Entries opened for the 91st Comrades Marathon on 1 September and in only four days 4 000 entries were received. Road running clubs across Joburg reported a flood of eager participants involving themselves in preparations for the 90 kilometre race. The race takes place on 29 May next year.
The Randburg Harriers running club put forward 62 entrants with those numbers expected to rise substantially. “Last year we had 182 starters,” said club secretary, Michelle Knotzer, adding that around 100 runners finished.
Chairperson of road running at Pirates Sports Club Road Running, Hennie Booysen, said Pirates’ preparations began with early time trials, speed work, and hill work, and should pick up good momentum by January when the club hosts its tough 21km race. “It tends to be a good measure of where we are. Last year 47 people finished, about 25 per cent of our entrants.”
Tessa Shellard, chairperson of Florida Running Club said, “Last year we had 45-odd finishing. About three did not finish. One of our members coordinates a group called Road to Comrades that is specifically orientated to running Comrades and deals with everyone from novices to experts.
Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) general manager, Chris Fisher said, “In a first for the Comrades charities, the first three days of the 2016 Comrades entry process has netted over R100 000 in donations for our six official charities. We are humbled by our runners’ benevolence.”
Entries will close on 30 November. Runners can enter via post, at the CMA office in Pietermaritzburg or on the Comrades Marathon website, www.comrades.com.
