I have a pretty bad cold, and I've been waking up coughing a lot. This morning, my coughing fit woke me just in time to catch the 5:30 am start of the 82nd annual Comrades Marathon on TV. Don't let the name fool you; the Comrades isn't a marathon at all. It's an 88.3 kilometer test of sheer will and human persistence (a marathon is "only" 42k). In odd-number years they run the "down" from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, and in even-number years they run the "up" from Durban back to Pietermaritzburg. I watched on and off through the early hours of the morning. Chris woke up in time to see the first men finish (in less than 5 1/2 hours) and we hung around to watch the first ladies cross the finish line at just over six hours. Then we headed out for the lion park. When we got home at 5pm, people were still pouring across the finish line. Well, pouring might be overstating it. Some were walking, many were limping, a few were jogging, and more than a few were literally being carried. We watched until 5:30, when the race was "over" and the official 12 hour time limit had expired. To watch the last official finisher cross the line was a truly moving experience. To watch the first non-finisher be turned away at the line had me in tears. We watched for another 15 minutes or so, seeing people who had tried so hard, pushed their bodies to the limit for 12+ hours, and just came up short. I hurt for them. I cried for them. I gushed with pride at the ones who kept running, even though they knew there was no medal waiting for them. I hope they feel just as proud of themselves. In a movie I watched a few weeks ago, a great line caught my attention. "Winners forget they're in a race. They just love to run." These folks are winners. Maybe next year I'll be among them. Pietermaritzburg, here I come!
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2 comments:
Hey Susan! I love this story- thank you for sharing- as a 3x marine corps marathon finisher (is it only 3? :) ) I know you appreciate the running!
xoxo
cousin abby
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