At 76, Pat Pillay continues to inspire as he competes in the Comrades Marathon
Pat Pillay, 76, is running his 36th Comrades Marathon today
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Among the over 22 000 runners setting off from Pietermaritzburg City Hall on Sunday for the Comrades Marathon, is Pat Pillay, who is going for his 22nd medal.
Pillay, 76, is among the oldest men tackling the gruelling 89.98 km to Durban's People's Park.
The 98th edition of the Ultimate Human Race is slightly longer than the 87.701km down run in 2023.
The longest down run in the history of the Comrades was 92 km in 1971.This year marks the 49th down run.
Pillay, a financial advisor from Ballito, competed in 35 Comrades, but completed 21.His first Comrades was in 1979 and he has two silver medals in his Comrades Marathon collection.
"Running the Comrades is a goal I work towards every year. I will run until my last day. I will continue running this marathon for as long as I can and achieve the number of medals that I can.
"Whether it's an up or down run, any run is good enough. However, the muscles are impacted more on the down run. But reaching the finish is always a good feeling," said the grandfather of two.
Pillay, who belongs to Save Orion Athletics Club, said he was an athlete since school, but could only start participating in official races in his late 20s due to apartheid.
"I have a natural inclination for running. I exercise daily. I either run or swim, work out at the gym, play golf or do yoga and meditation," he said.
Pat Pillay running a previous marathon
Image: Supplied