Saturday 16 March 2024 sees the annual Trojan Om die Dam 50km return to the Hartbeespoort Dam and as one of the big ultra marathons on the South African distance running calendar, a host of Nedbank running club green dream team athletes will be out in action, with some racing and others using the iconic event as prep towards the Comrades Marathon.
The Rustenburg Nedbank champions as they have commonly now ben referred to will have a big squad assembled on race day but will be taking the event as training towards the big C on the 9th of June. Comrades’ champions Edward Mothibi and Tete Dijana spearhead the team, together with fellow teammates and Comrades gold medallists Dan Matshailwe, Joseph Manyedi and Johannes Makgetla with fellow female athletes Galaletsang Mekgoe and Slindile Chili joining them.
Manyedi who is a former winner of Om die Dam will also be training but Nedbank running club teammates Charles Soza, Pfarelo Mathada and Sithembele Fanekho will be looking for honours up front in the men’s race. In the women’s race, former winner, and Comrades 2023 runner up, Adele Broodryk will also be looking to retain her title which she won last year whilst also in prep for another Comrades attempt.
Coach Dave Adams who has guided both Dijana and Mothibi to victories over the last 3 Comrades Marathon’s is looking forward to Saturday’s race in which he says is vital for his athletes’ preparations for the big day in June. “I gave the team a very long break after a busy 2023 and we only started up again in January so as we move towards mid-March, we are starting to go longer and Om die Dam is perfect prep for us,” said Adams.
Adding two new runners to his Comrades squad this year in the form of Chili and Reuben Mosiane who will also be taking it easy on Saturday, Adams has mastered the art of preparing for Comrades and the results over the last three editions is testimony to that.
“If you want to achieve success you must believe that you can and then you must have a well-constructed plan, on how you are going to achieve that success,” says Adams.
“We make sure we spread our Nedbank Elite Green Dream Team across South Africa to compete and concentrate on the main races so that they don’t overtrain or get over raced for the Comrades marathon in June 2024.The team is leaving for a high altitude training camp early May” said Nick Bester-National Nedbank Running Club Manager.