First Team Vitality Comrades runner to finish

Published in 2016

Wandisile Nongodlwana is 40 years old and is affectionately known as Wandi. He started running in 2004, although it was only on the treadmill and for 30 minutes at most. Now, Wandi has just finished his 9th Comrades Marathon and was the first Team Vitality member to cross the finish line. He has his eye on his green number next year. But back when he only just started running, Wandi finished his first marathon in 2004 in 4 hours 17 minutes.

He says he was inspired to run by a friend of his who used to meet him at gym in the morning after running 15-20km, and that got him interested in running. But he ran his first Comrades, the 2008 up-run, because a friend dared him to! “I never thought I would run it again and again,” Wandi jokes.

His first Comrades was the hardest thing he has ever done. “At three kilometres from the finish line, I sat down for 30 minutes on the side of the road. I was so exhausted. There was a spectator that I didn’t even know, who kept calling my name, saying ‘come on Wandisile, you can do it!’  The runners were amazing, offering me cramp blocks and energy gels. However, I didn’t even know what I wanted; I just wanted to finish. I ultimately stood up and jogged and limped to the finish. Crossing that finish line was the ultimate!“ Despite this, Wandi finished his first Comrades in 09:54:59.

Wandi says that whether Comrades is an up run year or a down run year, it’s tough. “For me, each Comrades always feels like the first. I cry and pray at the start every time. The distance is just too long and you only know when you finish that you will finish. Anything can happen on the day.”

His 9^th Comrades – one step closer to his green number

Wandi had a tougher than usual time of training for Comrades this year. He was in Canada, in -3 to -10 degree temperatures for a month and the cold drove him indoors to train on a treadmill. To train for Two Oceans and Comrades he follows training programmes designed by Lindsey Parry and coach Norrie doing a lot of hill work, strength training, and speed work. For next year, he plans to consult a dietitian to try to improve his time, over and above his training program.

This year for the first time, Wandi drove the route the Friday before the race. “I heard the first 27km is very hard and driving it confirmed that. There and then I made a decision to start slow. I ran and walked all the hills. I ran most flats and downs. From 7km to the finish, I just jogged. 2km to the finish was just the longest ever.” Wandi broke his personal record with his best ever time of 06:50:03, earning him his third silver medal in succession, with 07:25:52 in 2015 and 7:13:59 in 2014.

Although Wandi says he’ll be relaxing for the rest of the month, he will be ‘relaxing’ while running a two-day trail run and he’ll start training for his next Comrades in August. He is looking forward to a bumper marathon year in 2017: he’ll be running his 10^th Comrades and his 10^th Two Oceans.

Finally, Wandi has some great advice for anyone who’s thinking about entering their first Comrades: “A lot of people at the Comrades’ start line are just as nervous as you will be. I cry every time I am there. It does take lot of training and preparation. Seek advice early during preparation about running forms, speed work, etc. On the day, just know that everyone wants you to finish. Just enjoy the experience on the day, but your mind must be SET on that finish line.

Walking is part of it. Draw strength from your fellow runners, they are going through the same thing. Start small, try parkruns, join time trials and find someone to encourage you. Finally, ‘And let us run with perseverance and patience the race that has been set before us,’ Heb 12 :1b.”