My Running Life with Rachel Beaton

Sipho Marima has established himself firmly as one of South Africa's most beloved running creators, adored by a nearly cult-like following who wait eagerly for his next post, his next story, or even just a "Did you run?" check-in.

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His warmth, humour and genuine care for his community shine through, and his fans repay that energy tenfold with their unwavering support online.

But don’t let the jokes fool you. He's no 9min/km prom poppie. Sipho is an elite runner in his own right, with three Comrades Marathon silver medals, multiple sub-3-hour marathons, and a host of ultramarathon feats.

Rachel Beaton: Big Boss! Great to finally pin you down for a catch-up. You're like Mr Worldwide these days.

•Sipho Marima: Nah, listen... you know how it is, always busy with something. I think you're the famous one!

RB: We'll call it a tie. So - how did you get into running?

•SM: I played soccer from high school; stopped playing after a knee injury. 2015 to 2018, I didn’t engage in any physical activity. Someone challenged me to a 21km run because I was mocking them as a runner. They said, "Let’s see if you can do it.” And then I went to do the 21K, and from there I never stopped. It was mainly an ego thing. ‘You think I can’t do this? Let me show you.’

RB: What time did you run?

•SM: 2:45 for my first 21. It was the longest day I’ve ever had! I suffered that day. I walked the last 13km.

RB: And that hooked you?

•SM: Well, after that I said, “Let me try a shorter distance, because the 21 was painful. Let me try a 10.” Then, after the 10km, I signed up for a 32km. Then someone said, “Ah, you did 32, you can actually do a marathon.” I was like, “What’s a marathon?” They said, “It’s 42.2, and if you do it under 4 hours 15 minutes, you qualify for Comrades.” And I was like, “What’s that?” That’s when the bug started to catch up with me.

RB: How long from starting running to first Comrades?

•SM: I started running in April 2017, and ran my first Comrades in June 2019.

RB: And when did content creation start?