Former Isibaya actor, Charles Phasha, is set to run the Comrades Marathon for the first time.
He is already training for this ultimate human race, and he has done at least two 42km marathons already.
The 98th Comrades Marathon down run will take place on June 8. It will start from Pietermaritzburg Hall to Durban People’s Park.
Phasha will be running the 89km Marathon under Gauteng Health Athletics Club.
Started running as lockdown-era hobby
“I started running in 2020 during lockdown. Since we couldn’t go anywhere, I decided to start jogging around the block and it felt good. When the country opened up I continued jogging on the road. Last year I decided to start running officially. I started with short races, and now I’m doing long marathons,” he said.
He said that after running long marathons he decided to challenge himself and run the Comrades Marathon.
“I’ve done many short races, and I did my first long marathon in Vaal. It was a 42km, and at that time I didn’t qualify for the Comrades Marathon.
“My second big race was a Soweto Marathon, it was also a 42km race. It was the toughest race, but I finished it in four hours, 58 minutes. One of the Comrades Marathon rules is that, a runner must have finished a 42km race in less than five hours. Fortunately, I qualified. And I was able to enter the competition,” he added.
Enjoying and challenging himself
“The intention is not to win the Comrades Marathon but to enjoy and challenge myself. Of course, to win the race would be a cherry on top, but my mind is not there. I know my strength and capabilities. So I don’t want to put myself under pressure unnecessarily.” he continued.
Phasha played Jerry on Isibaya drama series.
“I enjoyed being on Isibaya, it was a big break for me. It also gave me an opportunity to work with seasoned actors, and I’ll always be grateful for that. At the moment I’m not working on anything, I’m just focusing on the upcoming Comrades Marathon,” said Phasha.
