Comrades may be cancelled, but you can join Comrades legends for a virtual race

Quite fittingly, the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) has launched the officially sanctioned virtual race, “Race the Comrades Legends” which promises to be a race with a difference. All participants in this race are guaranteed a finisher’s medal.

The ultramarathon, which is considered to be the world’s greatest, is gearing up to invite runners from all over the world to participate on June 14.

This creative approach will provide South African marathoners the opportunity to be part of the action, all while adhering to government’s national lockdown regulations.

Lowveld clubs such as Run Walk for Life and Lowmed Running Club, keen on getting a bite of the action, will be afforded the chance to virtually compete, run with and compare each other’s progress with the likes of legends such as Bruce Fordyce, Frith van der Merwe, Samuel Tshabalala and others who have left an indelible imprint on the Comrades Marathon. Each participant will be able to create their own story and will also receive a medal.

Local runner, Madelein Whitehair, from Run Walk for Life, said while plans were in the tentative stages, plans were in the pipeline for runners to complete the 90-kilometre ultramarathon over a course which is yet to be mapped out.

“We are still in the process of outlining the course, but runners who will not be able to compete the entire race on the day, will be allowed to do so over the course of the Comrades weekend.

“The details are still sketchy at the moment and as soon as the plans have been finalised, these will be made known,”
she said.

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By creating an international virtual event with great public focus, based on a series of distances that various running legends have defined in their time, from the five-kilometre to the marathon as well as the usual Comrades Marathon ultra, the CMA has effectively created a virtual mass-participation event for everyone to be a part of.

All that runners need to do is go to the Comrades website; register for “Race the Comrades Legends”; select their distance of five-, 10-, 21-, 45- or 90 kilometres. They will also have the option of donating to an official Comrades Amabeadibeadi Charity should they so wish.

The cost is R150 for South African runners and $25 for foreign athletes. Entry is free of charge to all runners who have entered the 2020 Comrades Marathon, who are however, encouraged if it is within their means, to make a voluntary donation to the official charity of their choice.

Once registration is complete, runners will receive all vital race information and rules before the race. Athletes will then run their race and capture their finish time using a normal timing device; upload their time manually, after which their results will be calculated and updated automatically. They will receive personalised race feedback by email with results analysis and extended results comparison afterwards.

The programme will include full integration of all popular fitness apps, including Strava and Endomondo for direct upload; as well as Garmin, Polar and Suunto.

Runners who do not have any of these devices or apps can upload a GPX, TCX or FIT file format from other devices and apps or they can manually enter their time based on any watch.

The personalised “Race the Comrades Legends” race results will then be integrated to include fun and novel finishers’ comparisons which can then be pitted against the Comrades Legends.

Further statistical comparisons will be done according to cities, regions and provinces; as well as comparisons of overall calculated handicaps in terms of age, weight and gender.

Delving deeper, a projection of a possible Comrades time over the shorter distances will be made, for example: a person entering the 10-kilometre race can be motivated to see that they can potentially compete in a Comrades in the future.

The race feedback will serve to encourage the participant to stay in the circle for the next participation and if possible, direct the participant to such.

Additional comparison results can be published online in a personal results interface supplying the participants with a variety of interesting, and engaging content.

Every entrant will receive a digital race number before the race, a virtual medal and certificate immediately afterwards, personalised results comparisons and all finishers will receive a real medal, which will be distributed as soon as possible after the race in terms of lockdown regulations, as opposed to the majority of virtual races which generally only award virtual medals.

All entrants will have the option of purchasing a commemorative T-shirt on entry, to denote their participation in
this event.

The great thing about virtual running is that runners also get to hone their training plans, running methods, race day nutrition and hydration; all of which essentially helps you to become a better runner.

It works pretty much the same way as any other type of running but the difference is that the runner can run at any location, especially in the comfort of your own home, on a treadmill, outside in your garden, or neighbourhood, all at your own pace.

CMA chairperson, Cheryl Winn said, “We welcome all athletes to be a part of ‘Race the Comrades Legends’. This is one of those innovations that will add to the Comrades spirit on June 14 which would have been our 95th race day, but has obviously had to be cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.”

“As always, we expect that our athletes will take the necessary precautions and observe the relevant constraints of the national lockdown and adhere to social distancing norms, no matter which country you are in. However, this is one race in which we wish to unite South Africa and the world in one amazing virtual event.”

For more information on “Race the Comrades Legends” and to enter, visit www.comrades.com.

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