Comrades Marathon 2017 Race Report

My Comrades Silver Medal. I have a huge collection of running medals, but none of them am I proud of nearly as much as this one.

I first learned of the Comrades Marathon on a visit to Durban in 2012 when shopping for attire for my wedding. We had failed to reserve a rental car and found ourselves in a pickle because our visit coincided with the Comrades Marathon.

I learned that my wife had lived along the course for many years, and that members of our family had run it in years past. I also learned that the Comrades “Marathon” is not in fact 26.2 miles, but rather an ultra-marathon of a distance that is greater than two marathons. I am an avid distance runner; so, since that weekend five years ago, completing the Comrades was a goal. I realized my goal last week in Pietermaritzburg, after more than 87 km of running, much of it in 80-degree heat. I have never run so far in my life, and I don’t think I will until the Comrades next year. I have also probably never been so proud of an accomplishment in my entire life.

Meeting the expectations of my best-case scenario, I finished with a silver medal, awarded to approximately the top 2% of finishers who complete the race in less than 7 hours and 30 minutes. I made the cut-off with time to spare, with a time of 7 hours and 13 minutes. I was overly pleased with my time, but to be honest, it exceeded even my own expectations.

Until I crossed the finish line, I honestly didn’t know what to expect out of my performance…