Greatest Races - The Comrades Marathon
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Last month, in our ‘Greatest Races in the World’ feature, we covered the Boston Marathon, the oldest annual Marathon in the world.
This week, we move to South Africa for the oldest annual Ultra Marathon in the world - the Comrades Marathon!
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The Comrades Marathon
In running circles, two words evoke awe-inspiring respect, ‘Comrades Finisher’
Not many own this halo, it is a testament to their love for running, their physical and mental stamina, and ability to put up with pain for long periods of time.
A marathon (a distance of 42.2 km) pales in comparison. This race is a little bit longer than two marathons back-to-back! The holy grail of Ultra Marathon road running.
In the Indian subcontinent training for the Comrades attains a higher level of difficulty due to its timing - it is held on the first weekend of June (winter in South Africa)
Peak training, the highest weekly mileage and intensity, with long runs of 60 - 75 kms occur in the hot sweltering summer months of April and May!
We at Team WCL, have for many years wondered what pushes those who attempt it every year, and where does their drive and determination emanate.
The History of the Comrades
The Comrades Marathon is an annual ultra marathon held in South Africa, across a distance of 90 kms between the cities of Pietermaritzburg and Durban.
The race was established in 1921 by Vic Clapham, a World War I veteran, as a memorial to the suffering endured by South African soldiers during the war, and to their camaraderie in overcoming these hardships.
The physically demanding course is a unique test of endurance, and a celebration of ‘Mankind’s spirit over adversity’.
The name ‘Comrades’ originates from the military veterans’ organization of South Africa, ‘Comrades of the Great War’.
The first race attracted a total of thirty-four starters in the ‘Down’ direction, and was won by Bill Rowan with a time of 8h 59m.
The 2019 Comrades ‘Up’ Marathon last year attracted over 25,000 participants (the largest field at an Ultra Marathon event), apart from hundreds of thousands of spectators along the course, and several million television viewers at home.
The Indian contingent was over 200 strong, and five finished under nine hours.
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What Goes ‘Up’ Must Come ‘Down’
A distinct peculiarity about this race, is that it alternates every year in direction.
The ‘Up’ race climbs from Durban (at sea level) to Pietermaritzburg (at an elevation of 600 metres) while the ‘Down’ race descends in the opposite direction. The highest point on the course is 810 metres above sea level.
You may think - “Oh well, I’ll just do it downwards, and check it off my bucket list!”
Well, you could. But the real test is in finishing the ‘Up’ race. For most runners, it’s usually a two-year fixture on the running calendar, in consecutive years.
The race organizers introduced a special medal in 2005 called the ‘Back-to-Back’ Medal, for those who finished under the cut-off two years running.
“Running a truly great Comrades is an art more than a science. You have to feel your way through the race, pitting your strength and energy against the course. It takes years to learn the art, and even the most experienced runners sometimes fail. I have.”
- Bruce Fordyce, 9-time Comrades Winner (1981-88, 1990) and 24-time Comrades Finisher
In 1989, Fordyce competed in and won the 100 km World Championships in February, and chose to opt out of defending his Comrades crown. That year, Sam Tshabalala became the first black South African to win the prestigious race.
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The Big Five
Africa’s Big Five are easy to name - the lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and buffalo, coined by the big game hunters of yore, now common safari tourist terminology.
For every runner who has attempted the Comrades, this term takes on a whole new meaning - the five grueling climbs on the course in the ‘Up’ direction - Cowies, Fields, Bothas, Inchanga and Polly Shortts.
The Comrades Marathon attains mythical status, not just over the distance of 89 km, which tests your physical and mental limits, but interspersed with 3,000 vertical feet of elevation gain.
The Big Five are known to sometimes bring even the best trained to their knees. In 1991, nine-time winner Bruce Fordyce walked off the course with a DNF.
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Medals of the Comrades Marathon
The Comrades Marathon carries a strict cut-off of 12 hours, with intermediate cutoffs at five different points on the course.
In return, you become the owner of one of the most prized possessions in distance running in the world - a Comrades Finishers’ Medal. There are nine of these.
