After dropping off children at school, South African minibus driver"Roro" Mokgele Ramathe parks up and strips down to his training kit underneath.Sporting a short goatee and a jovial smile, the 42-year-old, popularly known as Roro is ready to hit the streets of Soweto again, training for one of the world's oldest ultra-distance races, the Comrades Marathon.
And for him, it has been a life-altering race. As a result, he said, he was a"better husband, better father, better community leader.Dubbed the Ultimate Human Race, the Comrades Marathon was launched to honour South African soldiers killed in the WWI. His victory was a huge boost for those opposed to the institutionalised racial segregation at the heart of the system.
In the afternoon, he picks up the children from school, then sets off for a second run of five or 10 kilometres. Longer runs of 30 to 50 kilometre runs are for weekends.