It’s 1 May 1967. Tommy Malone enters the Greyville Race Course, running towards a piece of tape that serves as the finishing line for the 42nd Comrades Marathon. Just a few metres before the end, Tommy fell, his body giving into a calf cramp. Manie Kuhn, who had been catching up to him, soars past Tommy and wins the race by one second, the closest finish in Comrades history.
Watching this iconic moment is a young Barry Holland. Inspired by the passion of these runners, he knew he had to be a part of this epic race. Nearly six decades later, at 72-years-old, he is gearing up to run his 50th Comrades Marathon.
Barry is a born and bred Durban North local. He moved to Johannesburg at the age of 24 where he joined the Jeppe Athletics Club. Although many know him as a Striders member, he actually ranwith Jeppe for most of his Comrades career. “My years at Jeppe were fantastic. I had a big hand in building the club. I love club life and the camaraderie of running with your mates,” he says.
Better schools and a wish to return to his roots led Barry and his family to the North Coast around 12 years ago. He found his new running home at Dolphin Coast Striders, which only had 80 members at the time (a far cry from the 500 today) and no firm ‘meeting’ spot. Like Jeppe, he became Chairman of the club and created a strong bond between all the runners, a lot of whom have run alongside him during Comrades Marathons. Barry was also part of restarting the Indian Ocean Marathon, which galvanised the Striders and gave them a goal.
But let’s go back 50 years to Barry’s first Comrades. At 18-years-old, he took to the roads of Durban North early in the morning to start training. This lasted two weeks before he decided running was not for him. When the next year rolled around, Barry thought he’d try again – perhaps he was wrong the first time… Unfortunately, this was not the case, and his ‘training’ only lasted three weeks!
“When I was 20, I told myself that this year I was going to train and I was going to run the Comrades – no excuses. After three weeks, I was close to giving up, but one morning I ran around a corner and saw a group of guys running together. They were theRegent Harriers. For the last three years, I just missed them during my runs. I started Comrades training with them, and the rest, as they say, is history.”
Running may seem like an individual sport – it’s just you, the road and your tekkies – but it can also be very social, and this is what kept Barry going. On the other hand, it is also an extremely ‘mental’ sport and takes commitment. “You have to be very mentally strong. The Comrades is too long, too far, too hard – it’s easy to give up. Every day you have to make a choice – are you going to get up early every day to run or stay in your warm bed?”
Reflecting on 49 years of preparing for this world-famous marathon, Barry’s training has changed tremendously with age. “I divide my Comrades career into my racing years and surviving years,” he laughs. “I’ve gone from my best time of six and a half hours to finishing in 11 and a half hours. I used to train six days a week, about 140 kilometres, but can only do four days a week nowadays. It’s been difficult to accept that I can’t run like I used to. When you run this marathon, I believe you need to put everything out there and leave nothing on the road.”
Barry adds that the Comrades Marathon itself has also changed over the years in its enormity, from the number of runners, spectators and tables with water and refreshments to the grand setups at the registration and finishing line. However, what has always stayed the same is the camaraderie and spirit felt at every race, which is what he loves most.
As Barry gears up for his 50th (and last) Comrades Marathon, he recognises the incredible journey it has been. “I’ve been fortunate enough to have a family that has supported me along the way.” To say that the Comrades ‘runs’ through Barry’s family’s genes is an understatement. Debbie, his wife, has run 20 Comrades Marathons and most of their seven children have run the marathon.
“The Comrades is a central theme in my life, but I have been blessed with so much more – successful businesses, lifelong friends, my kids and grandkids, and running in general. The journey of 50 Comrades has flowed like a river through my life,” Barry concludes.
You can support Barry during his 50th Comrades on 9 June 2024! This uphill race will end outside Scottsville Racecourse, so make sure you’re there to cheer him and the other Dolphin Coast Striders on!
Did You Know?
- Each year, the Comrades Marathon is either downhill (Pietermaritzburg to Durban) or uphill (Durban to Pietermaritzburg).
- All the Comrades Marathons are not the exact same length (approximately 88 kilometres).
- Runners have 12 hours to finish the marathon.
- Barry’s Comrades racing bib is unique, sporting his name rather than his race number.
- Barry has never watched the Comrades Marathon on TV because he’s been running the Comrades since before the television was introduced in South Africa!
