Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 122, September 2019 | Page 12

ROAD RUNNING
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Had you asked a younger Wandisile Nongodlwana if he
could see himself someday travelling the world for work and
running, while inspiring people to follow a healthy lifestyle
and develop the self-belief to get out and go for a run, he
would probably have stared at you blankly. Yet in spite of
his incredibly humble background, this inspirational athlete
is the reason many people have started running. This is the
story of his journey from the rural areas of the Eastern Cape
to the farthest corners of the globe. – BY MANFRED SEIDLER
While the challenge was supposed to be a marathon distance every day for
10 days, including the Paris Marathon, it turned out differently, with one day
even being 75km long. “We had to deal with blisters, and people had shin
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ISSUE 122 SEPTEMBER 2019 / www.modernathlete.co.za
I
f you are an ardent follower of running on social media, you may have seen
Wandisile Nongodlwana’s trademark jump as he crosses the finish line of his
latest event or adventure. You may also have seen recently that the 43-year-
old Wandi, as he is known to many, was part of an international team of runners
that took on the London to Paris Challenge organised by Asics in April this year.
Ten runners from all over the world, all part of the global Asics FrontRunners
programme, were selected to run from London to Paris and then finish the
journey with the Paris Marathon. “We had to send a motivational letter to Asics
on why we should be doing this, and I got in. The goal was to test various
shoes for Asics. We ran in their new Metaride and had to give feedback, and it
was quite an experience,” says Wandi.