Comrades Marathon to welcome runners from 70 nations

THE iconic Comrades Marathon returns after the Covid-19 disruptions. In just 10 days, runners from 70 nations around the world will descend on Pietermaritzburg to participate in the 95th edition of the world-famous marathon.

The Down Run starts at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall and finishes 12 hours later at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) chairperson, Mqondisi Ngcobo says, “We warmly welcome our athletes from all corners of the world to be part of the world’s biggest, oldest and most famous ultramarathon. This is going to be a very special edition of the Comrades after its two-year hiatus due to Covid-19. Runners can expect a truly wonderful day of road running on Sunday, 28 August.”

The five top international contingents are the United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, India, Eswatini and Brazil.

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Local South African runners make up 14 456 of the entrants taking to the track. Of this number, 11 431 are men and 3 025 are women.

A total of 220 runners hail from the United Kingdom – 176 men and 44 women.

There will be 172 men and 38 women flying the Zimbabwean flag while 209 runners hail from India – 185 men and 24 women.

Eswatini sees 94 runners head to the Comrades Marathon start line with 64 men and 30 women gearing up for the 90km race.

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Also represented at the marathon are: Brazil with 92 entrants, the United States of America (88), Botswana (78), Australia (75), Germany (52), Zambia (43), Namibia (34), Russia (33), Netherlands (32), Lesotho (27), Kenya (26), Portugal (14), Malawi (14), Canada (13), Switzerland (11), France (10), Sweden (10), Nigeria (10), Mozambique (9), Israel (9), Ireland (9), Japan (9), Uganda (7), Norway (6), Belgium (6), United Arab Emirates, (6), New Zealand (6), Angola (5),

Singapore, Austria and Finland will each send four runners to the start line while there are three runners entered from each of the following nations: Spain, Colombia, China and Poland.

Two runners from each of the following nations will take part: Romania, Hungary, Italy, Venezuela, Latvia, Ethiopia, Mexico, Lithuania and Hong Kong.

There is one runner entered from each of the following nations: Tanzania, Montserrat, Tunisia, Albania, El Salvador, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Egypt, Czechia, Benin, Libya, Qatar, Congo, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Slovenia, Gambia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Saint Martin, Togo, Morocco.

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