Running the Comrades Marathon‚ regarded as the most gruelling race in the world‚ is a challenge‚ but doing it barefoot takes a special kind of fortitude.
Just ask Western Cape endurance runner Izak De Vries who ran kaalvoet (barefoot) for a good cause.
De Vries‚ who ran his 11th Comrades on Sunday‚ is an ambassador for the Durbanville Children's home‚ a safe haven for about 140 children in the Western Cape. He runs barefoot to create awareness and raise funds for the home.
So how did he feel after running the race?
"Sore!" said De Vries‚ who also runs the 56km Two Oceans Marathon. "But not as sore as I expected to be‚" he said on Monday.
"Running the Comrades is stupendously amazing‚ and it's such an achievement for all those who complete it. It's almost like climbing Kilimanjaro. It's a massive undertaking - even those who don't complete it are to be commended‚ they put in a lot of work."
De Vries said he started working with the home about 16 years ago and experimented with running barefoot a few years ago and was advised that "I should find a cause if I was going to put myself through that".
He said that while he had trained hard‚ he was filled with trepidation about the race.
"So many things can go wrong on the day and your body takes a hammering. A few years ago‚ the legendary Bruce Fordyce said that if you run for a cause it will keep you going when you are sore. I can relate to that‚ when I was about 40km from the finish and I was tired‚ hot and sore‚ I thought about the children and the multi-disciplinary team that works at the home‚ and despite the cramps‚ I endured and finished the race."
He finished the race in 11 hours and 32 minutes. His personal best was about nine and half hours.
Last year his race campaign‚ which spanned three races‚ raised R18‚000.
"The head of funding says we are looking at R12‚000 so far this year. A spike always happens on a weekend like this‚ but the campaign spans Two Oceans‚ Comrades and at least two standard marathons‚ so we have recurring sponsors." And of course running barefoot means that he saves on expensive running shoes.
"Of course‚ " said De Vries. "Running gear is very expensive‚ but the money I save on the shoes goes toward the home."
-TMG Digital/TimesLIVE
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