ROAD RUNNING
Unfinished Business
Mike Sewell finishing the 2022 Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon in CHOC kit
For most runners , the 2022 Comrades Marathon will start in the early morning hours on the 28 th of August , in front of the Pietermaritzburg City Hall . For Mike Sewell , however , his Comrades will start 19 days earlier , in Cape Town , when he begins a 1800-kilometre running journey across South Africa , as he makes a second attempt at running 20 Comrades Marathons backto-back , while trying to raise R1 million for the CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation . – BY SEAN FALCONER
In 2018 , six runners set out on what they called the ‘ The Long Road to Comrades .’ The plan was to run a 90-kilometre Comrades-length distance each day as the group made its way from Cape Town to Maritzburg , covering 1710km in 19 days , then run the Comrades itself on day 20 to round off the 1800km , but for various reasons they could not complete the challenge , as 44-year-old Johannesburg-based runner Mike Sewell explains .
“ We were all very experienced runners , having done many big races and challenge runs between us , but this challenge really humbled us . We were novices at something so intense , and we picked up injuries and problems along the way ,” says Mike . “ Carla injured her quad muscle , so she was only able to walk , and on the fifth day we actually stopped for lunch while waiting for her , and sat there eating pizza , overlooking a vineyard , even though we still had a lot of that day ’ s
90km to run that day . Another day , we stopped to look around the famous Ronnie ’ s Sex Shop restaurantshop , and chatted to the owner . It was all nice , but we faffed around too much .”
Of the six in that 2018 group , Mike eventually managed the most mileage , running 1100km , including the Comrades , which he finished in 10:23:25 . “ Ironically , that Comrades was one of my most comfortable runs , and the most fun I have had at the race . But I was still 700 kays short , and it left something unfinished … My approach to life is that if you ’ re going to try something , don ’ t walk away if you don ’ t achieve it the first time , so it ’ s been a niggle at the back of my mind since 2018 . I love testing my limits , both physically and mentally , and I ’ ve always challenged myself with ever-growing challenges – and this one still needs to be conquered .”
Running in the Family
The running bug bit Mike at a very young age , and he says running has always been his hobby . “ My dad was very involved with the Midrand Striders club – in fact , the weekly time trial actually started at our house – so I was doing more running than the average kid next door . I ran my first 15km race at just seven and half years old , and I still have a newspaper clipping of that . At school , I was reasonably good at athletics and managed to win some middle-distance races over 800 , 1500 and 3000 metres ,” he recalls .
“ As I got older , the distances increased , and I ran my first half marathon while at varsity . After graduating , I went to work in London for 12 years , and ran a lot of
Images : Action Photo SA , Rory Scheffer & courtesy Mike Sewell
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The intrepid six who tackled the first ISSUE 152 | www . modernathlete Long . co Road . za to Comrades in 2018