Comrades marathon

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The Comrades Marathon is a road race that has been held between the South African cities of Durban and Pietermaritzburg since 1921 . It is the ultramarathon with the longest tradition and the largest number of participants worldwide and a national sporting event that is broadcast in full on television. The organizer is the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA). The time limit for the approximately 90 km long route is twelve hours.

route

From the beginning the direction of travel between the two cities was changed annually; the runs started in Durban are called up runs, the down runs from Pietermaritzburg . The start is traditionally in front of the town hall of the respective starting point. Since different sports facilities are repeatedly approached in the destinations, the route length varies between 86 and 92 km.

The course, which mainly follows the old main road R 103, is characterized by five major climbs, as seen from Durban, which are known as the Big Five . Cowie's Hill, the first of them, is about 10 miles from central Durban. After another ten kilometers, Fields Hill is conquered, and shortly before km 40 with Botha's Hill, the next challenge awaits the runners. Behind it you pass the Wall of Honor, on which the winners of the race are immortalized with plaques, above the Valley of 1000 Hills and shortly behind it Arthur's Seat, a stone bench in the embankment next to the road on which the five-time winner Arthur Newton used to rest . Legend has it that runners who place a flower here with the greeting "Good morning Sir" will do well on the second half of the run.

Shortly thereafter, Drummond reached the half-time mark. Inchanga is the name of the next big climb, from the summit of which you have to walk about the distance of a marathon to Pietermaritzburg. The only relatively flat sections of the course follow through the villages of Cato Ridge and Camperdown, before cascading up to Umlaas Road, the highest point on the route at 810  m . Downhill it now goes to the village of Ashburton. Behind this is the last big climb called Polly Shorts, which leads to the outskirts of Pietermaritzburg.

The route is paved throughout. Refreshment stations are set up about 2 km apart. The crowd is enormous and in many places creates an atmosphere like a city ​​run .

history

The race was created by Vic Clapham launched, a veteran of the First World War . He had covered 2,700 km on foot during the Allied Forces offensive in East Africa and wanted to use the marathon to erect a living memorial to his fallen comrades. The run was intended to reflect the hardships that the soldiers had to endure during the war. After two years of striving, Clapham received the support of the League of Comrades of the Great War, and on May 24, 1921 ( Empire Day ), 34 runners set out from Pietermaritzburg, 17 of whom reached the finish line, the first in 8:59 h, the last in 12:20 h. The following year, Durban started with a prescribed time of twelve hours, and Arthur FH Newton won the race for the first time, and the following year he became the first runner to cover the distance in less than seven hours. Also in 1923, Frances Hayward, starting unofficially, was the first woman to complete the route.

In 1928 the time limit was reduced to eleven hours. With four wins, Hardy Ballington was the dominant runner in the 1930s. In the years from 1941 to 1945 there were no races because of the Second World War . Another tradition arose in 1948 when the runner Max Trimborn imitated a cock's crow before the start, which was so well received that Trimborn replaced the starting gun with it from now on. Even today, Trimborn's cockcall, recorded on tape, signals the start of the race.

Wally Hayward , who had won the run in 1930, was the defining athlete of the 1950s with four more victories. He was the first runner to stay under six hours in 1953. Jackie Mekler , who was the first to break the six-hour barrier in an up run in 1960, also recorded five wins . In 1962 the number of finishers in the three digits was recorded for the first time, and from then on the number of participants increased significantly. In 1973 more than 1000 runners were registered for the first time.

In 1975, at the 50th edition, blacks and women were officially admitted to the race for the first time. Robert Mtshali was the first black runner to complete the route as early as 1935. His performance and that of all other unofficial black and female starters prior to 1975 were recognized in an official organizer ceremony in 2005.

