Running News Daily

Two Firefighters Ran the Two Oceans Half Marathon in Full Gear

Renaldo Duncan and Jermaine Carelse completed the Cape Town race to support Volunteer Wildfire Services.Running a half marathon while wearing ski boots is one thing, but taking on a race in full firefighter gear is a whole new level.

On Sunday, two fire and rescue service members, Renaldo Duncan and Jermaine Carelse, completed the Two Oceans Half Marathon in Cape Town, South Africa, while wearing full firefighting gear to support a local charity.The men donned heavy jackets and helmets for the duration of the half—though no large boots were involved, as the firefighters opted to wear traditional running shoes to make things a bit more pleasant. 

While the weight of firefighter gear was indeed a hindrance during the race, the biggest challenge was how the equipment would affect body temperature in the late miles.

"We started heating up and [had] to take in a lot of fluids," Duncan told News24 in Cape Town. "It’s probably the most fluid I’ve ever taken in a race."

Duncan, a 13-year veteran firefighter, trained for this year’s Two Oceans by running in full firefighter gear during other races, and the duo had completed the race together—also in full gear—back in 2017. With the gear on, the pair completed this year’s run in 2:41.

The firefighters did the stunt in hopes of raising awareness and donations for the Volunteer Wildfire Services (VWS), which combats runaway fires in the area. The VWS is a collection of about 320 volunteers that fight dangerous brushfires by wading through dense brush and across treacherous terrain to contain fires before they can spread farther.

"A lot of the city’s annual fires, around half, are bushfires, and a lot of that happens in the green belts that surround the city, whether in Helderberg or along Table Mountain National Park,” said JP Smith, a mayoral committee member for safety and security, to News24. “These fires can be utterly devastating [and] we depend heavily on the VWS ... these volunteers do really brilliant work, and they do a lot of fundraising and need a lot of equipment.” 

This isn’t the first time firefighters have opted to go full gear for a good cause. In 2015, firefighters in Ontario ran with 70 pounds of gear to raise awareness for PTSD. That same year, a New Jersey firefighter set a record for the fastest mile in full gear with a time of 6:45 to raise awareness for his charity, Team Firefighter.