Inder Ramsamooch

Childhood Cancer Foundation (CHOC)

Personal Message:

Running the life Saver – Comrades inspiration I look back to school as to where my running days had started, I excelled in ‘long distance’ running, both in senior primary and a high school. After I matriculated, I didn’t do much running, but in my mid-twenties, I met a work colleague, who used to see me running during lunch hour, and shared his personal life story of being an alcoholic and give up alcohol and started running at the age of 42 and never looked back. When I had met him, he had already completed 3 Comrades Marathon, he kept persuading me to run a 20km with him, which I eventually did, the rest was history. I started ultra distance running in the late 90’s and ran my first Comrades Marathon. It has been may tough years after there on with the passing of my nephew, sister, brother and the one that hurt the most my Mum, who had passed on a just over a month before Comrades, I had not run for a month and went into a shell. My running colleagues had persuaded me not to give up, with, I got out of my shell and one week before the race, I had decided to run the 2005 Comrades Marathon in the memory of my Mum. I finished the run just over 10 hours and I was very emotional. By far the highlight of my running career. Over the 35 years of running, I have met people of all levels of society and each one fighting their battle, I am grateful to all the friends I have made and continue to make through running. In the late 90’s the Comrades had to be completed within 11 hours and that certainly made this one-off, if not the toughest ultra marathon in the World. In the past 19 years of Comrades Marathon running, I have run for charity twice and completed on both instances and my employer then had offered to match for what the group of had raised. I am grateful for the support from my family members, friends and people that did not know me. I would like to thank my family and friends, who spend the entire day on the Comrades route supporting me, your love and support is much appreciated, it’s certainly priceless, minus you and the other thousands of supporters Comrades will not be the same, we runners are forever indebted to you all. This is the reason that Comrades is the best race in the world. To my running club Run Zone, salute too all that are involved. To Graham Block, thank you for giving your endless time to the running world. May you remain humble and may you be blessed. There are no words to describe the club and the team in the background that give their selfless time for the entire season and with a smile, you make running what it is. For those that aspire to run The Comrades Marathon, remember it is not the Marathon that is tough, it’s the 5-6 months of training prior. In 2024 I will be running my 20th Comrades Marathon in the colours of Run Zone Athletic Club, my race number is 34609. Also, I have decided to run for charity and my charity of choice is Choc. I ask you to contribute to my cause, I promise to run every kilometre with pride and make your every rand contributed count. All the Best to all those running the 2024 edition of the Comrades Marathon