Comrades Marathon to be well attended

Local athletic clubs’ colours are sure to be highly visible as approximately 170 athletes from Polokwane participate in the annual Comrades Marathon hosted in KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday.
Four local clubs bid farewell to their athletes during their goodie bag breakfasts at different venues on the weekend. During these events athletes are motivated and addressed one last time by the club chairman or invited motivational speakers. Inside the goodie bags athletes found T-shirts and caps among other items.
With 127 runners Polokwane Athletics Club (PAC) has the largest number of Comrades entrants of which 29 are novices. They were addressed by Comrades gold medallist Ludwig Mamabolo as well as Arnold Geerdts, who has been anchoring test rugby, golf majors, five Olympic Games and million rand fund raising events through to the Comrades Marathon.
Club Chairperson Corrie Calitz hopes for at least four silver medals and a top five position in the masters’ category. Several female athletes are also expected to excel.
Pietersburg Road Runners (PRR) is entering 11 female and 15 male athletes of which four are expected to finish in top category positions. Joyce Netshifhefhe and Geneva Raphahla are expected to achieve silver medals while Lazarus Seroka might achieve a top three position in the masers category. PRR expects at least eight silver medals from the team and brags with six athletes competing in the Comrades for the first time.
Run/Walk for Life is entering only three athletes with Mzansi Athletics Club having 12 athletes of which five are novice athletes.
Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) Race Director, Rowyn James in January announced the distance of the 2017 Comrades Marathon measured at 86,73 km. This year will be an up-run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg.
The race is set to start at the Durban City Hall and finish at the Scottsville Racecourse in Pietermaritzburg. The route is similar to the one 1998 and 2000 with a few minor tweaks here and there.
This year’s up-run will be slightly shorter than the two most recent up-run routes. The 2013 route was 86,86 km long while the 2015 route measured 87,72 km.

Story: RC Myburgh
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