Ulundi Training Run Christmas Day Run and December camp helps athletes prepare for 2025 season

Since its inception in 2022, the Ulundi Training run has aimed to help athletes that have registered to run the world's most prominent ultra race, the Comrades Marathon to apply the final touches before the big day. In the first two years, the run was hosted in May, but this year everything changed. Organizers opted to shift the event to Christmas Day and yesterday, scores of runners flocked to Zululand to put themselves to the test, choosing either 60km or 30km to run.

A few famous running faces were in attendance in support of the run, including multiple Comrades gold medalist Prodigal Khumalo, Hollywood AC ultra specialist Makwande Mcwengi and promising runner Mfundo Chagwe, who is the little brother to Thobani, a former Nelson Mandela Marathon winner and course record holder. Speaking after the event, the brains behind the initiative, Moses Gazu applauded the support they managed to get especially at a busy time of the year as people are enjoying the holidays.

Athletes celebrate the success of the third edition of the Ulundi Camp Training Run which took place on Christmas Day this year. Photo Credit: Supplied.

"I'm pleased with the numbers we managed to get especially most of the runners are already taking a break to reunite with their families. It that time of the year when people take a break to relax," he told #TheTopRunner. "So to have athletes travelling all the way from Durban and Pietermaritzburg to this side is overwhelming as not many events happen this side. We used to host the event in May, but athletes have shown us that to win Comrades you have to be fast and have proper planning. As such, it unlikely for an athlete to run a marathon a month before the big day (June). So we are moving with times."

Gazu boasts five Comrades finishes with two silver medal, 2 Bill Rowan and 1 Bronze and has the best time of 7:05:32 obtained in the 2023 edition of The Ultimate Human Race. Working alongside coach Sfundo Mboyisa, Gazu says the main aim is to promote sport in his rural Zululand.

Khumalo poses with Gazu (left) and Mboyisa (right) after the run. Photo Credit: Supplied.

"I think besides preparing for Comrades, these kind of events help to take young people off the streets. For example, we have a training camp going on right now where we do long run each day from the 1st of December and until month end because if you have a lot of free time, it might lead you to do bad things. So we are trying to encourage them by bringing big name athletes who can motivate them to take the sport seriously. I'm hoping the numbers will increase as we go on," he concluded.

For Chagwe, who has been part of the camp, he believes it will shape him well for a good 2025 running season.  "My aim is to have good year next year. So I need a proper planning to get things right. I decided not to train alongside my brother who is in Underberg because in his group, they are fast. To train with them was going to destroy me instead of making me stronger. So I have to build a bit before joining them. That's why I have been here in this camp since the start of the month. I'm happy with how they conduct everything."