Hollywood Athletics Club Runner Sicelo Ngobese Shares His Experiences on the Ultimate Human Race

“This year, I want to run a sub-7-hour uprun, cutting 19 minutes from my previous time of 7:18:52 when I crossed the line at the Hollywoodbets Scottsville Racecourse in 2019,” said Sicelo. No stranger to the Comrades Marathon, this will be his eighth race. He aims to surpass his personal best (PB) of 6:56:46, which had previously earned him a silver medal. This was a significant improvement from his 2022 down run time of 8:17:49.

Sicelo has an impressive Comrades medal collection, boasting 4 Silver Medals and 3 Bill Rowan Medals. He now aims for the Green Number in 2026. Beyond Comrades, he competed in the 2019 Two Oceans Marathon, earning a Silver Medal with a time of 3:59:57. This year, he achieved a marathon PB of 2:44:12 at the Durban International Marathon, placing him in the A-seeding batch at Comrades, among the fastest runners from across the world that will be in attendance.

Preparing for ultra-marathons is no easy feat. Sicelo shared his approach: “I start preparing for Comrades in December with long runs and regular training. In January and February, I enter races to secure qualifying times. By April, my focus shifts to high mileage, accumulating lots of kilometres to prepare my body for longer distances.”

When asked about managing a full-time job while training for such a demanding race, Sicelo emphasised the importance of having a coach to tailor a program around one’s work schedule. “Being part of a training group helps as well, you encourage each other to achieve fast times. Finding time to run in the morning, even if it’s just 45 minutes, is crucial. Many people struggle to find time, but it’s important to push for your desired time,” he added.

Running his sixth Comrades Marathon in the colours of the Purple Team is a remarkable milestone for Sicelo. As he heads for the uprun aiming for a sub-7-hour finish, we wish him nothing but the best.