The Comrades bug has bitten for Hollywoodbets Team Member and Hollywood Athletics Club social runner, Jason Dewey, who took part in the race for the first time in 2025.
Running his debut Comrades Marathon this year, Dewey, who is more at home on the trails, entered Comrades this year on a whim. “The big goal at the start of the year for me was the Karkloof 100 miler in September, but entries opened for Comrades, and I couldn’t resist,” said Dewey. “I ran it by my coach, and he said to go for it – and I’m glad I did! It was an amazing experience!”
Race day for Dewey was an experience he had never been through before. “It was brutal! Nothing quite prepares you as a novice for the demands of the day. You can do all of the route testers, train like a demon and come into race day full of confidence, but 90km is a long way and plenty can go wrong, so you need to be prepared to reassess your goals,” recalls Dewey.
Before the race, Dewey’s coach had set a goal of between 9:30 to 10:00 as a finish time, but race day proved to have its own challenges. “Cramp and nausea got me coming into Hillcrest and at that point, the goal shifted to just finishing.” It was the support from the crowds, friends, family and the Hollywood Athletics Club refreshment points that got him through. “The highlight of the day, outside of receiving my medal, was the support on the route. Absolutely insane! There were points on the road where the crowd closed in so tightly that it looked like a mountain stage in the Tour de France. It’s a totally unique experience.”
Being able to see familiar faces and get personal seconding at the Hollywood points was a cherry on top. “The three Hollywood AC refreshment points were incredible! Seeing familiar faces on the route was one of my favourite parts of the day. As a Hollywoodbets Team Member, seeing my colleagues at the various refreshment points gave me a massive mental boost each time, especially the one on Cowies Hill, a point in the race where things were really getting tough! Stopping to have a quick chat with friends and family along the route is not something you normally get to do in a road race and did wonders for me mentally. I even got to say howsit to my dog in Pinetown!”
After picking up many points and tips from fellow Hollywood Athletics Club athletes, and as a Comrades runner himself, Dewey has some advice for anyone wanting to take on the ultimate human race. “Just go for it, even if you only do it once! We’re really lucky to have a race like this on our doorstep. The fact that so many people travel from all over the world to participate is testament to how special of an experience it is.”
