The resilience of fourteen Kenyan runners will be tested at the 95th edition of the Comrades marathon slated for Sunday, August 28, 2022 in Durban, South Africa.
The Comrades marathon is entirely different from the road races that the likes of Eliud Kipchoge and Brigid Kosgei usually compete in.
Unlike the normal marathon, athletes who take part in the Comrades marathon have to cover a distance of approximately 90 Kilometers.
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The oldest ultra marathon road race will begin at the town of Durban city and end in Pietermaritzburg, the capital city of Kwa-Zulu Natal province.
The marathon which was started in 1921 has six stages, with athletes required to finish the race in less than twelve hours. Runners who fail to complete a given stage within the required time are automatically eliminated.
Some of the Kenyan athletes who are set to take part in the road race include Stella Hamisi, James Ndwiga, David Thuo, Johan Robinson, Rebecca Crook and Munyaka Njiru.
Samuel Ndungu, Rachael Gitonga and Raheem Bivji will also be among the 1,5000 athletes expected to compete in the race.
Thuo is the most experienced among the Kenyan contingent - he has taken part in the race two times, in 2017 and 2016.
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Speaking to Nation Africa, Thuo disclosed that he plans to finish the race in less than 7 hours.
"I have dedicated my training program for the sub-seven hours. If all things remain constant, I believe I will achieve that target," stated Thuo.
Gitonga who will be gracing the marathon for the first time revealed that the event will give her a chance to get out of the comfort zone.
“I am a runner, so early in the year I said I would pick up a scary goal that would expand me. The training for the marathon is very intense and requires discipline.
“It (competing in the marathon) is one of the things that gives one an opportunity to get out of their comfort zone," she stated.
The 2020 and 2021 editions of the marathon were cancelled due to the pandemic.
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