VRYHEID KZN: Second year of disappointment for Comrades runners
This decision comes as an enormous disappointment to many runners who have already trained for this year's marathon
It will be another year without nail-biting finishes while watching the annual Comrades Marathon on television. The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) has decided to cancel the marathon for the second consecutive year. It was scheduled for June 13, but will not take place due to the current pandemic. This decision comes as an enormous disappointment to many runners who have already trained for this year’s marathon. An engagement between KwaZulu-Natal Athletics, Athletics South Africa, the National Coronavirus Command Council, members of the medical fraternity and governmental departments determined that both the moral and practical uncertainty and unprecedented circumstances of the pandemic, as well as the ongoing National State of Disaster and its restrictions will have to be honoured. The main objective of the board is the health, safety and welfare of Comrades runners, officials, volunteers and the general public. The anticipated third wave of Covid-19, which will be around April to June this year, has made any hopes of hosting any mass events in the near future highly unlikely. However, the second ‘virtual’ Comrades Marathon will take place on June 13, in which runners will be able to run in any location (outside in their garden or neighbourhood), all at their own pace. CMA chairperson Cheryl Winn has urged runners to accept the decision. Winn continues by saying that, “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, while we at the CMA pledge to enable runners to stay connected, engaged, safe, informed and abreast of developments in this regard.” Local runners from Vryheid Athletic Club are very disappointed, since many of them started their rigid training last year. Here are their views and opinions on the cancellation of the Comrades Marathon. Ferdinand van Niekerk: “…I’m so very disappointed… us golden oldies wanted to start right at the back, feel the Comrades vibe again, shuffle, chat and enjoy everybody up to 21km, get in our cars and go and braai for the rest of the day on the beach… next time.” Bongani Msimango: “I am very disappointed. I have trained for many kilometres, but I will keep on training. I hope there will be more events to participate in.”
Mandla Mnisi: “I was not surprised that again this year there is no Comrades. I believe even next year it will be the same. I was ready to bag a silver medal this time – I was trying to finish under 07:30:00. Currently, I am working on my speed, doing a lot of speed session training. I am hoping to run better times in my half-marathons and marathons when the window is back open. This year, I would have completed my ninth run. I have successfully completed seven runs. My best time was 07:34:00 in 1993 at the age of 30. I joined VAC in January 1991. In 2019, I ran my best marathon in Pongola (42.2km) where I ran a time of three hours, 27 minutes. With that marathon time, I earned a “C” seeding and I finished the up-run in 08:30:00 that year. More recently, I completed the Newcastle Battlefields 42.2km marathon in 03:23:00 and came 17th overall. I was the second Master finisher (50+). My next planned race was the Standerton Goldi 42.2km, but due to Covid, all races were cancelled last year. In preparation for last year’s Comrades, I had completed one full marathon when all races were cancelled. I will keep training and hope to still run more Comrades in the future.”
Hein Potgieter: “Ek het in 1991 Comrades begin hardloop en het alreeds 28 klaargemaak. Eerstens gaan my hart uit na die mense wat geliefdes verloor het en vir my is dit baie groter as net die Comrades. Ek verstaan as die Comrades gekanselleer word, en as dit dan ‘n bydrae kan lewer om mense se lewens te spaar dan verstaan ek dit totaal en al, al is dit persoonlik nie lekker nie, aanvaar ek dit. Ek fokus op positiewe dinge, en een positiewe ding wat ek wil uitlig is dat dit beslis nie my laaste Comrades sal wees nie, ek sal bly oefen. Ek het 16 maande om te oefen, sou dit dan volgende jaar plaasvind en dit bly ‘n voorreg om deel te kan wees van die Comrades. As ek gespaar bly is ek terug in 2022 om my 29ste Comrades te hardloop.”
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