Up, up … and it’s over for South Coast runners at Comrades Marathon 2017
As expected, it was a day of toil, travail and triumph.
COMRADES 2017 has come and gone and our local runners certainly provided some of the highlights.
For a start, most sane people think that those who run this race are bordering on insane. This year it was the up run, from Durban to Pietermaritzburg.
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We probably shouldn’t tell them about South Coast Strider novice Lionel Berridge, who ran it barefooted.
He’s too young to have watched middle distance track athlete Zola Budd, who was famous for running barefooted against the world’s best athletes.
He completed the race in 10:32. “I know the economy is bad but maybe I am taking it a bit far!” he laughed.
Deborah Berridge was the first South Coast woman to finish, in a time of 9:47.
Striders chairman Freek Stander was one of those who retired at 74km due to injury.
“The last 9km of Comrades was by far the hardest. I almost died sitting in the rescue bus watching the guy in the front seat drinking a beer!”
Another novice, Lenard du Toit zipped home in a sub 10 hour.
“Thank you to the Striders for all the support on race day as well as the months leading up to the Comrades,” he said.
Silver medalists Siyabonga Xolo and Goodman Nqayi could not be reached for comment as they were out training for Comrades 2018.
At the other end of the spectrum, seasoned runner Raymond Gaze comfortably completed his 20th, quite an achievement.
Luke Brauteseth has achieved a notable double, adding Comrades to his Dusi Canoe Marathon finish earlier this year, something he did in a K3 ‘barge’ with Warren Fairbrother and Donovan Currie in one of the Dusi’s driest years to date.
RESULTS
South Coast Striders:
1 Siyabonga Xolo 7:25
2 Goodman Nqayi 7:29
3 Vusumuzi Ngidi 8:09
4 Weston Mvunguse 8:50
5 Maxwell Mpiti 9:07
6 Brother Moyo 9:17
7 Deborah Berridge 9:47
8 Lenard du Toit 9:57
9 Vusi Vezi 9:58
10 Isak Ludick 10:27
11 Lionel Berridge 10:32
12 Christopher Mortimer 10:44
13 Mark Dunstone 10:46
14 Gary Dunstone 10:46
15 Wiseman Ncane 10:47
16 Zandile Dunywa 10:53
17 Nolwazi Mqulwana 10:53
18 Xolani Dlangalala 10:58
19 Nkosinathi Shonga 11:10
20 Raymond Gaze 11:12
21 Donnovan Mulder 11:19
22 Lennox Mtengwane 11:19
23 Daniel van Niekerk 11:33
24 Martin Venter 11:38
25 Fikile Mkutyukelwa 11:41
26 Senzeni Ncane 11:45
27 Riaan van der Wath 11:47
28 Eldo Marais 11:48
29 Stephen Lattin 11:48
30 Zwelitsha Gono 11:49
31 Maxwell Mkhize 11:51
32 Gary Lennon 11:55
33 Lindelani Itabor 11:55
34 Anton Rossouw 11:56
35 JC Erasmus 11:58
DID NOT FINISH:
36 Ziyanda Mkuzo
37 Freek Stander
38 George Cele
39 Sue Ann Perry
40 Marcel Luther
Ugu Athletics Club:
1 Timothy Shangase 8:08
2 Siphiwe Jula 8:58
3 Mthokozisi Cele 9:08
4 Gona Perumal 9:51
5 Luke Brauteseth 10:46
6 Bhoni Brian 11:06
7 Innocent Thusi 11:19
8 Yoganathan Appanna 11:43
9 Ivan Govender 11:52
10 Morgan Moodley 11:53
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