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Things
I learned Running Comrades
Kelly “K2” Richards
2009 Comrades Marathon
Bronze Medal Finisher
- Runners across the country or
across the ocean are fun, friendly people who frequently describe
themselves or their club as drinkers with a running problem.
- When one-person spontaneously
lifts up their voice to sing "Shosholoza" an old Zulu mining song, and
its title means, roughly, "Keep going. Move faster on those
mountains.” At the starting line thousands of others will join making a
sound so lovely it will bring you to tears even when you don’t
understand Zulu. South African runners break out in song or
chants throughout the entire race.
- A point-to-point race ran in
opposite directions every other year can actually be up-hill BOTH
ways.
- That if every single racer
around you is doing something such as walking with their arms up in the
air you should do it too, even if you don’t know why.
Eventually you’ll figure out they’re stretching and it feels good.
- Nothing beats running with your
best friend.
- South Africans are insane
runners! Some run Comrades year after year into the
decades! After the first time they actually know what they’re
in for and they still come back to run it again.
- To finish with dignity as
advised by Bruce Fordyce, the “Comrades King” and arguably the all-time
greatest Ultra Runner, you must run the whole race with
dignity. Motivation to do so can come from a child who will
never run but sits in his wheelchair and cheers wildly for those who
can. The most inspiring “high five” can come from a handless
boy holding his elbow out ready to make contact with a
runner.
- Crème Soda is green.
Sandwiches are called bread rolls. Oranges sprinkled with
salt taste like a slice of heaven.
- Cheers of well done, journey on
and run strong are more fun to hear than great job and the most common
lies we often hear while racing in the US - you’re almost there and
looking good.
- If I can dream it then I can
achieve it. No goal, no matter how outrageous is out of reach
as long as I’m willing to work hard and I have the support of all my
friends at RAW who make the journey worth the trip.
External
links: Official Comrades Marathon
website
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