The Vic Clapham Medal
(For a sub-12 hour finish, named after the founder of the race)
The Comrades Back-to-Back Medal
(For a sub-12 hour finish in two consecutive years, for first time runners)
The Comrades Bronze Medal
(For a sub-11 hour finish)
The Robert Mtshali Medal
(For a sub-10 hour finish, named after the first unofficial finisher of color in 1935 with a time of 9h 30m. The race was officially opened to participants of color only in 1975)
The Bill Rowan Medal
(For a sub-9 hour finish, named after the winner of the first edition, with a time of 8h 59m)
The Comrades Silver Medal
(For a sub-7.30 hour finish)
The Isavel Roche-Kelly Medal
(Silver with a gold rim - For women only, who finish outside the top 10, but under 7h 30m, named after the first woman to break the 7h 30m mark in 1980)
The Wally Hayward Medal
(Silver with a gold rim - For those men who finish outside the top 10, but under 6h, named after the legendary runner who broke the course record thrice in five victories and is the oldest finisher of the race at the age of 80, in 1989)
The Comrades Gold Medal
(For the top 10 men and women finishers)
The Comrades Marathon awards a permanent number to all those who successfully finish ten races within the cutoff time of 12 hours. A unique badge of honor for a rare achievement.
For all subsequent Comrades races in perpetuity, the owners of these numbers wear it on a bib with a Green background, instead of the usual White
Did You Know
Next year, the race celebrates it’s centenary, although it will only be in its 95th edition (The race was cancelled over 1941 to 1945 due to World War II, and in 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic)
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Course Records
On the ‘Down’ race,
Men’s Course Record: David Gatebe (SA) in 05h 18m 19s, since 2016
Women’s Course Record: Frith van der Merwe (SA) in 05h 54m 43s, since 1989
On the ‘Up’ race,
Men’s Course Record: Leonid Shvetsov (RUS) in 05h 24m 49s, since 2008
Women’s Course Record: Gerda Steyn (SA) in 05h 58m 53s, since 2019
Gerda Steyn was the first woman to break the 6 hour mark in the history of the ‘Up’ race, and shattered the previous best by over ten minutes - legendary Russian ultra runner Elena Nurgalieva’s time of 06h 09m 23s in 2006 - bringing the course record back into South African hands.
Did You Know
Elena Nurgalieva has 8 wins at the Comrades (2003-04, 2006, 2008, 2010-13). She and her identical twin sister Olesya Nurgalieva dominated the race over this period, between the two, they won 10 out of 11 races!
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So, why has the Comrades Marathon achieved mythical status, and attracts a 25,000 strong field year after year? Why is it a fixed part of the calendar for some multiple-time finishers, around which their year is planned?
It could be because it is the oldest ultra marathon, to run the historic course is a dream for some, to be a part of the legacy.
It could be the support, never a dull moment with hundreds of thousands of cheering spectators watching a national event unfold, stretched out along the entire length of the course.
It could be the pure physical and mental challenge of a 90km run and the prized medals.
Perhaps, running the race itself someday will reveal to us the answer.
What We’re Watching
The research for this post was quite inspiring! Reading about the race, its history and the amazing physical feats of achievement of past finishers, made us want to slide on the shoes and dart out for a quick 5 km run!
If you wish to continue soaking into Comrades Marathon history and atmosphere, the 40-minute roadshow for the 2016 ‘Down’ Race (the 91st edition) on their Youtube channel provides stunning stories, visuals and video grabs of the race, and winners since inception. Check it out here.
The shorter promo videos for the 2019 (“Together We Triumph”), 2018 ("No Turning Back"), and 2017 (“It Takes All Of You”) editions of the Comrades Marathon are also quite persuasive, if you’re looking for some #RunningMotivation!
Inspiration of the Week
Chris Nicik is aiming to be the first person with Down's to compete in an Iron-man tournament, which consists of a marathon, a 112-mile bike ride and 2.4-mile swim. Take Inspiration, get Started!
Unique Races in the World!
This one coming from Czech Republic. The race takes place is a brewery cellar!
That’s a wrap from us!
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