Club bids their Comrades runners best of luck with send-off braai

Roodepoort Athletics Club wish all their Comrades Marathon athletes good luck with the down run.

June 10, 2023

Chanté Bolton 1 minute read

The 28 Comrades runners from the Roodepoort Athletics Club. Photo: Supplied.

Roodepoort Athletics Club held a send-off braai, on June 4, as well as a pasta evening for all the runners going to the Comrades Marathon.

Vincent Meyer, Nita and Wessel Kriel with Hennie Grundling. Photo: Chanté Bolton.

“Every year the Roodepoort Athletic Club hosts a Comrades Send Off Braai, it’s a tradition where family and friends gather and bid their Comrades athletes the best of luck and share a story or two, for motivational purposes, while chilling and braaiing a piece of meat. It is a family social event, whether it be your first or your 10th race,” said Conrad de Buys, from the club.

The four novice runners with the club president, Lebogang Gaaje, Sherwin Julius, Jan Kemp, Tahepo Motsie and Ronald Hlongwane. Photo: Supplied.

He added of the 28 runners taking part this year, four are novices. Sherwin Julius, Lebogang Gaaje, Tshepo Motsie, and Ronald Hlongwane are running their first Comrades Marathon and Isaac Lekholoane is doing his 10th.

They also had a pasta evening on the following Wednesday.

“The club prepares a chicken pasta dish and sells to its members at a reasonable price, as a fundraiser. The evening opens with a prayer and various experienced athletes add a vote of confidence to all the newbies [novices] as well as a word or two from the chairperson, president and the road captain,” explained Conrad.