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Ten things you should know about the Comrades Marathon
Thousands of people travel to Durban and Pietermaritzburg to witness the amazing marathon each year and thousands more are kept glued to the television for the day. Find out why the event has such a following.
- At 87, 72km it is an ultra marathon and cited to be the world’s oldest and largest of its kind.
- The race is run between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, with the direction alternating each year. This year was an ‘up’ race, which started from Durban.
- A total of 23 000 runners from more than 60 countries can compete each year. This year 19 069 runners were elegible, of which 2 000 are international athletes.
- Since 1988, over 10 000 runners have reached the finish line within the 11 or 12 hour cut-off time at every event.
- All runners who finish the marathon under 12 hours receive one of the following medals:
- Gold medals – the first 10 men and women
- Wally Hayward medals – 11th position to last person to cross the line under 6 hours. (No medals were awarded this year as the winners all finished in more than 6 hours.)
- Silver medals – 6 hours to 7 and a half hours
- Bill Rowan medals – 7 and a half hours to 9 hours
- Bronze medals – 9 hours to 11 hours
- Vic Clapham medals – 11 hours to 12 hours.
- The first Comrades Marathon was held on May 24, 1921 and has been run every year since, excepting a few years during World War II. This year was the 90th race.
- The Comrades Marathon is the brainchild of World War I veteran Vic Clapham, who wanted to commemorate the SA soldiers killed during the war. Clapham, who endured a 2 700km march through the burning hot German East Africa, wanted the memorial to be a unique test of physical endurance.
- The constitution of the race states that one of its primary aims is to “celebrate mankind’s spirit over adversity” and the race is known for its amazing sportmanship and supportive competitors.
- For the first time in 23 years, two South Africans won the Comrades Marathon – Gift Kelehe and Caroline Wostmann (men’s and women’s race winners, respectively).
- Caroline Wostmann also won the Two Oceans Marathon earlier this year.
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