Race dedicated to Aids centre
A FIRST-time Comrades Marathon entrant will be wearing an Aids ribbon when he makes the down run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban on Sunday.
Ryan Blamire, 31, will be running for himself and the Hillcrest Aids Centre Trust, a multifaceted non-profit organisation that serves those impacted by HIV/Aids.
Blamire said he was dedicating his race to the centre because he had been running with Beloved Long Runs, an informal group that hosts runs all over KwaZuluNatal.
“The group does a lot of work with the centre and I have seen what they do with and for the children,” he said.
The Westville resident said runners participating for the centre would carry a flag for part of the distance.
He also encouraged communities to donate to the cause through the Comrades website.
The category manager at Toys R Us South Africa said he decided last year to participate in the Comrades.
“I watched from the sidelines and I loved seeing the spirit and camaraderie during the marathon.
“That’s when I told myself that next year I’ll be running. I couldn’t help but imagine the feeling of reaching that finish line, and now it’s time to turn that dream into a reality,” he said.
Blamire started training in October, but things became more intense at the end of December.
He plans to run the race on his own, at his own pace, and not with his friends who have run the Comrades before.
“My mom lives in Johannesburg, but she will fly down to support me. My fiancée will also be there, as well as my colleagues,” Blamire said.