Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 119, June 2019 | Page 13

PACESETTERS
Our Tried and Trusted Pacers
The list of 2019 Comrades Pacesetters once again includes many well-known and highly experienced stalwarts of previous years, hailing from five different provinces and even
the UK. Most have been have been running regularly with flags in various races around the country in the build-up to this Comrades, so many runners will already know their
pacing style and trust their pacing. So, without further ado, here are your 2019 Modern Athlete Comrades Pacesetters, brought to you by Bonitas.
SUB-9:00 (Bill Rowan medal)
Johan van Tonder
(Gauteng)
18 Comrades (15 as Pacesetter)
Last three times:
2018 – 9:14:08
2017 – 8:53:50
2016 – 8:54:32
”Join me for our Bill Rowan bus
and remember, Dream, Trust and
Achieve!”
SUB-9:00 (Bill Rowan medal)
Joe Faber
(KwaZulu-Natal)
22 Comrades (1 as Pacesetter)
Last three times:
2018 – 9:00:35
2017 – 9:24:25
2016 – 7:58:34
Joe says: “Thanks for including me in
this wonderful team of Pacesetters
once again, I will do my best!”
SUB-9:00 (Bill Rowan medal)
Youssef Kanouni
(Western Province)
8 Comrades (First as Pacesetter)
Last three times:
2016 – 8:26:11
2015 – 7:55:42
2014 – 8:11:44
Youssef says: “I love to give back to
the community by helping others
achieve their goals. My bus will be
arriving on time and passengers will be in for the ride of
their life. We will be working hard, but also enjoying the
atmosphere and the buzz in my bus, and together we will
triumph. My motto is to persist until success happens.”
SUB-10:00 (Robert Mtshali medal)
Maropeng George
‘Rocky’ Mojela
(Limpopo)
10 Comrades (2 as Pacesetter)
Last three times:
2018 – 9:59:12
2017 – 9:56:07
2016 – 7:48:35
Rocky says: “Join Rocky’s bus and
rely on us getting from Durban
to Maritzburg at 6:50min/km, singing all the way, plus
enjoy free wifi in our bus, so you can even WhatsApp or
email while running... halala!”
SUB-10:00 (Robert Mtshali medal)
Siyabonga ‘Siya’
Khumalo (Gauteng)
4 Comrades (Running first as
Pacesetter)
Last three times:
2018 – 10:23:41
2017 – 9:55:13
2016 – 10:36:10
Siya says: “Join me for a sub-10,
a very special one as we will be
going for the brand new Robert Mtshali medal. Let’s
make it count and enter Pietermaritzburg in style!”
SUB-10:30 (Safe Bronze medal)
Linda ’Coach’ Hlophe
(Gauteng)
15 Comrades (3 as Pacesetter)
Last three times:
2018 – 9:58:26
2017 – 9:56:07
2016 – 9:57:22
Linda says: “I was going to run
the sub-10 bus, but due to many
requests I have agreed to take a
10:30 bus this year. See you in the Bus of Appreciation.”
SUB -10:30 (Safe Bronze medal)
Thulane ‘Tallguy’
Mlangeni (Gauteng)
3 Comrades (1 as Pacesetter)
Last three times:
10:46:20 (2016)
10:57:55 (2017)
10:05:16 (2018)
Tallguy says: “I’ve done three
Comrades as a co-driver on
Pacesetter buses, so join me now
for a sub-10:30. #ASIYE!”
SUB -11:00 (Bronze medal)
Madoko Ndhlovu
(Gauteng)
14 Comrades (10 as Pacesetter)
Last three times:
10:54:21 (2016)
10:58:29 (2017)
10:57:21 (2018)
Madoko says: “Aah... Halalal! Aah...
Helelel! Aah... Hey wena! Aah...
Heeey! We’ll be singing all the way
from Durban to Pietermaritzburg. Why work alone? Work
together wena maan! It will feel like a walk in the park.”
SUB -11:00 (Bronze medal)
Jeff Ramokoka
(Gauteng)
SUB-11:00 (Bronze medal)
Mkokeli Malghas
(Eastern Cape)
3 Comrades (First as Pacesetter)
Last three times:
2018 - 11:20:12
2017 - 10:58:33
2016 - 10:57:04
A Note on Mkokeli: The man from
PE, a good triathlete as well, and a
very consistent pacesetter.
SUB-11:30 (Safe Vic Clapham medal)
Gary Dixon
(UK Guest Pacer)
3 Comrades (1 as Pacesetter)
Last three times:
2018 - 11:26:37
2014 - 10:45:27
2013 - 10:49:28
Gary says: “This will be my
50th run as a pacesetter, and
my second year as a Comrades
Pacesetter, and I’m coming back to help many runners
achieve their back to back medals on the 11:30 bus.
#privilegedtobeinvited.”
SUB-12:00 (Vic Clapham medal)
Lucas Seleka
(Limpopo)
12 Comrades (2 as Pacesetter)
Last three times:
2016 - 9:29:07
2017 - 11:30:59
2018 - 11:53:38
A note on Lucas: The singing,
toyi-toying rebel from Limpopo,
a regular pacesetter week after
week and trusted get-you-home bus driver.”
SUB-12:00 (Vic Clapham medal)
Shahieda Thungo
(Gauteng)
20 Comrades (4 as Pacesetter)
Last three times:
10:51:49 (2016)
10:57:57 (2017)
10:57:00 (2018)
Jeff says: “I’ve delivered four sub-
11 buses, and we’ll be singing all
the way to the finish in 10:57.”
3 Comrades (2 as Pacesetter)
Last three times:
2018 - 11:52:33
2017 - 11:51:11
2016 - 11:52:30
Shahieda says: “We don’t sweat,
we sparkle. Hop on the XXL Bus for
a sparkly sub-12.”
Please note that these details were correct at the time of publishing, but late changes are always possible, given
the nature of the challenge of the Comrades Marathon. Should this happen, Modern Athlete will post updated
info on social media.
Modern Athlete and Bonitas would like to thank our Comrades Pacesetters for their incredible spirit and
camaraderie, and for being willing to take on the responsibility of helping fellow runners in the Ultimate
Human Race. We look forward to welcoming the buses home in Pietermaritzburg.
#FromStartToFinish
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