Known as the world’s largest and oldest ultra-marathon race, the Comrades Marathon is sure to test the strength of even the most fit and experienced athlete as they take on a gruelling 90km, between Durban and Pietermaritzburg.
Making a triumphant return after a three-year break, due to Covid-19 restrictions, the Tongaat Panthers officials and supporters braved the cold morning temperatures, dressed in warm jackets and jerseys, and lined the streets of Pietermaritzburg to see their runners jet off at the start of the 2022 Comrades Marathon.
Tongaat Panthers spokesperson, Bear Pillay, said they had a few of their athletes in the race and that most of their supporters were in Pinetown to cheer on the runners who decided to tackle the ultimate endurance race Down Run, from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, Moses Mabhida Stadium. Pillay, an avid supporter of the Comrades and a former runner himself, said it is a race like no other.
He said: ”The camaraderie among runners and the show of support from the spectators is what makes the Comrades Marathon come back year after year. The crowds we get are amazing, it cannot be compared to anywhere else in the world, both runners and supporters truly live up to the marathon’s name and show what true comradeship really is.”
Tongaat Panthers Athletic Club runner, Elston Naicker made Tongaat proud when he completed his first Comrades Marathon in a time of 06:27:33 and was placed 67th out of approximately 14 000 participants in this years 95th edition of the race.
The results for TPAC in the Comrades are as follows: Elston Naicker 06:27:33, Devan Reddy 9:27:12, Tancrey Frank 9:32:08, Ludonga Patric 10:37:33, Roshan Chalithar 10:43:53, Naren Rajkumar 10:51:58, Shyam Naidoo 11:22:47 and Avinesh Seetharaman 11:50:45.
