Runner completes backyard marathon

Writer: Raphael da Silva.

A passionate runner successfully completed the equivalent of a full Two Oceans Ultra Marathon on Saturday by running a distance of 58 km around the Sandbaai property of his future parents-in-law’s and raising over R21 000 for the CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation of South Africa.

“It was great. Physically, I could have gone on running. But mentally, it was exhausting keeping myself stimulated while going around in circles,” said Alan Hradaker (46), who completed 485 laps of the 120 m rough track around Sampie and Ritamarie van Zyl’s property.

Alan Hardaker completed his own Two Oceans Marathon by running a circular backyard trail around his future parents-inlaw’s property in Sandbaai.

PHOTOS: Magriet van Zyl

When the Two Oceans Marathon was cancelled due to the Coronavirus lockdown, Alan realised that many charitable organisations around the world would be losing much of the additional income they depend on to keep going, due to the cancellation of fundraising events. So, one morning as he was walking around the Sandbaai property where he and his fiancée, Margriet van Zyl, are spending the lockdown period with her parents, Alan, who is a financial advisor based in Cape Town, decided to go ahead and run his own Two Oceans Marathon to raise money for the CHOC Foundation.

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