Veteran Mpumalanga runner achieves marathon dream | Mpumalanga News

After 39 years of competing, veteran runner Johannes Nyalunga has achieved the remarkable feat of completing 30 Loskop Marathons and 30 Comrades Marathons. He was awarded his Triple Green Comrades Marathon number as well as his Triple Blue number at the Loskop Marathon.

Well known for his passion for running, Nyalunga of the Ngodwana Marathon Club started running in 1987. He was inspired to take up the sport by the much-loved Dup du Plessis, who has since passed away.
During an interview with Mpumalanga News, the 66-year-old reflected on how his running journey began.

His first Comrades was on June 16, 1987. He said it was a race from Durban to Pietermaritzburg and he will never forget his experience of the 89km route.

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“I was nervous – I was concerned about the distance and I was not sure if I can complete it. As I was running, I started to remember all the hard work and preparation that I had to do. That helped me to keep running. My body allowed me to keep going.” He said when he was halfway in the race, his body could feel the pressure and when he got to the 70km mark it got harder.

“I managed to complete the race with a time of 06:39:00 and I missed the opportunity to get a silver medal with just nine minutes. In 1988, I improved and I finished the race 57 minutes faster.”

Nyalunga said he also ran his first Loskop Marathon in 1987. Sharing his experience, he said it was quite an interesting race as he was running behind one of the most well-known runners in South Africa, Frith van der Merwe. She is also known as the ‘Queen of Comrades’ and at the time, she was in the Benoni Marathon Club.

He said he made sure that he kept up with her until the end and kept the momentum going. “The distance for the Loskop Marathon is 50km. I managed to complete the race in 03:31:00, together with Van der Merwe. This encouraged me to work hard and it was great to see a female runner performing so well.”
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He said during his 30th Comrades Marathon last year, he was very relaxed since he had managed to collect the medals that he wanted. He also has 18 silver medals from the Comrades, because he would sometimes take breaks and not participate. He said while running his 30th Loskop race in April, he was also relaxed because he had achieved his dreams.

“My plan had always been to complete 30 and knowing I did was enough for me. I didn’t focus on finishing times or beating my personal best. I had a dream to achieve. I completed the Comrades with a time of 09:57:00 and the Loskop with a time of 05:20:00.”

Nyalunga said running has taught him patience, perseverance, and most importantly, saved his life. According to him, it has kept his body healthy due to the exercises that he does while preparing for his competitions. “Some of my friends are now using a walking stick, while I am still very active. I can still complete long-distance events. I am glad that running kept me away from social ills.”
He said his dream was to complete 30 Loskop Marathons, 30 Comrades Marathons and 30 Two Oceans Marathons.

“I have managed to complete 30 Loskop and Comrades marathons, but only 15 Two Oceans Marathons. Maybe I will fulfil my dream one day; however, my age concerns me.”