“If you want to run, run a mile. If you want to experience a different life, run a marathon”
The above is a famous quote by the “Czech Express”, multiple Olypic gold medallist Emil Zatopek. And when it comes to running a marathon, we often associate it with the Comrades Marathon – the world’s largest and oldest ultra marathon race (89km).
There are many ways to describe it but it is perhaps best described by the men who have run it. As described by the King of Comrades, nine-time champion Bruce Fordyce, it is not so much a run but a ‘survival trip’.
History
The Comrades Marathon is run between the up run starting at Durban and down run starting from Pietermaritzburg. It was run for the first time in 1921. A World War 1 veteran conceived the race to commemorate South African soldiers killed during the war. He wanted to create a race that would “celebrate mankind’s spirit over adversity”.
Adversity
The pain of the final kilometres of the Comrades is stated thus: were the human brain able to recall the pain of the Fields Hill, no one would run the Comrades twice. This is the point each runner from the first to the last, must pass to arrive in Durban on their own feet. It is here, stripped of any of society’s false privileges, that the runner finds no hiding place, no shelter or convenience. These miles will challenge everything the runner holds precious – his values, his lifestyle. They will ask nothing less than his view of the universe. As said by Bill Rogers, “a Marathon can humble you”.
The Race
The race is generally held in May, but this year it was on the 1st of June. It has very strict cutoff timings. Unless a comrader finishes a particular distance in the cut off time, he is not allowed to progress any further in the race. For example, he needs to to finish the 82 km point within 11:20 hrs to compete further. The expo starts four days earlier.
The race commences at exactly 5:30am. The energy exuded by the runners gives out immense motivation and positive energy and you soon forget all your pains. About 15,000 of the world’s fittest and mentally strongest people gather at the magical ‘start line’.The pacer begins, and there are moments when you totally zone out, devoid of any feelings, thoughts or consciousness of existence.
As quoted by Hellen Keller, “The most beautiful moments in life cannot be seen or touched. They must be felt with the heart.” This is perhaps the most accurate description of the UltraMarathon.
Do you have it in you?
Are you a couch potato? You like watching marathons but have never thought about getting up from your chair? It’s alright. Talent is something that we are gifted, but more important is how we hone them, develop them. Only talent and no hard work is equaivalent to no talent. However, hard work alone can do the trick. Take your first step.
– Do not begin by running endlessly.
– Get yourself tested for your body type, feet type, breath
– Start with 200-500 m then slowly increase.
– Finally, keep up your level determination, grit and patience
Amit Sheth, an Indian runner, started similarly. He realized that he couldn’t run more than 200 m. But then he worked on it. He participated in every local marathon, practised endlessly. He and his wife competed at international marathons too. In their first Comrades run, he couldn’t complete the journey. However, he practised patiently, came back for the next Comrades Ultra Marathon and bagged a medal. He is now one of the international Ambassadors of the Comrades Marathon Association.
Benefits
There are ample benefits of running, ranging from physical well being to the mental. It essentially cleanses you, purifies you. Everything worldly is discarded and you go into a world of trance.
- It is the cheapest hobby!
- It releases happiness hormones.
- It teaches you endurance. Although runners around the world buy several accessories, pedometers, energy gels and so on, unless you are prepared mentally, nothing is of use. In fact, the Comrades used to be run naked initially, which required only mettle and endurance. So take the leap, and begin running.
- It gives you joy. Run for an hour, and it will destress you. But for someone running the Ultra Marathon, the challenge in completing the marathon is a Herculean task. Once you complete the marathon, i.e. the distance of 89km, the feeling is incomparable and you want to keep doing that again and again.
- It’s a great way to keep your body in shape, of course. Run one day, run two days and keep running. It not only keeps you fit but helps keep your body in great shape too. This in turn makes you so much more energetic and increases your confidence immensely. It also keeps the body immune to a large extent.
- It helps you differentiate between a material being and just being. Running a marathon tests your determination and mental levels beyond any point and especially when you’re participating in a Ultra Marathon, it’s the mental level that is tested more than the physical levels. This essentially tells you about your being and your material self to a great extent.
“Fear is a very explosive emotion, but it has a short life span. It’s the sprint. The Marathon is hope”
