“Ska Fela Moya” – Never Give Up! The world’s biggest, oldest and most famous ultramarathon was established in 1921 as a live memorial to the fallen soldiers from South Africa in World War I. Every South Africa distance runner aspires to capture the coveted finisher’s medal by completing the course …
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“Ska Fela Moya” – Never Give Up! The world’s biggest, oldest and most famous ultramarathon was established in 1921 as a live memorial to the fallen soldiers from South Africa in World War I. Every South Africa distance runner aspires to capture the coveted finisher’s medal by completing the course under the strict limit of 12 hours.
The “DOWN RUN” starts in Pietermaritzburg and finishes in Durban 12 hours after the official start. The race is run from ‘gun to gun’. The race distance is approximately 87km. This distance is subject to change and will be confirmed in the Final Race Instructions. The course is famous for endless hills, impressive scenery, unique traditions and camaraderie.
Entries for the Comrades Marathon are limited to a maximum of 22,000 and there will be no extensions. All current and potential Comrades Marathon runners that wish to run the Comrades Marathon are urged to take careful note of the entry process and the cutoff date. All runners are urged to enter early to avoid disappointment.
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Returned for my back to back medal
Comrades is an amazing and challenging race. This year was the "Up" run. I set an age group record for F over 70. The history, the memorable start and finish … MORE
Comrades is an amazing and challenging race. This year was the “Up” run. I set an age group record for F over 70.
The history, the memorable start and finish and the spectators along the course are unmatched by other races.
My First UpRun Completion
Having DNFed on the last UpRun in 2019, I came to 2024 with excitement, anxiety and caution including confidence of completion as I had trained for it. I aimed for … MORE
Having DNFed on the last UpRun in 2019, I came to 2024 with excitement, anxiety and caution including confidence of completion as I had trained for it. I aimed for Bill Rowan Sub-9h00 finish but second half dealt with me bigtime. Learnt a lot, had too much fun and thanks to my Seconding Team I pulled a PB 🔥🔥🔥
Incredible Experience
I have run over 120 marathons and hundreds of races and no race (including 100th Boston, NYC, Chicago, LA, London) has had more support from the race, spectators, and participants. … MORE
I have run over 120 marathons and hundreds of races and no race (including 100th Boston, NYC, Chicago, LA, London) has had more support from the race, spectators, and participants. I would have felt I let down thousands of people if I didn’t finish this race. Over 40 aid stations, team tents supporting everyone, and spectators cheering and handing out food & drinks. For the downhill course it was a perfect temp at the start. Warmed up quickly, but with lots of fluids on the course, dehydration wasn’t an issue. Incredible finish inside the Kingsmead rugby stadium. Definitely going back next year.
Comrades - truly the Ultimate Human Race
There is so much to say about running my first Comrades ... as a "novice" ..where to begin. The traditions of the oldest ultra marathon make it a truly a … MORE
There is so much to say about running my first Comrades … as a “novice” ..where to begin. The traditions of the oldest ultra marathon make it a truly a unique race as it is accessible to so many runners and there is a camaraderie I have never experienced in any other race. As the qualifying ( marathon) time is 4:50 it is very doable by most runners. I had originally planned to run it in 2020 and when it was cancelled, I doubted I would still make the trip – but Comrades called to me to come and at least try to finish the race. I knew that whether I finished it under the 12 hour time limit or DNF – it would be the highlight of my running adventures.
I had first heard of Comrades from Mike Sohaskey at an expo several years ago. After he piqued my interest in this fascinating race I went home and looked up what I could find about it, including a Runners World article and Amby Burfoot’s account in his book Run Forever. Let’s just say I was hooked on running this race. I watched countless videos of the amazing start and finish line, listened to podcasts, especially of Lindsay Parry the official Comrades coach, and then told my own coach I was in! ..let’s start planning for this race.
It is unique in that it is run in a different direction every other year. The course is extremely hilly, however, with the recommended walk breaks throughout the course, it is very doable. I had not really trained sufficiently with walk breaks, so I pretty much followed what others were doing, mainly walking a lot of the hills. I found the 11 hour pace group about 2/3 of the way into the race and stayed with them until about 2.5 miles to go – I was feeling great so I was able to run to the finish line at a pretty fast pace ( for me) I finished with a smile and lots of energy.
