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Durban - He was up there with the quickest on the cricket field, but former Proteas fast bowler Nantie Hayward will have to pace himself on Sunday when he attempts his first ever Comrades Marathon.
The 90th edition of the Ultimate Human Race takes place from Durban to Pietermaritzburg, and Hayward will be one of around 20 000 runners looking to get to the end in one piece and in under 12 hours.
"It was always a dream as a kid, watching it on TV and stuff. When I was young I did a bit of cross-country and then started to become a cricketer and almost forgot about running," Hayward said from the Comrades Expo in Durban on Saturday.
Road running has become a passion of Hayward's in the years following his cricketing career, and he already has two Two Oceans Marathon medals to his name.
Comrades, though, is a different kettle of fish.
"It's my first one and I just want to finish and see how it goes," the fiery former red-head said.
"And then next year come back and go for time.
"It's awesome. I met a lot of guys at Two Oceans and a lot of them are down here as well."
Hayward will be running on Sunday with his wife Marlize, who is also tackling the race for the first time.
The 38-year-old played 16 Tests and 21 ODIs for the Proteas between 1998 and 2004.
