Members of the Comrades Marathon Association have voted in favour of cutting ties with athletics governing bodies.
Runners participating in the annual Comrades Marathon in KwaZulu-Natal. Picture: Rajesh Jantilal/AFP
The decision made by Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) members at a special general meeting (SGM) over the weekend might be remembered as a watershed moment for South African road running.
Members met on Saturday to vote on whether or not they wanted the prestigious race to stay affiliated to provincial and national federations.
And the result is likely to have a major impact on the sport, with federations being pushed into a corner and forced to play ball.
The battle started a couple of years ago when KwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA) tried to stop Comrades runners outside the province from becoming CMA members, with the provincial body losing the fight in court.
Then, due to conflict with KZNA, the CMA attempted to sidestep the provincial federation by affiliating itself directly to Athletics South Africa (ASA).
This didn’t work, however, with ASA stating the Comrades race had to fall under the jurisdiction of KZNA.
So the CMA board gave the organisation’s members a choice: either remain sanctioned or cut ties with the sport’s governing bodies.
The members spoke loudly and clearly, with the majority of people voting at the SGM in favour of a split.
KZNA losing control
And though the CMA says it will continue engaging with KZNA, the provincial body comes to the table with very little bargaining power moving forward.
Considering the popularity of the Comrades Marathon and the influence it has on South African road running, KZNA needs to be ready to listen if they want CMA to keep them in the loop.
If the provincial federation doesn’t find a way to meet Comrades in the middle, rather than trying to assert its control over the race, Comrades will become an unaffiliated ‘fun run’.
And if other races follow suit, based on the funding model of the sport, South African athletics will need to be overhauled or it could collapse.
The CMA has flaunted its power, and athletics federations need to accept the lesson they are about to learn.
Governing bodies do not merely exist to claim levies while throwing their weight around, and if they don’t operate reasonably and make positive contributions, they will lose control.