I am now a believer in the run//walk method especially for a long distance as I know it is what allowed me to finish strong and earn my bronze medal for a sub 11 hr finish. Prior to this race the furthest I had run was a 35 mile training run, in which I did walk several miles on a very hot day ( mid 80’s), and 3 yrs ago had run one 50k trail run.
All along the course other runners come along side of you and talk for a minute or two, asking where you’re from , how you are doing etc. You wear two bibs, one on front and back, with your name on it and also the number of times you’ve completed the race. Simply amazing to see a bib with 22 or 35 or 49 times run! I met a man who was running his 50th Comrades . I tripped and fell once on a street light and another runner stayed with me, and another runner gave me aspirin which I had neglected to carry with me. The crowd support is amazing – sort of like New York or Boston on steroids!I wore a USA singlet and received a lot of cheers and Go USA from the crowd of spectators.
All of the runners in SA are in local running clubs and they are cheering their members and all the runners on, singing in local languages, providing food and music along the course etc. I signed up with a company called ConSports and had 3 “bag drops” along the way with my fluids and nutrition that I was used to. However the course was well stocked about every 2 m with water and electrolyte drinks and food.
The whole atmosphere of the weekend was lively. I met runners from all over the world – its amazing how far people travel to this race. For me, it was over 30 hours of flight time from California.
I went with the Marathon Tours group and met some wonderful runners and their families. MT support was terrific, transfer from airport, 3 dinners, race day transportation to the start etc. Also with Marathon Tours we stayed at the Southern Sun Elangeni which is a beachfront hotel in Durban and also the official Comrades hotel, and where the elites stayed. So I was lucky to meet Gerda Steyn who won the women’s race and also Michael Wardian who I really admire.
There were apparently some major issues this year with shorter cutoff times which didn’t allow many runners finish the race which was very frustrating and extremely disappointing. The race was about 1.3 km shorter than usual due to road work on the earlier parts of the course. A big part of the drama is always the finish line – you must cross at 12 hrs – and the race is “gun” time. There are always many people just missing it by seconds. However, this year somehow the cutoff times didn’t allow for many runners to come into the stadium and hope to cross the finish line at the last second..
I could go on and on and on and may update this review but I suggest you read Mikes May 2015 post which includes an excellent, very detailed review by wghines and another runners experience which completely summarize the day and experience. It is a magical day and a race like no other.
I definitely want to return – if you run it two years in a row as a novice, you earn a special ” back to back” medal – so hopefully I will be at the starting line in June 2024.
Run Comrades – it will show you what you are capable of. Humanity was at its finest on June 11 on the road to Durban.
Definitely the Ultimate Human Race
It is tough on your mind body and soul, but it is well worth it. It is well organised, well supported by volunteers, communities, families and friends and everyone! MORE
It is tough on your mind body and soul, but it is well worth it.
It is well organised, well supported by volunteers, communities, families and friends and everyone!
Epic
It lived up to the hype. I never knew I could run that far but the crowd got me there. So much vibe and characters and antics all they way … MORE
It lived up to the hype. I never knew I could run that far but the crowd got me there. So much vibe and characters and antics all they way there. A wonderful fresh wildness to the vibe, I just loved it. Epic finish at Moses Mabida took my breath away. So much food and stations the whole way. Will be back.
The Up Run (Durban to Pietermartizburg)
I ran my first Comrades up run this year. There are no flat parts to the Comrades route, no matter which direction you are running it, but the up run … MORE
I ran my first Comrades up run this year. There are no flat parts to the Comrades route, no matter which direction you are running it, but the up run is particularly brutal with an elevation gain of more than 1,800m over the 87km distance. Many Comrades fanatics will inform you that the up run is better than the down run as the majority of the uphill occurs in the first 35km, so you get the difficult part over when you still have fresh legs. These people must be part mountain goat, ignore them.
