All members of the Venda Athletics Club who participated in the gruelling 90km Comrades Marathon in Durban last week received medals for finishing the race within the stipulated official time.
According to the club's main sponsor, Dr Khathutshelo Ramalata — a well-known long-distance runner — 13 members of the club made Venda proud by completing the race. One of them, Timothy Munzhelele, earned a silver medal.
The soft-spoken medical practitioner said their 70km preparation run, held on 1 May 2025, had been key to their success.
"Even though it was a down run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, there were a lot of hills along the route. Those hills were similar to the ones between Tshandama and Muswodi, and that is one of the reasons why we cruised through the race," he said.
He added that all the club's athletes had completed the race in good condition.
Dr Ramalata said preparations for next year's race would begin soon. "All athletes from across Vhembe who are interested in joining the club are welcome," he said, adding that prospective members must be prepared to train hard.
"We achieve all these accolades because of hard work," he said.