Hollywood Athletics Club elite athlete Sikhumbuzo Seme will line-up for the 2025 Comrades Marathon optimistic that his chance to claim a top-10 may has finally come.
In 2023, the last Comrades down run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, Seme provided a spirited and gritty performance especially in the closing stages of race to come home in an impressive 05:30:05 to miss out on a top 10 finish by 11 seconds. Considering the fact that Seme was running the world oldest and most prestigious road ultra marathon only for the second time, having finished 33rd overall on his debut in 2022, it was a huge improvement.
With nearly two years having passed since he came agonisingly close to claiming a Comrades gold medal, Seme is still proud of himself as he feels he performed beyond his perceived limits on the day.
“I still remember the day quite well. In my career, I don’t think there is a race which I came to prepared like that one. I could feel in my body that the training had gone well. In fact, I was my positive that I’d perform at my best,” explained Seme, who hails from Newcastle, in KwaZulu-Natal, but now spends his time training under the guidance of his father, Micheal ‘Sponge’ Seme in and around Soweto.
“For the much of the race, I was so strong, my body reacted well to every move I was making. Since it was my second time running the race, I made sure that I didn’t get too excited and lose focus. I approached the race according to the plan. In the latter stages, I was starting to be dropped, so I thought that the top 10 was beyond me. Then I heard people on the sidelines motivating me to push as I might have a shot at top 10. I ended up coming 11th which I don’t regret as I did my best,” explained Seme.
Seme was dealt a major blow at the end of 2023 when he was selected to represent South Africa at the World 50km Championships in Hyderabad, India on the same weekend as the Soweto Marathon. Due to Visa Challenges, the team was not able to head off to India and represent the Country.
“Sometimes life can be life. There are no guarantees in anything. I was excited to represent my country only to be told at the last minute that I can’t. It was something I couldn’t control. The most important thing is to accept instead of asking yourself questions. I believe in God, big time so most of the thing I let him to decide. He is the one in control of my life. So, I don’t think all of that impacted me too much,” he said.
For this year’s Comrades, he is happy with his preparations.
“Comrades is a race where you can’t be certain that you are going to have a good day. The distance is too long to guarantee anything. The best you can say is that you are ready for the big day. For this year, I have done strength training and have been careful and deliberate with my nutrition. There’s a lot to consider. I’m quite ready to put in the best performance possible. Since I did well in the last down run, I think I have a good chance but let’s wait for race day,” he said.
The 40-year-old dreams of obtaining a gold medal in the country’s most celebrated race.
“I want to finish in the top 10. If I can achieve that I’ll be over the moon. This is something I have been dreaming about it from the young age. Comrades is a huge race and to do well means the world,” he concluded.