I live in Canada. While South Africans are training for Comrades through their summer, those of us living in the Northern hemisphere are training through winter. In all of my Comrades race photos, I am easily spotted as the sickly white person surrounded by dark and tanned people. It is so preferable to go from warmer to colder, than the other way around. If it wasn’t for the cooler weather we were blessed with this year (and my exceedingly slow pace) I would have joined the folks hooked up to an IV at the end.
I had a horrible run. I felt sick 26km into the race. For the next 20km, I just couldn’t eat anything. Then I had no energy. I struggled to convince myself to keep moving forward. I really wanted to quit. After all that training (1242km between Jan – May) I watched my ‘A’ goal fly out the window (under 10 hours), then my ‘B’ goal disappeared (under 11 hours), and I knew I would struggle to finish the race before the 12 hours cut off.
You are never alone during Comrades. As I fought the mental struggle to keep going in spite of dashed hopes, fatigue and feet covered in blisters, I was surrounded by thousands of others, some fighting their own battles, while others cheerfully amble ahead with everything going as planned. There are crowds of supporters lining the route in many areas and it is hard not to draw energy from these people, even with your head lost in a grey cloud of negativity.
So somehow, I kept moving along until I crossed the finish line (11 hours and 41 minutes after I started) and had a medal around my neck — from this formidable but possible race.
What goes up, must come down!
BOTTOM LINE: At the risk of sounding like a (happily) broken record, the Comrades Marathon is the greatest running event on the planet. Not only is it the oldest and … MORE
BOTTOM LINE: At the risk of sounding like a (happily) broken record, the Comrades Marathon is the greatest running event on the planet. Not only is it the oldest and largest ultramarathon in the world, but no other event can match its epic scope and time-honored traditions, its all-day adrenaline, and the easy camaraderie forged among runners from around the globe. Comrades is truly a race that celebrates all runners and wants everyone to succeed, from international runners who travel halfway around the world to local runners who qualify for the race but can’t afford lodging — for these athletes, the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) sets up cots to sleep on near the start line the night before the race.
But to whom much is given — in this case, the opportunity to participate in the Ultimate Human Race — much is expected, and you can expect the journey from Pietermaritzburg to Durban (or the reverse) to be anything but smooth. Because Comrades is a trial by fire. Both mental and physical hardships await on the long, hot, hilly road to Durban, each of which will test you, test your resolve, and ultimately change you. As the 2016 race slogan predicted, Izokuthoba: It will humble you. And if you’re anything like me or the many other runners from around the world who return to this event year after year, you’ll discover that 90 km cycle of destruction and renewal to be cathartic and even downright addictive — physically, spiritually and psychologically. You’ve been warned.
PRODUCTION: Awesome, except for the post-race logistics in Moses Mabhida Stadium, which despite its sleek modernity was less runner-friendly than the smaller Scottsville Racecourse last year. I won’t be the first or last person to tell the CMA that the stadium as a finish venue is a work in progress. Whereas its grandeur and spectator-friendly viewing arrangement are beyond reproach, as a post-race recovery zone for runners it leaves a lot to be desired.
There’s plenty of work to be done to reimagine Moses Mabhida as a more comfortable and inviting post-race venue, and hopefully that starts with letting finishers and running clubs gather on the grass playing field. While I’d imagine there are liability and security issues that limit its access, it seems absurd to have exhausted runners dragging themselves up and down concrete stairs, sitting in cramped plastic seats and sprawling underfoot on the floor of the concourse while an immaculate grass surface lays unused below them.
Aside from that, race day was perfect. And a special shout-out of appreciation to all the volunteers without whom Comrades would be impossible — I’m constantly amazed at the selflessness of the folks who voluntarily stand on their feet for hours in any weather to help runners like me achieve our personal goals. You all are the real heroes of the Comrades Marathon!
SWAG: At roughly the size of an American quarter or RSA 5 Rand coin (the back-to-back medal is only modestly larger), the Comrades finisher medal may be the smallest in distance running. And yet it’s also among the most coveted. My three Comrades medals — two bronze, one back-to-back for running consecutive years — are the guests of honor in my collection alongside my Boston Marathon unicorn. To me, the medals are beautiful in their simplicity. Plus, they’re great conversation starters, particularly for puzzled non-runners who balk at the notion of running 90 km for something THAT small.