Alan Robb broke another sound barrier in 1978 with his third of four wins when he undercut the 5:30 mark. The 1980s were then the decade of Bruce Fordyce , who had to endure the insults of spectators when he won his first victory in 1981 for opposing the incorporation of the run (which had been held on Republic Day since 1962 ) in the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the Republic South Africa protested with a black bracelet. By 1990 he won another eight times; In 1989, when he was paused due to an injury, a black runner won Samuel Tshabalala for the first time. In the same year, Frith van der Merwe set the current record in the down run , and Wally Hayward became the oldest finisher ever at the age of 80.

In 1988 more than 10,000 runners crossed the finish line for the first time. After the end of apartheid and the subsequent lifting of sporting sanctions, the Comrades Marathon in 1993 was the first sporting event in South Africa with international participation. Charly Doll from Germany entered the list of winners this year; a year later, Alberto Salazar from the USA did the same. In 1995, the German runner Maria Bak achieved the first of three victories, and in 1999 Birgit Lennartz triumphed . Other successful participants from German-speaking countries are the Swiss Peter Camenzind , who was fourth in 1994 and ninth in 1997 and won several age groups in the following years, and the Austrian Dagmar Rabensteiner , who came second in the age group 40-49 in 2005 (14th overall . Place) occupied.

To celebrate the 75th anniversary in 2000, the time limit was relaxed to twelve hours. 20,047 runners reached the goal, more than ever before or since in an ultramarathon. With the return to the 11-hour limit, the number of finishers leveled off again at around 10,000, and that didn't change when the limit was permanently extended to twelve hours in 2003.

After the race was held on Youth Day (June 16) since the late 1990s , the date was changed to 17 in 2007 following protests by the ANC Youth League , which was of the opinion that this would reduce the importance of this holiday and in 2008 on June 15th. The dates for 2009 and 2010 have been moved to May because of the 8th Confederations Cup and the 19th World Cup .

The event has long been televised in full length across the country. In 2003, more than 3.5 million viewers saw at least part of the race, with the highest ratings when the winners arrived and shortly before the finish line.

Pietermaritzburg (18 Connaught Street, Scottsville) is home to the Comrades Marathon Museum, with numerous exhibits on the history of the run.

Medals and other honors

There are seven different medals that are awarded to runners who have successfully completed the route:

  • Gold medals: for the first ten runners
  • Wally Hayward Medals (silver with gold rim): for runners outside the top ten who stayed under six hours
  • Silver medals: for all other runners who stayed under seven and a half hours.
  • Bill Rowan Medals (silver and bronze): for all runners between seven and a half and nine hours
  • Robert Mtshali medals: for all runners between nine and ten hours (since 2019)
  • Bronze medals: for all runners between ten and eleven hours (since 2019, before: for all runners between nine and eleven hours)
  • Vic Clapham Medals: for all runners between eleven and twelve hours

Only the gross time ("gun time") is decisive. Although the chip used to measure the time also registers crossing the start line, the net time thus determined is not shown in the results list. Runners who do not meet the time limit (even if only by a second) will not get anything. This regularly leads to dramatic scenes when the finish is closed with a rope exactly twelve hours after the start signal.

All runners who have won three times, five gold medals or have successfully completed the run ten times within the time limit will be honored with a permanent start number in green. So far (as of 2017) 12,622 runners have received this award.

Halfway from Durban to Pietermaritzburg is the Wall of Honor. Not only the winners of the race are immortalized here, but also many other Comrades runners for whom a brick in the wall was acquired. Due to a lack of space, however, it is currently not possible to register yourself or others here.

