Comrades only half the race for trio

Durban – While most Comrades runners will be resting on Friday and Saturday before the 87km challenge on Sunday, Guy Allen, 33, will be making his way down to the start from Pietermaritzburg. On foot. Along a 112km trail through the Valley of 1 000 Hills.

“A lot of guys who have done the Comrades think we are morons, but there is a lot of interest to see if it can be done,” Allen said about the idea to run just under 200km over three days.

Allen will be taking on the valley route with 30 other runners as part of the traditional Valley Run that has taken place before the Comrades for the past two years.

The stakes will be raised this time around, though, when Allen and two of the original group – Adrian Saffy and Mike de Haast – take on the ultimate human race hours later to raise funds for South Coast cancer patient Nikki Haynes.

Haynes, who is in her mid-thirties, was diagnosed with lung, bone and liver cancer in April, after having beaten breast cancer last year.

Allen said the sponsored run was not only about the money the group would be able to raise, but a celebration of Haynes and the active life she led.

“We don’t know if this is possible, but we will give it a good crack. None of us are professional runners and we follow a normal Comrades training schedule,” said Allen.

“This is a test to see what we are capable of.”

Allen said he had run the Two Oceans this year after completing a 75km trail run the day before, but this was a far greater distance to cover.

Haynes’s husband, Charles, said he had faith in Allen and Co finishing their epic trek.

“I think they have the ability to finish it. When something like this (Nikki’s cancer diagnosis) happens, you can unlock hidden potential from inside yourself,” he said.

Since Nikki’s first diagnosis, they had received good support from their family and friends, Charles said.

“The generosity has been overwhelming. It is a privilege to be at the centre of all this goodwill. It is very humbling.”

Charles would also be contributing to the battle against cancer through the creation of a “pink mile” along the Comrades course on race day.

At the bottom of Polly Shortts, runners would be given a pink balloon with a message attached to it that they had written. When the runners reached the top of the hill, they would release the balloon with the message. Charles said about 50 runners had registered for the initiative. – The Mercury

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