Comrades champ put in the hard graft

31 May 2016 - 09:39 By KHANYISO TSHWAKU

Before Sunday's 91st Comrades Marathon, 35-year-old David Gatebe was known as the 2013 Two Oceans Marathon winner. Until he made a meal of Leonid Shvetzov's nine-year Comrades record, Gatebe was always going to be seen as a flat-track runner without the stomach for a hilly and undulating battle.Now with his 5:18:13 downrun - from Pietermaritzburg to Durban - he will be known as the man whose legs conquered the deceptively tricky course.But the sports and recreation officer at Implats in Rustenburg just wants to be known as a father whose family is his inspiration."My wife understands that everything about me revolves around athletics but that's not the be all and end all of what I do," he said."At some point my family does take charge and one of the reasons I love running is because they encourage me and are my biggest supporters. With this win, I know they are proud of me and they've encouraged me not to change my lifestyle," Gatebe said.Hailing from Maokeng township in Kroonstad, Gatebe has continued a fine tradition of Free State-born long-distance athletes.If Sunday's post-race press conference is anything to go by, he is a modest winner, preferring to let 2014 champion Bongmusa Mthembu and 2012 winner Ludwick Mamabolo get all the attention.This was not Gatebe's first Comrades. He tried to cap his 2013 Two Oceans victory with the 2013 Comrades up run that was won by Claude Moshyiwa."I was trying to win both in the same season. Then I realised this was something that takes serious work."I improved a bit a year later with 21st position but I knew I needed to do more work. The Comrades is a different race," Gatebe chuckled.The R1-million he won in the race has already been allocated - educating his two daughters Arabetswe, 4, and Thiriletso, 1...

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