THE Two Oceans Marathon is a 56 kilometre ultramarathon, and 21 kilometres half-marathon, held annually in Cape Town.
As one can expect, it is one of the most challenging marathons in the country, and participants are always proud of taking part in it. One such participant is Godfrey Sonwabo Jacobs, who this year ran the race for the first time.
“It’s funny actually, because I was not supposed to run, but a friend of mine got pregnant so I took her spot,” he giggled.
Jacobs runs the Godfrey Sonwabo Jacobs non-profit organisation along with his cousins, Nolan Baartman and Nicole Baartman.
“We are all products of Colchester Primary School, and the school is turning 143 years old this year. Taking part in this race was to raise awareness about how amazing the school, and community of Colchester, are. It’s so underrated, yet so rich in history and the morals and discipline they instil in learners. Years later, my cousins and I are all still upright members of society, and the current principal, Chantel Loff, also attended the same school,” Jacobs explained.
A few years ago Jacobs was involved in a car accident that had a huge impact on his left knee.
“I could no longer run; even doing simple mundane tasks without a knee guard was extremely taxing. I honestly thought it was the end of running for me, and the thought of that alone broke me,” Jacobs recalled.
Like a trooper, Jacobs made the decision to focus on his healing, and gradually ease back into his love for running.
“I started regularly seeing a physiotherapist, and being more active.”
Jacobs finally felt ready to take part in the big race, and when he approached the school with his idea to raise awareness about their amazing works, they were grateful and proud.
“The principal is a very strict, upright lady, so there were a lot of steps to get proper approvals, but once the admin was out of the way, the excitement kicked in.”
At the finish line Jacobs proudly held a colourful flag with “Colchester Primary School” boldly painted on it. “The learners of the school actually painted that flag for me, and also put their little hands all over it, it was the most heartwarming thing ever!” Jacobs beamed.
His goal was to finish the race in under two hours, and he made it just five minutes under his goal time.
“That was a proud moment for me, to achieve a personal goal where I pushed my body, but more importantly, to do something for someone else without expecting anything.”
Next up for Jacobs, “a lot more races, that’s for sure,” he concluded.