Conditions of participation

On the day of the event, a participant must be at least 20 years old. In addition, when registering, it must be proven that you have completed a race between 42.195 and 100 km within a certain time ( marathon : 4 h 50 min; 100 km: 13:30 h). Only the local runners have to be a member of an athletics club.

statistics

Course records

Down run

Up run

Winners list

Sources: Results Service, Runnersguide.co.za, ARRS; unofficial results in italics

date Men Time
(down run) 		Time
(up run) 		Women Time
(down run) 		Time
(up run)
0June 9, 2019 Edward Mothibi ( RSA ) --- 5:31:33 Gerda Steyn ( RSA ) --- 5:58:53
June 10, 2018 Bongmusa Mthembu -3- 5:26:34 --- Ann Ashworth ( RSA ) 6:10:03 ---
04th June 2017 Bongmusa Mthembu -2- --- 5:35:34 Camille Herron ( USA ) --- 6:27:35
May 29, 2016 David Gatebe ( RSA ) 5:18:19 --- Charne Bosman ( RSA ) 6:25:55 ---
May 31, 2015 Poison Kelehe ( RSA ) --- 5:38:36 Caroline Wostmann ( RSA ) --- 6:12:22
0June 1, 2014 Bongmusa Mthembu ( RSA ) 5:28:34 --- Eleanor Greenwood ( GBR ) 6:18:15 ---
02nd June 2013 Claude Moshiywa ( RSA ) --- 5:32:08 Jelena Nurgalijewa -8- --- 6:27:08
0June 3, 2012 Ludwick Mamabolo ( RSA ) 5:31:03 --- Elena Nurgaliyeva -7- 6:07:12 ---
May 29, 2011 Stephen Muzhingi -3- --- 5:32:46 Jelena Nurgalijewa -6- --- 6:24:11
May 30, 2010 Stephen Muzhingi -2- 5:29:01 --- Elena Nurgaliyeva -5- 6:13:04 ---
May 24, 2009 Stephen Muzhingi ( ZIM ) 5:23:27 --- Olesya Nurgaliyeva -2- 6:12:12 ---
June 15, 2008 Leonid Schwezow -2- --- 5:24:49 Jelena Nurgaliyeva -4- --- 6:14:38
June 17, 2007 Leonid Schwezow ( RUS ) 5:20:49 --- Olesja Nurgalijewa ( RUS ) 6:10:11 ---
June 16, 2006 Oleg Kharitonov ( RUS ) --- 5:35:19 Jelena Nurgalijewa -3- --- 6:09:24
June 16, 2005 Sipho Ngomane ( RSA ) 5:27:10 --- Tatiana Schirkowa ( RUS ) 5:58:50 ---
June 16, 2004 Uladzimir Kowtow -3- --- 5:31:22 Jelena Nurgalijewa -2- --- 6:11:15
June 16, 2003 Fusi Nhlapo ( RSA ) 5:28:52 --- Jelena Nurgalijewa ( RUS ) 6:07:46 ---
June 17, 2002 Uladzimir Kowtow -2- --- 5:30:59 Maria Bak -3- --- 6:14:21
June 16, 2001 Andrew Kelehe ( RSA ) 5:25:51 --- Elwira Kolpakowa ( RUS ) 6:13:53 ---
June 16, 2000 Uladsimir Kowtow ( BLR ) --- 5:25:33 Maria Bak -2- --- 6:15:35
June 16, 1999 Jarosław Janicki ( POL ) 5:30:10 --- Birgit Lennartz ( GER ) 6:31:03 ---
June 16, 1998 Dmitri Grishin -2- --- 5:26:25 Rae Bisschoff ( RSA ) --- 6:38:57
