The Comrades Marathon is a tough but worthy one for any ultra runner, but Mike Sewell is committing to running 20 back-to-back this August.
South Africa (20 July 2022) – Imagine running 1800km to get to the Comrades Marathon, only to do the marathon then too? That is exactly what 44-year-old Mike Sewell is doing this year. All in the hopes of inspiring people to support the CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation.
This year, Mike will aim to raise R1 million, which will be used to support children fighting cancer. He is running with The Cows from Cape Town to the Comrades, and the journey should take around 20 days to complete.
The Cows were started in 2008 by a group of eight enthusiastic cyclists keen to make a difference and raise funds for the CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation of South Africa. Cordi van Niekerk was one of the founder members and joined Kerrin and Grant Bain in cycling the 947 Cycle Challenge in memory of their daughter, Jessica, who had recently died from cancer at just 20 months old.
As CHOC had played a significant role in the Bain family’s life in the last few weeks of Jessica’s life, specifically with palliative care and emotional support, the decision was to make CHOC the beneficiary of their quest. They decided to don cow suits and succeeded in raising R230 000.
The herd of adventure and endurance-loving cows grew from there, and each time, they raised money to support CHOC. Now, 13 years later, The Cows have raised well over R30 million for specific projects implemented by CHOC.
Mike’s journey is the equivalent of twenty back-to-back Comrades Marathons. This is not his first attempt at this challenge. He and five others tried in 2018 but were unsuccessful. Mike, however, did manage to get the furthest in the challenge, completing 1,100km in 20 days. He has spent the last four years preparing for what they call “The Long Road to Comrades”.
“I had seen The Cows at other events and they intrigued me,” said Sewell. “On connecting with them it just all felt right. Great energy, great community and of course – a great cause. I’ll be treating the charity element as a second parallel project – as big as the run.”
He says this challenge has unfinished business, and while it will be a test of his limits, the cause is an important one. This time around, he has worked hard on his mental abilities, which will help take him further, especially when the road gets tough.
What will keep him motivated is making rest stops at some of the CHOC houses along the way. These stops will give Mike the motivation to push forward. He will get to meet the incredible teams that support the families of children fighting cancer and meet the very children he is running for.
“The best part about a second attempt is the benefit of experience. And with such a big challenge, that experience is invaluable. There are a few very significant changes that I have made from the first attempt.
“Firstly, quitting is not an option. It was too easy to get in the support van last time. This won’t be an option this year. I will just have to suck it up.
“Then, keep moving forward! We spent too much time in 2018 not moving forward. This time, only lunch and CHOC house visits will be static stops. All other non-running events in the day must be “rolling”.
Anyone keen to support Sewell on The Long Road to Comrades V2.0 can make a contribution via his fundraising account here. More information about The Cows can be found at www.thecows.co.za
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