Comrades, here we come

ATHLETICS NEWS - The Nedbank Running Club SWD is ready for the 2022 Comrades Marathon that will take place on 28 August. The race was last run in 2019 and this year it will be a down run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban.

Danie Raubenheimer of Nedbank Running Club George said there are 33 members in the team. Six Nedbank runners are novices and hope to finish their first Comrades Marathon – Edwin Laing, Kevi Levin, Samauel Mandlazi, Eleen Thompson, Daniel Stevens and Wynand Pretorius.

Bean du Plessis, Gerald Jantjies, Melvin Koopman, Lorenzo le Roux, Thembalethu Mona and Cecilia Nel are all running their second Comrades.

Liezl Botha, Kaleo Fourie, Diana Mouton and Johann Visser each has three medals. Nerida Lubbe and Annelie Kruger are on four medals while Francis Visser, Joan van Wyngaard and Pieter Prince hope to add to their six medals.

Elmien Nel is currently on seven Comrades medals and hopes to add another Bill Rowan medal to her tally.

Three runners, Eric Nangu, Benton Summers and Kim Roberts, are going for their 10th run which will earn them a permanent number. Eric Nangu hopes to run under nine hours for another Bill Rowan medal and with the previous nine runs he ran under nine hours.

Marali Olen has 13 medals, Una Saayman has 16 medals, Alison Jordaan 17 medals and Elsabe de Klerk 24.

Eddie Mouton has 25 medals and hopes to achieve another silver medal. Selwyn Losper is going for his 32nd Comrades medal. He already has 18 silver medals.

Kleintjie van Schalkwyk is currently the woman with the most Comrades medals of all woman Comrades runners and hopes to add another medal to her 34.

Raubenheimer said the team members are excited and looking forward to the race. They will depart at different times for Natal. The first members from the Southern Cape will depart on 24 August.

Back from left: Eddie Mouton, Bevan du Plessis, Daniel Stevens, Thembalethu Mona, Jacque Fourie, Lorenzo le Roux and Wynand Pretorius. Middle: Selwyn Losper, Erick Nangu, Diana Mouton, Joan van Wyngaard, Elmien Nel, Alison Jordaan, Kleintjie van Schalkwyk, Melvin Koopman, Anneli Kruger and Cecilia Nel.
Front: Nerida Lubbe, Marali Olen, Samuel Mandlazi, Kim Roberts, Francis Visser, Kaleo Fourie and Liezl Botha.