ROAD RUNNING
Long Wait Finally Over
They say that if at first you don ’ t succeed , try and try again until you do . Well , Eugene Lekay must have that advice imprinted on his psyche , because the man who has started the Comrades Marathon 21 times in the last 25 years finally earned his 10th medal in 2023 and claimed his Comrades race number 17696 in perpetuity . This is his story of a quarter of a century journey to a Green Number , with numerous challenges along the way , but also a testament to one runner ’ s determination to achieve his goal . – BY SEAN FALCONER
32 ISSUE 161 | www . modernathlete . co . za
Eugene Lekay in the closing stages of the 2023 Comrades Marathon , on his way to his Green Number at last