FEATURE
3 MINS 59 SECONDS
Roving Cow, Richard Laskey Meets King Louis: A Chat With the Man Who Took 50 Comrades Medals and Said,“ I’ m Not Done Yet!”
ROVING COW: Let’ s talk about the most-watched bromance in South African sport – you and Barry Holland. A friendship forged in sweat, salt tablets, and stubbornness. What’ s it like sharing this journey with him?
ROVING COW: Louis, King Louis now, I must say – what an honour! Fifty Comrades medals, and here I am struggling to do a Parkrun without needing a resuscitation cowbell. How does it feel to be the man of the moment?
LOUIS MASSYN:( Laughs) Well, Cow, let me tell you, it still hasn’ t quite sunk in. I keep looking at that 50th medal and thinking,“ Jy’ s seker mal, Louis!” But it’ s real. I’ ve got the toenails, or rather the lack of toenails, to prove it!
ROVING COW: Let’ s take it way back. First Comrades. 1973. R4.99 shoes. I can’ t even get a cappuccino for that now. What were you thinking?
LOUIS MASSYN:( Grinning) Honestly? I was thinking,“ These takkies better last at least two days!” I didn’ t know any better. No technical gear. No fancy watches. No gels. Just guts, socks, and pure boere determination. That first Comrades was my first ever race. No warm-up, no dry run. I saw an advert and thought,“ Nou ja, let’ s give this a go.” And the bug bit hard – like a Zamalek after a long run – lekker and permanent ent!
ROVING COW: Fifty races later, you’ ve run around the world – the Abbotts Majors, no less – but you’ re still shouting from the rooftops: Comrades is the greatest race in the world. Why?
LOUIS MASSYN: Because it is. There’ s just nothing else like it. The spirit, the history, the camaraderie – man, it gets in your blood od. Comrades was born from sacrifice, honouring the fallen of WWI. It’ s meaningful. I’ ve run big city marathons with skyscrapers and neon lights, but they don’ t hold a candle to the sunrise over Polly Shortts and the sound of cowbells and vuvuzelas in the distance. This race, it’ s in our bones.
LOUIS MASSYN: Barry is like a brother. We’ ve been chasing this dream together for decades. The rivalry? Oh yes, it’ s there. We’ d tease each other endlessly:“ You go
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