{"id":11054,"date":"2026-06-18T08:22:48","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T08:22:48","guid":{"rendered":"\/?page_id=11054"},"modified":"2026-06-18T08:23:42","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T08:23:42","slug":"national-commissioner-honours-dcs-veteran-runner-poli-for-an-outstanding-35-comrades-marathon-finishes","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"\/?page_id=11054","title":{"rendered":"National Commissioner honours DCS veteran runner, Poli for an outstanding 35 Comrades Marathon finishes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery aligncenter has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"760\" data-id=\"11056\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-1-3-1024x760.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11056\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-1-3-1024x760.jpeg 1024w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-1-3-300x223.jpeg 300w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-1-3-768x570.jpeg 768w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-1-3-1536x1141.jpeg 1536w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-1-3-2048x1521.jpeg 2048w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-1-3-400x297.jpeg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In a moment filled with pride and celebration, the National Commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services, Mr Makgothi Thobakgale honoured Correctional Services (DCS) veteran runner, Vitalis Poli with a special award for his extraordinary achievement of completing Comrades Marathons 35 times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Poli began his Comrades journey in 1990 and has not missed a single edition since, marking 35 consecutive years of participation in The Ultimate Human Race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The seasoned runner is among a select group of athletes who have achieved more than a Triple Green Number. His distinguished Comrades Marathon profile includes four silver medals, nine Bill Rowan medals, 18 bronze medals, and four Vic Clapham medals, with his fastest time of 07:18 achieved in 1995.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Poli attributed his consistency to the support of his family, noting that their encouragement has made his journey easier. He added that he has never faced significant personal circumstances, such as the loss of a close family member or other major family commitments, that conflicted with the Comrades Marathon date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"788\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-2-1-1024x788.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11057\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-2-1-1024x788.jpeg 1024w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-2-1-300x231.jpeg 300w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-2-1-768x591.jpeg 768w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-2-1-1536x1181.jpeg 1536w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-2-1-2048x1575.jpeg 2048w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/Photo-2-1-400x308.jpeg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The retired Correctional Services official, now 61 years old, says he is aiming to achieve his fourth Green Number. \u201cMy next goal is to attain the Comrades Marathon Quadruple Green Number, as my body still allows me to run and I remain in good health and condition,\u201d he mentioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Poli, a professional chef, stated that although his running journey has been marked by challenges, these did not deter him but rather reinforced his determination. \u201cWhile running the Soweto Marathon, I was struck by a car driven by a drunk driver. On another occasion during the Comrades Marathon, I fell while descending Drummond Hill after being tripped by a road reflector while running alongside the leading woman. Despite the setback, I showed determination, taking about 30 minutes to recover before continuing and finishing the race,\u201d stated former Leeuwkop Management Area official.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond his own achievements, Poli stands as a mentor and role model, using his deep running expertise to nurture talent and influence strategies across the running community, from local runners to elite competitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe honoured our very own running legend Poli, as this Ultimate Human Race demands immense endurance, strength, discipline, and preparation and complete. His consistency over three decades serves as an excellent example to emerging runners. He remains a source of motivation and inspiration to many. This recognition reflects his outstanding achievements,\u201d said National Commissioner Thobakgale.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a moment filled with pride and celebration, the National Commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services, Mr Makgothi Thobakgale honoured Correctional Services (DCS) veteran runner, Vitalis Poli with a special award for his extraordinary achievement of completing Comrades Marathons<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2851,"featured_media":11055,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11054"}],"collection":[{"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2851"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11054"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11054\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11058,"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/11054\/revisions\/11058"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11055"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}