of Fire – associated with the Comrades marathon – played in the background.
He monitored the entire race on his GPS watch and according to this technological tool he ran 10 hours and 29 minutes. But he finally finished the 90km distance in 11 hours and 55 minutes due to all the breaks during the day.
This means that with his remarkable effort Roux completed the distance in a time that would have earned him a Vic Clapham medal (sub 12 hours) at the real Comrades marathon.
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