Unfortunately, the official race shirt this year was downright ugly. As my running partner Jimmy suggested, it’s almost as if Mizuno learned they’d won the Comrades sponsorship and immediately sent someone into the back of the warehouse to find a bunch of blank tech shirts on which to print a Comrades logo, year and distance. The royal blue shirt has the beginnings of a honeycomb pattern on front which morphs into a strange geometric pattern reminiscent — to this lab rat — of viruses viewed under an electron microscope. All of which adds nothing to the design. The shirt lacks the design sensibility of last year’s New Balance merch, a truth that extended to everything in the Mizuno store at this year’s expo. I showed up at the expo ready to support all things Comrades as I had in 2017, only to be disappointed by Mizuno running shoes with no Comrades branding and Mizuno t-shirts that simply said “Osaka Japan” on the front. In the end, I grudgingly saved my money and opted for a simple black tech shirt with a tiny Comrades logo on the sleeve. So a word to the wise at Mizuno: get back to the drawing board before next year’s event and KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE. You could sell hella more merch with even the slightest bit of foresight and design sensibility.
There’s a whole lot more to say about this year’s down run, and I say most of it on my blog at https://wp.me/p2rSqE-1GS
My First Comrades Marathon
I went in blindly running this race...I only knew about the 12 hour cut off, that it was the oldest ultra in the world and one year it is uphill … MORE
I went in blindly running this race…I only knew about the 12 hour cut off, that it was the oldest ultra in the world and one year it is uphill and the following is downhill. I recommending getting hill work in…which I didn’t and also recommend reading the website and listening to Coach Parry’s podcast..he is the official coach for Comrades…and also read my review of everything I learned during the race instead of learning ahead of time. And let me know if you also want to run it in 2019…as I am heading back for the uphill!
it will humble you
ultra whole on asphalt. many climbs with 1700 meters of altimetry. 20000 people .organized like a major. aid station every mile. difficult but very rewarding. MORE
ultra whole on asphalt. many climbs with 1700 meters of altimetry.
20000 people .organized like a major. aid station every mile.
difficult but very rewarding.
Like nothing else in the world
BOTTOM LINE: Comrades is like no other running event in the world. It’s an audacious nickname to be sure, but the event lives up to its billing as “The Ultimate Human … MORE
BOTTOM LINE: Comrades is like no other running event in the world. It’s an audacious nickname to be sure, but the event lives up to its billing as “The Ultimate Human Race.” I’ve used the phrase “once in a lifetime” twice to describe races: once for the Antarctica Marathon and now for my first Comrades experience. And it’s that experience that keeps its finishers coming back 10, 20, 30, in some cases 40 times. I’d love to return to Boston someday, but I feel compelled to return to Comrades. This race will challenge you, it will inspire you, it will humble you. But most of all, it will change you.
They say you never forget your first. And now I get it.
The name says it all (though not the “Marathon” part, since the race itself is over 50 miles): you don’t run Comrades for the t-shirt and medal, though those are sweet perks. You run for the camaraderie and the community. You run to celebrate the spirit of brotherhood and humanity that unite us all—what the Zulu culture calls ubuntu. You run because there are no strangers between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, only friends you haven’t met yet. And you run to be part of something much bigger than yourself—17,000+ runners from 73 countries, all in pursuit of a common goal, all speaking a common language. The language of Comrades.
Unless you’re among the last-minute finishers or hooked up to an IV in the medical tent, the Comrades experience doesn’t end once you cross the finish line. Watching from the bleachers at the Scottsville Racecourse as the final few finishers struggled to beat the countdown to the 12-hour cutoff was one of the most gripping human dramas I’ve ever witnessed.
For prospective Comrades runners, if you have questions about any aspect of the race I’m sure @RorySteyn would be happy to answer them. He’s a fantastic ambassador and a wealth of information on all things Comrades, having crossed the finish line 12 times and earned a green number. Plus, he’s an incredibly generous and genuinely nice guy who knows pretty much everyone involved with the race.
