FORMER Grahamstonian Evan Mclean will run his 11th Comrades Marathon this year in a bear outfit. McLean decided that 2007 would be his last race after he earned his permanent Comrades number.
FORMER Grahamstonian Evan Mclean will run his 11th Comrades Marathon this year in a bear outfit. McLean decided that 2007 would be his last race after he earned his permanent Comrades number.
Coach the bear is The Sports Trust’s official mascot which helps the official Comrades charity raise funds for various sports on all levels.
Mclean started running at Southwell Primary and then went on to Graeme College where he was part of the school cross country team, matriculating at Graeme in 1987.
Mclean went on to represent Eastern Province at the South African marathon champs and was part of Port Elizabeth-based Achilles Amateur Athletics Association in the 90s.
Mclean is also the current Rand Athletics Club captain, has completed 88 marathons, 79 of them in under 3 hours.
His best position in the Comrades was a 44th in 1999, in a time of 6 hours 17 minutes and 5 seconds.
SABC will broadcast an interview with Mclean, during the Comrades on Sunday, 24 May.
Run for moola
Mclean said the funds will be directed back into road running where about 60 underprivileged runners are currently being trained by Simon Malinda, a 1995 Two Oceans winner.
Mclean said he is aiming to run this year’s Comrades in the bear outfit, in under 7 hours 30 minutes, which will earn him a silver medal.
“Hopefully in years to come I can somehow be involved with a charity drive to raise funds which would benefit the Eastern Cape area,” he said.
Support for the charities are either done via the comrades SMS line where viewers can SMS "Sport" to 38275 (charged at R10) or via www.backabuddy.co.za. Enter “Evan Mclean” to make a donation towards the Sports Trust.