June 16, 1997 Charl Mattheus ( RSA ) 5:28:37 --- Ann Trason -2- 5:58:24 ---
June 17, 1996 Dmitri Grishin ( RUS ) --- 5:29:33 Ann Trason ( USA ) --- 6:13:23
May 20, 1995 Shaun Meiklejohn ( RSA ) 5:34:02 --- Maria Bak ( GER ) 6:22:57 ---
May 31, 1994 Alberto Salazar ( USA ) --- 5:38:39 Valentina Lyachowa ( RUS ) --- 6:41:23
May 31, 1993 Charly Doll ( GER ) 5:39:41 --- Tilda Tearle ( RSA ) 6:55:07 ---
May 31, 1992 Jetman Msutu ( RSA ) --- 5:46:11 Frances van Blerk ( RSA ) --- 6:51:05
May 31, 1991 Nick Bester ( RSA ) 5:40:53 --- Frith van der Merwe -3- 6:08:19 ---
May 31, 1990 Bruce Fordyce -9- --- 5:40:25 Naidene Harrison ( RSA ) --- 7:02:00
May 31, 1989 Samuel Tshabalala ( RSA ) 5:35:51 --- Frith van der Merwe -2- 5:54:43 ---
May 31, 1988 Bruce Fordyce -8- --- 5:27:42 Frith van der Merwe ( RSA ) --- 6:32:56
May 31, 1987 Bruce Fordyce -7- --- 5:37:01 Helen Lucre -3- --- 6:48:42
May 31, 1986 Bruce Fordyce -6- 5:24:07 --- Helen Lucre -2- 6:55:01 ---
May 31, 1985 Bruce Fordyce -5- --- 5:37:01 Helen Lucre ( RSA ) --- 6:53:24
0June 1, 1984 Bruce Fordyce -4- 5:27:18 --- Lindsay Weight -2- 6:46:35 ---
May 31, 1983 Bruce Fordyce -3- --- 5:30:12 Lindsay Weight ( RSA ) --- 7:12:56
May 31, 1982 Bruce Fordyce -2- 5:34:22 --- Cheryl Winn 7:04:59 ---
0June 1, 1981 Bruce Fordyce ( RSA ) --- 5:37:28 Isavel Roche-Kelly -2- --- 6:44:35
May 31, 1980 Alan Robb -4- 5:38:25 --- Isavel Roche-Kelly ( RSA ) 7:18 h ---
May 31, 1979 Piet Vorster ( RSA ) --- 5:45:02 Jan Mallen ( RSA ) --- 8:22:41
May 31, 1978 Alan Robb -3- 5:29:14 --- Lettie van Zyl -3- 8:25 h ---
May 31, 1977 Alan Robb -2- --- 5:47 h Lettie van Zyl -2- --- 8:58 h
May 31, 1976 Alan Robb ( RSA ) 5:40:53 --- Lettie van Zyl ( RSA ) 9:05 h ---
May 31, 1975 Derek Preiss -2- --- 5:53:00 Elizabeth Cavanagh
Lettie van Zyl 		--- 10:08 h
8:50 h
May 31, 1974 Derek Preiss ( RSA ) --- 6:02:49 Alet Ten Tusscher ( RSA ) --- 9:20 a.m.
0June 1, 1973 Dave Levick ( RSA ) 5:39:09 --- Maureen Holland 8:40 a.m. ---
03rd June 1972 Mick Orton ( GBR ) --- 5:48:57 Maureen Holland --- 9:26 h
May 31, 1971 Dave Bagshaw -3- 5:47:06 --- Maureen Holland 8:37 h ---
May 30, 1970 Dave Bagshaw -2- --- 5:51:27 Elizabeth Cavanagh ( RSA ) --- 10:50 h
May 31, 1969 Dave Bagshaw ( RSA ) 5:45:35 --- --- --- ---
May 31, 1968 Jackie Mekler -5- --- 6:01:11 --- --- ---
May 31, 1967 Mania Kuhn ( RSA ) 5:54:10 --- --- --- ---
May 31, 1966 Tommy Malone ( RSA ) --- 6:14:07 Maureen Holland ( RSA ) --- 9:30 h
