Comrades Marathon: Merebank couple prepare to chase their dreams

AT SCHOOL Ishara Dhanraj could barely run a kilometer but since 2016, all that has changed.

She has since completed four Tata Mumbai Marathons and on Sunday, Dhanraj and her husband, Ron Naidoo, will participate in the Comrades Marathon.

This will be her fifth run and Naidoo's fourth. She completed two races and Naidoo three.

"At this stage, my only aim is to complete the race," said Dhanraj, 51, a sales consultant from Merebank.

The couple are members of the Rising Sun Chatsworth Athletic Club.

She said she initially started early morning runs alone back in 2016.

"I used to get up at around 4.30am and run around the area, the promenade or at the Bluff. I eventually convinced Ron to join me and we subsequently joined the athletic club.

"As a child, I enjoyed watching the Comrades Marathon on TV and always aspired to enter. I ran my first race in 2016 in memory of my late father, Dhanraj Sankarparsad. I did not finish the race because I was not fully-prepared. I did not know what to expect but I refused to give up. I returned and completed the Comrades Marathons in 2022 and 2023. 

"Last year, I could not finish due to a knee injury at the 57 km mark. But here I am again, ready to take on another year." 

She has also completed four 42.2km Tata Mumbai Marathons - in 2018, 2020, 2022 and in January this year. 

"I ran the first race in 2018 alone and Ron thereafter joined me. I love that race because the atmosphere is mind-blowing. After every 4km, there is a live band playing along the roadside to spur you on. For every race completed you get a double medal - one for finishing and the other is an inspiration medal.

"The Comrades Marathon presents a new challenge. It's a gruelling 89km. Running this race is a mind game. You need to be mentally strong and tough. That is where the challenge lies."

Naidoo, 56, said: "I used to gym but Ishara eventually convinced me to join her on her runs, which progressed to the Comrades Marathon. My first Comrades was in 2022 and I completed all three since then. My best time was in 2023. I completed the race in 11 hours and 22 minutes. This Sunday, I hope to finish the race in under 11 hours."

He said with a few days left to the ultra event, they were carbo loading on pastas and potatoes. 

"This week, there are no long runs. We can walk about but we are saving our legs for race day." 

Naidoo said their friends will be cheering them. 

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