Durban — Today’s Comrades Marathon is a family affair for the Hollands as they mark a milestone number of runs.
The running of the 97th Comrades Marathon is taking place today with an up run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg. And running his 50th race today is Barry Holland.
As part of Holland’s 50th Comrades Marathon celebrations he will be joined on race day by two of his daughters, Kathryn van Dongen and Susan Pyper, his son Ross, son-in-law Owen van Dongen, nephew Brett Goodwin and his wife Debbie, who will be running her 21st Comrades.
The Comrades Marathon Association has created a special seeding pen at the back of the D-seeding batch for Holland and his family, which will include invited runners from Dolphin Coast Striders and Jeppe Quondam Athletics Clubs.
Barry said he was excited to have such a strong family showing.
“I am thrilled to be running with my family and friends, especially this historic run for me, being the first person to have run this many Comrades. The Comrades Marathon is unique to South Africa. There is no other race like this in the world. There are other marathons, but no ultra marathon like this. People along the route are fantastic. It’s the camaraderie and spirit,” he said.
Barry first ran the Comrades in 1973 at the age of 20. The only years he missed was during Covid when there was no race.
His best time was a down run at 6h29 in 1991. He said the up and down runs were very different races.
“At a time when I raced at Comrades, I preferred the up run because I hated the pain the body endured on the down run. But now in my surviving years, it’s easier getting down than up. I know this year it’s going to be a hard day. “This year I am hoping for 11h40 to finish,” he said.
He said as a young boy he was at the finish line of the 1967 Comrades when Tommy Malone had one of the most dramatic and agonising Comrades Marathon finishes, when Manie Kuhn beat him by a second to the finish line after he stumbled.
“I was only 14 then, but that moment resonated with me and I knew I had to be part of that Comrades Marathon experience,” he said.
Debbie said 2019 was when she last took part in the Comrades but did not finish.
“After my 20th, I was going to stop, but this being Barry’s special year, I decided to join with the rest of our family and friends. There will be 62 of us in our own pen at the starting line. It should be fun. I just want to cross the finish line.
“There is a lot of camaraderie in being part of a running club. Although I have not taken part in the last few years, I have continued training and running because I love it,” said Debbie.
Sunday Tribune