May 31, 1965 Bernard Gomersall ( GBR ) 5:51:09 --- Mavis Hutchinson ( RSA ) 10:45 h ---
0June 1, 1964 Jackie Mekler -4- --- 6:09:54 --- --- ---
May 31, 1963 Jackie Mekler -3- 5:51:20 --- --- --- ---
May 31, 1962 John C. Smith ( GBR ) --- 5:57:05 --- --- ---
May 31, 1961 George Claassen ( RSA ) 6:07:07 --- --- --- ---
May 31, 1960 Jackie Mekler -2- --- 5:56:32 --- --- ---
0June 1, 1959 Trevor Allen -2- 6:28:11 --- --- --- ---
May 31, 1958 Jackie Mekler ( RSA ) --- 6:26:26 --- --- ---
May 31, 1957 Mercer Davies ( RSA ) 6:13:55 --- --- --- ---
May 31, 1956 Gerald Walsh -2- --- 6:33:35 --- --- ---
May 31, 1955 Gerald Walsh ( RSA ) 6:06:32 --- --- --- ---
June 12, 1954 Wally Hayward -5- --- 6:12:55 --- --- ---
July 13, 1953 Wally Hayward -4- 5:52:30 --- --- --- ---
July 14, 1952 Trevor Allen ( RSA ) --- 7:00:02 --- --- ---
May 24, 1951 Wally Hayward -3- 6:14:08 --- --- --- ---
May 24, 1950 Wally Hayward -2- --- 6:46:25 --- --- ---
May 24, 1949 Reg Allison ( RSA ) 6:23:21 --- --- --- ---
May 24, 1948 William Savage -2- --- 7:13:52 --- --- ---
May 24, 1947 Hardy Ballington -5- 6:41:05 --- --- --- ---
May 24, 1946 Bill Cochrane -2- --- 7:02:40 --- --- ---
May 24, 1940 Allen Boyce ( RSA ) --- 6:39:23 --- --- ---
May 24, 1939 Johnny Coleman -2- 6:22:05 --- --- --- ---
May 24, 1938 Hardy Ballington -4- --- 6:32:26 --- --- ---
May 24, 1937 Johnny Coleman ( RSA ) 6:23:11 --- --- --- ---
May 25, 1936 Hardy Ballington -3- --- 6:46:14 --- --- ---
May 24, 1935 Bill Cochrane ( RSA ) 6:30:05 --- --- --- ---
May 24, 1934 Hardy Ballington -2- --- 7:09:03 --- --- ---
May 24, 1933 Hardy Ballington ( RSA ) 6:50:37 --- Geraldine Watson 9:31:25 ---
May 24, 1932 William Savage ( RSA ) --- 7:41:58 Geraldine Watson --- 11:56 h
May 25, 1931 Phil Masterton-Smith ( RSA ) 7:16:30 --- Geraldine Watson ( RSA ) 11 h + ---
May 24, 1930 Wally Hayward ( RSA ) --- 7:27:26 --- --- ---
May 24, 1929 Darrell Dale ( RSA ) 7:52:01 --- --- --- ---
May 24, 1928 Frank Sutton ( RSA ) --- 7:49:07 --- --- ---
May 24, 1927 Arthur FH Newton -5- 6:40:56 --- --- --- ---
May 25, 1926 Harry Phillips ( RSA ) --- 6:57:46 --- --- ---
May 25, 1925 Arthur FH Newton -4- 6:24:45 --- --- --- ---
May 24, 1924 Arthur FH Newton -3- --- 6:58:22 --- --- ---
May 24, 1923 Arthur FH Newton -2- 6:56:07 --- Frances Hayward ( RSA ) 11:35 h ---
May 24, 1922 Arthur FH Newton ( RSA ) --- 8:40 a.m. --- --- ---
May 24, 1921 Bill Rowan ( RSA ) 8:59 a.m. --- --- --- ---

