Keenan is chasing Comrades glory

Keenan Buys, a passionate runner with a remarkable journey, is gearing up to compete in the prestigious Comrades Marathon this year, and has moved from batch H to C at the starting line.

The Comrades Marathon Association recently announced a change for this year’s race with the introduction of two race starts. The first wave of runners will begin at 05h45, followed by the second wave 15 minutes later at 06:00, and Keenan, being in batch C, is excited to be starting in the first wave of runners.

“When I joined the Roodepoort Athletics Club, my qualifying time put me in batch F. With the help of my club, I’ve been able to improve that to start to batch C,” he shared.

Keenan’s running journey began on May 31, 1989, when he took his first step while his parents watched the Comrades Marathon. Inspired by his father’s commitment to fitness, Keenan often joined his dad on warm-up laps around the block, and this early exposure to his future sporting successes, including representing Gauteng in swimming and other activities, occurred during his school years.

“Since then, running has stayed my preferred way of keeping fit. My family has always encouraged the idea of my attempting Comrades, but I always put it off.

“We lost my dad in 2018, and running helped me cope. During that period, I decided to enter a marathon in honour of my dad’s memory. In 2019, I was able to complete my first attempt, and I qualified for Comrades.

“In 2022 and 2023, I qualified again, but having struggled through them, I was afraid of the Comrades. Last year, I went for an emergency operation. It just so happened to be the week of the Comrades. I was lying in the hospital bed on the Sunday morning, watching it on TV, and it hit me. I knew immediately I’d be running the Comrades 2025,” he reflected.

For Keenan, this achievement signified not just personal growth but also a well-prepared entry into the race. He is eagerly looking forward to his ultramarathon at the end of April and is determined to achieve a sub-nine-hour finish at the Comrades.

“As a novice, it’s something to be proud of because it shows I’m coming into the race well prepared and the hard work I’m putting in with the club is paying off.”

To aspiring long-distance runners, Keenan says, “Start small and gradually increase the distance. There’s plenty of information on nutrition and injury prevention. Remember, pain is temporary, but the medal is forever.”