PRODUCTION: Race production was flawless, as evidenced by the start corrals with 17,000 runners all crossing the line within eight minutes. And Comrades wouldn’t be the best race in the world without the best volunteers in the world. From packet pickup to on-course support to the unenviable job of forming a human wall at the 12-hour cutoff, the volunteers are as critical to the success of the race as the runners themselves. The difference being, they don’t take home a medal for their efforts.
The pre-race expo is so large, it even has its own food court. Rows upon rows of exhibitors, retailers, lounges, improvised stages and even massage stations filled the Durban Exhibition Centre. I’d recommend hitting the expo on Thursday or Friday to avoid the Saturday crush, since you don’t want to be on your feet any longer than necessary the day before the race. Separate lounge areas exist for newbies (“novices”), international runners and Green Number Club members to pull up a chair, grab a snack and chat with fellow runners while escaping the crowds. And international runners enjoy another underrated perk at the expo: a dedicated packet pickup line, which saved huge time by allowing me to bypass the Disneyland-length line of South African runners waiting to pick up their own packets. Seriously, the line looked like the wait for Space Mountain. International runners at Comrades are definitely treated like first-class citizens.
Speaking of which, Thursday evening also featured a highly recommended reception for international runners at a local hotel. The reception was well worth attending, as we met runners from around the globe as well as 9-time winner Bruce Fordyce and Cheryl Winn, the 1982 women’s winner and current Comrades Marathon Association Vice-Chair. Yet another benefit to being an international runner!
If you have a limited amount of time at the expo, I’d recommend you attend the back-to-back presentations at the Old Mutual tent by Lindsey Parry (the official Comrades coach) and Norrie Williamson (19-time finisher and official course measurer). Each man shares valuable expertise, insights and guidance to help you prepare for race day, along with pace bands that are either free (in Williamson’s case) or which can be purchased for a nominal fee (in Parry’s case, which turned out to be a smart call since Williamson’s bands were quickly snatched up by the “If it’s free, gimme three!” crowd). Coach Parry’s pace bands are temporary tattoos you can affix to your forearm, as I did on race day to track my progress.
SWAG: The smallest medal in road racing may also be the most coveted. With 92 years of history behind it, there’s a singular power and beauty to the quarter-sized medallion on its simple black-and-yellow ribbon. After all, it’s not the size of the medal you earn, it’s the size of the mettle that earned it. And when you’re the best in the world, you don’t need to change for anyone. I could go on to gush about the cool race t-shirt and wicking runner’s cap, but that’s hardly going to sway your decision on whether to run the Ultimate Human Race.
Here are my eight tips for conquering the Comrades Marathon up run:
1) Self-discipline is the key—don’t start too fast. If you find yourself running comfortably in the first few km, you’re probably going too fast.
2) Nothing new on race day—this goes for gear and nutrition. One possible exception is the official Comrades cap you’ll receive at the expo, though I opted against that too.
3) Dial in your nutrition early, before the day heats up and your stomach goes rogue.
4) Don’t underestimate the heat—Much will be made of the 2,500 ft of net climbing in the first half, and for good reason… but don’t discount the beatdown awaiting you courtesy of heat & sun exposure in the second half. International runners, this means you.
5) Focus on your breathing—when the going gets tough, deep breaths with a regular “inhale for 3 steps, exhale for 4 steps” cadence can help you relax and regain a sense of control.
6) Every step forward—if your primary focus is to finish within 12 hours, every step you take should bring you one step closer to the finish. And don’t stop moving at aid stations.
7) Expect the unexpected—e.g. many runners battled nasty cramps—and be ready to adapt.
8) Stay positive—when you’ve got nothing left to give, give a smile (I read that on the sidewalk at the Eugene Marathon).
Comrades Marathon resources I leaned on (in addition to @RorySteyn):
– Lindsey Parry’s podcast “RUN with Coach Parry”—especially its archives—is a treasure trove of expertise and insights from the official Comrades coach; older episodes are less than ten minutes each, so you can listen to several at a time. Coach Parry also has some very good content on YouTube.
– Norrie Williamson, 19-time finisher and official course measurer, recently relaunched his website (https://www.coachnorrie.co.za/); the current content is a bit outdated, but his Comrades calculator will give you a reliable sense for your projected finish time based on training mileage and recent performances.
