ZOLA Budd says she is devastated and angry after she was excluded from the veterans prize at the Comrades Marathon Association. The 48-year-old came seventh overall in the ladies category and was the first female veteran runner to cross the line.

She has been excluded because she did not display her age category tag according to the officials. This means Budd will not qualify for the R12,000 prize money for winning the veterans category.

Ray de Vries, Budd’s SA manager, said he has sent a letter of protest to KZN Athletics over the mix-up.

“Zola is devastated by the news. I spoke to her last night and she said that she won that fair and square. She was issued with an international number which has the age category tag on it. In the international final instructions it states that the age category is on the race number.

“The women who were awarded the second and third places also only had an age category on their race numbers, exactly the same as Zola. Someone’s made a mistake and the question is, why is Zola being singled out?” she said.

Rowyn James, race director of the Comrades Marathon Association (CSA), said according to the official rule book, any runner in an age group should have an age category cloth.

“The rules clearly state any runner in a numerical age group must have a cloth tag, it must be clearly displayed either in the front or back of their crop top or running vest. She (Zola) is still classed as an official finisher and gold medal winner but has been excluded from the veterans prize,” he said.

James said every runner was issued with a race pack, which had a copy of the Comrades rule book.

Zola Budd dedicated her Comrades Marathon run this year to Pierre Korkie, a South African, who is being held hostage in Yemen. Korkie coached Budd in 1988 and 1989.