The mind is as important as muscle when tackling Comrades, says Fordyce
Experts say the right training is essential, as is the right mind-set
The Comrades Marathon on Sunday is a downhill run and for the first time will finish at the iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium. Not all the 20,000 runners who start the race will make the final kilometres along Masabalala Yengwa Avenue to cross the finish line. And it is not only the front runners who will finish the marathon because they have more than the right training regimen. Experts call marathon running a "massive physical challenge" for the body. The classic distance is 42.19km, but the Comrades marathon distance is 89km. The experts also say almost anyone in good physical condition can complete a marathon. Most add a caveat: the right training is essential, as is the right mind-set. Comrades king Bruce Fordyce agrees that marathon running is physical as well as mental. He rightly enjoys a reputation as SA’s greatest ultramarathon athlete. He has won the Comrades nine times (eight of them consecutively) and has run it 30 times. Fordyce also has three London-to-Brighton marathon wi...
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