For the second time in as many years, the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) board has regrettably announced its decision to cancel the Comrades Marathon scheduled for June 13.
The decision comes in the wake of engagements with KwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA), Athletics South Africa (ASA), the National Coronavirus Command Council, members of the medical fraternity and governmental departments and was both a moral and practical imperative given the ongoing uncertainty and unprecedented circumstances of the pandemic. The onset of a second wave and a significantly more infectious variant of Covid-19, as well as the ongoing National State of Disaster and its associated restrictions also contributed to the decision, which will be taken with deep disappointment and frustration for hundreds of thousands of runners.
The CMA board is determined that the health, safety and welfare of Comrades runners, officials, volunteers and the general public remains paramount even after having held out hope that the nation’s most unifying road running event would have been able to be hosted.
The impending third wave of the pandemic, which is widely anticipated between April and June, has ended any such hopes and makes the hosting of any mass event shortly highly unlikely.
However, the good news is that the Comrades centenary celebrations are imminent. With the very first Comrades Marathon having been held on May 24, 1921, the CMA will launch its centenary celebrations on May 24 this year.
Also on the positive side, the CMA has confirmed that its second Comrades Marathon virtual event will take place on June 13, the day which was supposed to host the real, live event.
Details of the virtual event, the Comrades centenary celebrations and other innovative festivities which are in the pipeline will be shared in due course.
CMA chairperson Cheryl Winn has urged runners to accept and respect the CMA’s decision which has been made in conjunction with KZNA, ASA and government restrictions, and most importantly, with the utmost regard for the health and welfare of our athletes, volunteers and all other stakeholders. A secondary consideration was the risk of committing precious resources towards the staging of an event which might later be cancelled at short notice and the CMA board’s obligation for the preservation of the 100-year-old event’s assets into the future.
She said: “Amid intense and ongoing uncertainty with the pandemic and its effects on mass gatherings and events, our runners’ interests remain uppermost in our minds and endeavours. We urge Comrades runners to take care and continue to maintain their fitness levels to enable a smooth transition once the normal staging of distance running resumes, while we at the CMA pledge to enable runners to stay connected, engaged, safe, informed and abreast of developments in this regard.”
Also Read: Success of first virtual Comrades Marathon leaves its mark
