Pietermaritzburg police officer and Kamalaaz Marathon runner, Xolani Ndaba, the first KwaZulu-Natal police officer to cross the finish line, says he loves his lifestyle of running.
Ndaba was one of a handful of police officers honoured at Durban Central Police Station on Monday.
Representing the SAPS badge, 356 police officers took on the 2024 Up Run edition of the Ultimate Human Race.
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Police participation was up from the 218 who endured the 2023 down run.
Among police officers nationwide, Ndaba ranked third and first in the state.
The officer, who works in mechanical services in Pietermaritzburg, said working hard and training hard was key to finishing within the desired time frame.
Ndaba is running his eighth Kamalaaz and said he loves running and living a healthy lifestyle.
I would like to encourage many people, especially police officers, to participate in sporting events and physical activities.
“We live in a time where there are a lot of diseases and health problems that can be minimized or avoided by exercising,” he said.
Also honored at the ceremony were officers who led 10 comrades in the race and earned green plates.
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The top three runners also received cash prizes ranging from R5,000 to R15,000.