Development of the number of finishers and track details

year Total number including
women 		Route length
(in km) 		Up Run (U) /
Down Run (D)
2010 14,343 3129 89.28 D.
2009 10,006 1748 89.17 D.
2008 08631 1411 86.94 U
2007 10,052 1765 89.17 D.
2006 09847 1607 87.5 U
2005 11,729 2000 89.17 D.
2004 10.125 1563 86.75 U
2003 11,416 1868 89.18 D.
2002 09027 1186 86.5 U
2001 11,090 1664 89.0 D.
2000 20,030 3304 87.6 U
1999 11,290 1467 89.9 D.
1998 10,496 1284 87.3 U
1997 11,357 1367 89.9 D.
1996 11,268 1232 86.7 U
1995 10,542 1185 90.7 D.
1994 10,275 1078 86.7 U
1993 11,323 1098 89.9 D.
1992 10,696 0869 86.7 U
1991 12,082 0921 89.2 D.
1990 10,273 0647 87.4 U
1989 10,507 0670 89.6 D.
1988 10,363 0544 87.5 U
1987 08376 0407 87.5 U
1986 09654 0431 88.8 D.
1985 08192 0300 88.6 U
1984 07104 0260 89.8 D.
1983 05365 0157 87.7 U
1982 04602 0100 91.4 D.
1981 03661 0059 87.9 U
1980 03978 0033 89.8 D.
1979 02821 0011 90 U
1978 02601 0008th 90 D.
1977 01670 0006th 89.7 U
1976 01409 0005 90.1 D.
1975 01237 0001 89.9 U
1974 01162 88 U
1973 01225 88 D.
1972 00976 90.4 U
1971 00931 92 D.
1970 00640 90.1 U
1969 00587 88 D.
1968 00438 86.9 U
1967 00417 86.9 D.
1966 00261 86.9 U
1965 00284 86.9 D.
1964 00205 86.9 U
1963 00149 86.9 D.
1962 00109 86.9 U
1961 00098 86.9 D.
1960 00080 86.9 U
1959 00070 86.9 D.
1958 00034 86.9 U
1957 00062 86.9 D.
1956 00055 86.9 U
1955 00064 86.9 D.
1954 00034 86.9 U
1953 00026th 86.9 D.
1952 00023 86.9 U
1951 00025th 86.9 D.
1950 00020th 86.9 U
1949 00032 86.9 D.
1948 00024 86.9 U
1947 00023 86.9 D.
1946 00008th 86.9 U
1940 00010 86.9 U
1939 00021st 86.9 D.
1938 00011 86.9 U
1937 00019th 86.9 D.
1936 00013 86.7 U
1935 00034 86.7 D.
1934 00024 86.7 U
1933 00057 86.7 D.
1932 00024 86.7 U
1931 00030th 86.7 D.
1930 00029 86.7 U
1929 00019th 86.9 D.
1928 00013 90.1 U
1927 00021st 86.9 D.
1926 00014th 86.9 U
1925 00024 87.5 D.
1924 00016 86.9 U
1923 00031 86.9 D.
1922 00026th 86.9 U
1921 00017th 87.9 D.

literature

  • John Cameron-Dow: Comrades Marathon: The Ultimate Human Race. Penguin UK, 2012, ISBN 0143528637

Web links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ SouthAfrica.info: Comrades honors its “forgotten” ( Memento of the original from December 4, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.southafrica.info archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . June 13, 2005
  2. ↑ Running Times Magazine: Why Comrades Is the Greatest . May 2009 (part 2)
  3. ↑ Running Times Magazine: Why Comrades Is the Greatest . May 2009
  4. ↑ Comrades releases Green Number stats. May 19, 2017, accessed June 23, 2019 .
  5. ^ Comrades Marathon Results History. Retrieved June 12, 2019 .
  6. ↑ Comrades Corner - History of the race ( Memento of the original from April 14, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.runnersguide.co.za
  7. ↑ arrs.run: Comrades 90 km
  8. ↑ The first placed Charl Mattheus was disqualified because pseudoephedrine was found in his urine , which was contained in a medicine he had taken against colds.
  9. ↑ a b Runnersguide.co.za: The Women's Race in the 1970’s ( Memento of the original from March 26, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.runnersguide.co.za