Centenary Comrades Marathon cancelled

“This decision comes in the wake of engagements with KwaZulu-Natal Athletics, Athletics South Africa, the National Coronavirus Command Council, members of the medical fraternity and governmental departments; and was both a moral and practical imperative given the ongoing uncertainty and unprecedented circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic, the onset of a second wave and a significantly more infectious variant of Covid-19, as well as the ongoing National State of Disaster and its associated restrictions,” said the CMA in a statement, saying the impending third wave, anticipated around April to June, made the hosting of a mass event unlikely.

The centenary Comrades Marathon had been scheduled for June 13, 2021.

The CMA added that the health, safety and welfare of runners, official, volunteers and the public were priority. However, with the centenary anniversary of the Comrades coming up on May 24, the CMA will launch its Centenary Celebrations. The association has also confirmed the second Comrades Marathon virtual event which will take place on Sunday, June 13.

Runners will be able to run in any location, outside in their garden, or neighbourhood, all at their own pace, in a similar fashion to last year’s successful inaugural Race the Comrades Legends which saw 43 788 participants from more than 100 nations uniting in a single virtual event. Details will be shared in due course.

CMA Chairperson, Cheryl Winn, has urged runners to accept and respect the CMA’s decision which was made in conjunction with KZNA, ASA and government restrictions, and most importantly, with the utmost regard for the health and welfare of athletes, volunteers and all other stakeholders. A secondary consideration was the risk of committing precious resources towards the staging of an event which might later be cancelled at short notice and the CMA Board’s obligation for the preservation of the 100-year-old event’s assets into the future.

“We urge Comrades runners to take care and continue to maintain their fitness levels to enable a smooth transition once the normal staging of distance running resumes, while we at the CMA pledge to enable runners to stay connected, engaged, safe, informed and abreast of developments in this regard,” Winn said.

“What we can confirm is that the festivities of the Comrades Marathon Centenary Celebrations will commence on 24 May and we invite all South Africans and our global running community to join in the revelry and remembrance of South Africa’s and the world’s oldest and greatest ultra-road running event.”