Ten Comrades’ distance to run

FORMER Durban woman Hazel Moller and Michelle Mareë plan to run a distance equivalent to 10 Comrades Marathons in just 10 days to raise funds for charity.

The Johannesburg-based athletes will complete their 900km feat by running the official Comrades, from Durban to Pietermaritzburg, on May 31.

This is Moller’s second go at the Ten10 challenge, while Pietermaritzburg-born Mareë is making her first attempt. Moller had to pull out when a stomach ulcer forced her to stop after the fifth race last year, but she showed her fighting spirit when she came back to run the Comrades.

Starting in Johannesburg tomorrow, the pair will run towards Durban. Their aim is to cover 90km a day.

“Our goal is to raise funds and awareness for Pet Empowerment in Townships. We both love animals and want to try to assist this great organisation any way we can,” said Moller.

Pet Empowerment in Townships is a non-profit organisation that works with communities to improve the lives of disadvantaged animals by giving them daily meals, warm shelters, regular inoculations, sterilisations and veterinary care in emergencies. It also finds homes for unwanted, neglected and lost pets.

For both athletes this is also a personal challenge, to push their bodies to the limit. They are both avid long-distance runners with about marathons between them.

Moller’s running background includes breaking the South African 24-hour endurance record by doing 190.4km around a 400m track in Pietermaritzburg last year. She is also the first person to do a double Washie 100 miler, running 322km in 2013.

Passionate

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“I was following Hazel’s journey during the inaugural Ten10 last year and I thought it was something I would like to do in future because I’m also very passionate about the wellbeing of pets. So when I saw a Facebook post about it earlier this year I immediately signed up,” said Mareë.

Last year Moller ran with Hilton Murray and Carlo Gibson. They managed to raise R88 000, though only Murray could complete the distance.

“For some it might be unthinkable to run such a long distance in 10 consecutive days, but anyone can do it really. You just have to train hard and, being long-distance runners, I know that our bodies can take the strain,” said Moller.

They will be assisted by their friends and families along the route.

Mareë said the only special preparation was a second pair of running shoes.

They will stop at shelters along the way.

For more information visit www.ten10.co.za or phone Moller at 011 873 8526.

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