Comrades has taught me lessons about running and life

MY COMRADES MARATHON journey has been life-changing and unforgettable. You see, I was never a serous runner, so it is incredible that come Sunday I will be lining up for my third race.

Of course I was active at the gym and I ran 10km races now and then.

But having a brother (Sibonelo) who ran The Ultimate Human Race regularly it was only a matter of time before I took the plunge.

And I did back in 2015 when he was going for his seventh race.

After completing my first half marathon at the 2014 Mandela Marathon, I woke up the very next day to enter the 2015 Comrades. It was the opening day of registration and I happened to be the first person to enter the 90th edition of this incredible event.

The first receipt was offered to me, a novice. I felt lucky and excited.

But that excitement soon died as, two months later, I was ordered to stop running. I’d sustained an injury and had to take a rest from races.

Naturally, doubts started creeping in and I considered giving up. I thought maybe this Comrades thing was just not for me.

Girl am I glad I didn’t give up! I started training in December and in February I ran my first marathon, completed in just over four hours to qualify for Comrades. A fortnight later I managed to qualify for D Batch.

A friend made me aware I could do more with my maiden Comrades by running for one of Comrades’ AMABEADIBEADI charities.

Also, the idea of running for a purpose, and making my first Comrades meaningful, appealed to me. It sounded right that I was not going to run just for me but for those in need too.

As if that was not enough, I was chosen as the “Inspirational Runner for Old Mutual” and thus part of their radio and social media campaigns in the build-up to the race.

What a blessing! What an experience. That made both my first and second Comrades an amazing experience.

When I crossed the finish line at Pietermaritzburg, in 2015 after 10 hours and 12 minutes of toil in which I came across some amazingly beautiful people whose encouragement kept me going, my life literally flashed in front of me.

From the time I had entered this great race, overcoming the obstacles and challenges, the 89km I had to conquer on my own two feet from start to finish, it all came back. And the emotions and recollections overwhelmed me I just couldn’t hold back the tears – and those were tears of joy.

Comrades has taught me so many lessons, not just about running but about life itself. I am now a person who aspires to be even better for my family, my friends and my community and to do great things because finishing Comrades made me great. It really brought out greatness within me.

I still run for the Community Chest Charity and as their Ambassador, I’ve decided to make this year’s race about bringing awareness of the importance of running for a course and the importance of giving back.

My goal and passion is to motivate people, especially women, to start running and one day run the Comrades Marathon. I believe we can all inspire and motivate others with our God-given talents and our courage.

Nontuthuko Mashimane is a nutritionist based in Pietermaritzburg and a Community Chest Ambassador.