KNYSNA NEWS - Thirteen athletes from the Knysna Marathon Club and two from Sedgefield Striders will be lining up for this year's Comrades.
Leading the Knysna contingent is Wayne Kidd, who will be completing his 24th Comrades.
The other Knysna runners are Ryan Habib, Siphiwe Hlope, Gerhardt Janse van Rensburg, Danelle Kapp, Simbonile Nongco, Sibongile Nelo, Marlon Mortlock, Wendell McCallum, Tholinhlanhla Shabalala, Dewald van der Wath and Dewald Walters.
The two athletes from Sedgefield Striders are Grant Jantjies, who will be tackling his 10th Comrades, and Jean-Marie Eksteen, who is preparing for her second attempt at the world's largest and oldest ultramarathon.
Pasta evening in Sedgefield
Sedgefield Striders hosted its annual pasta evening last Saturday to honour and wish good luck to its two club athletes who will take on the iconic Comrades Marathon this coming Sunday, 14 June.
The gathering, hosted by Paul and Doortjie van der Spuy at their Sedgefield home, brought together runners, family members and supporters ahead of the gruelling 89km race between Pietermaritzburg and Durban.
Sedgefield Striders chairperson Alvin Witten said the pasta evening is becoming a cherished club tradition.
"It is an opportunity to acknowledge the dedication and commitment of those preparing to undertake the ultimate test of endurance, the Comrades ultramarathon," he said.
Guests contributed a variety of pasta dishes and salads as part of the traditional carbohydrate-loading meal favoured by long-distance runners in the final days before major races.
The evening also provided an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of other club members, including runners who recently completed the challenging Mountain Ultra-Trail (MUT) event.
Witten thanked the Van der Spuys for hosting the gathering, as well as everyone who contributed to making the evening a success.
"While running brings us together, it is the friendships, support and sense of community that keep us together," he said.
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