THERE will be no Comrades Marathon for the second year in a row.
The event was cancelled again due to fears over the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, the 2nd Comrades Marathon virtual event will take place on Sunday, 13 June.
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The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) Board recently announced its decision to cancel the Comrades Marathon, which was scheduled for 13 June.
In its statement, the CMA said the decision was made after talks with KwaZulu-Natal Athletics, Athletics South Africa, the National Coronavirus Command Council, members of the medical fraternity and governmental departments.
“Amid intense and ongoing uncertainty with the Covid-19 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. The CMA pledge to enable runners to stay connected, engaged, safe, informed and abreast of developments in this regard,” said the CMA chairman, Cheryl Winn.
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Runners will be able to run in any location, outside on their garden or neighbourhood, at their own pace. Last year, 43 788 participants from more than 100 nations participated in the virtual run, said the CMA.
The Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust, one of the official Comrades charities, said the cancellation was a difficult blow to its fundraising as the annual campaign helped it raise just shy of R3 million for its life-saving projects in the past three years.
“The team at HACT understands and supports the CMA in their recent decision to cancel the centenary Comrades Marathon. While we know how disappointing this news is to the thousands of runners, both locally and around the world who were looking forward to participating in this year’s event, the CMA has had no choice but to prioritise the runners’ health and safety,” said the NPO’s marketing and fundraising manager, Claire Hodgkinson.
“We are excited by the challenge that lies ahead of us in inspiring those who plan to take part in the virtual race to raise funds for our charity. We look forward to continuing to do what we do best in terms of supporting our runners and ensuring their 2021 virtual Comrades experience is a fun, memorable and rewarding one,” she said.
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