– Bruce Fordyce’s blog (https://www.brucefordyce.com/blog) is another invaluable source of tips & tricks. And though I’ve not read them yet, both volumes of his “Fordyce Diaries”—Conquering the Up as well as Tackling a Down Run—are available as e-books exclusively on the site. If anyone can teach you to conquer Comrades, it’s the man who won it nine times!
– Our friends at Marathon Tours & Travel helped out with logistics, flights and lodging for Comrades and for our post-race travels in South Africa.
For the complete narrative of an amazing race day, check out my two-part blog recap at: https://blisterscrampsheaves.com/2017/08/07/comrades-marathon-race-report-part-1/
Race should be part of your bucket list!
The organization was amazing. Everybody was very friendly, especially for newbies like me. I couldn't believe that almost all 88k were lined up with people cheering on us. Aid stations … MORE
The organization was amazing. Everybody was very friendly, especially for newbies like me. I couldn’t believe that almost all 88k were lined up with people cheering on us.
Aid stations were perfect (You will find massage therapy stations as well).
The ambience at the end was elating!
The most popular ultra in the world!
I've written a detailed Race Report for the Comrades - see the link below. However the Comrades is unequalled in many ways. The route is very tough, the camaraderie incredible, … MORE
I’ve written a detailed Race Report for the Comrades – see the link below. However the Comrades is unequalled in many ways. The route is very tough, the camaraderie incredible, the history of the race amazing, and the crowd support is brilliant. It really takes everything you have, and then some more. However it’s a race that is accessible to everyone. Each year almost 20,000 people line up to do it. The qualifying criteria is a marathon under 5 hours (although you should do sub 4:30 to have a chance of finishing), and if you’re fit enough, you can do it.
The one race you HAVE to do
I've run some of the largest and best supported races in the world. I've run the 6 World Majors. Many of my friends will consider that Boston, with it's traditions … MORE
I’ve run some of the largest and best supported races in the world. I’ve run the 6 World Majors. Many of my friends will consider that Boston, with it’s traditions and knowledgable crowds, is the greatest race. Others perhaps New York, or London. In the past I may have agreed, But not anymore. Comrades is bigger, and better. If you have a running bucket list – put this race on it. Somehow, someway, get yourself to South Africa and run it. It’s long, it’s hot, it’s hard, there are undoubtably going to be times it will suck – but from the singing of Shozaloza at the start, to the finish with a lap of a cricket stadium, and all the miles, support and camaraderie in between – it’s a frigging amazing experience ! I promise you you won’t regret it. I ran it in 2015 and 2016, and I suspect I’ll be going back again.
Below I’ve posted my race report from 2015, and a video I took of the singing at the start.
https://runningdenver.blogspot.com/2015/07/comrades-ultimate-human-race.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLtHSbeoMoc
Lives up to its reputation
As an ultrarunner, Comrades was on my bucket list to do. It has an incredible reputation and is the oldest and largest ultra in the world. I had an amazing … MORE
As an ultrarunner, Comrades was on my bucket list to do. It has an incredible reputation and is the oldest and largest ultra in the world. I had an amazing experience. From the start at 5:30am with the singing of the South African national anthem, then the Shosholoza song and finally Chariots of Fire to the finish in the Cricket stadium in Durban with thousands of cheering fans, it lived up to its reputation. I had trained hard for 6 months leading up to the race putting in an average of 42 miles a week with many marathons and 50K races as well. I took the course tour the day before which was fun and helpful. I recommend it to any first timers especially from other countries. I started the next day from the F corral with a qualifying marathon time of 4:07. I was nervous about making the strict 12 hour cutoff and it took about 6 minutes for me to reach the start line after the gun went off. I was already 6 minutes behind before I had even started. However, the weather was great and the support along the course even better. I had never had so many people cheering me by name(on my bib) during a race. Aid stations were great with coke, and satchels of water and endura-aid. The hills were relentless even on the”down” year with 4700 ft of climbing and 7000ft of descent. I made all the cutoffs along the way and finished with 25 minutes to spare. I enjoyed seeing and talking to other runners along the way. Most of the 20,000 plus runners are from South Africa(240 runners from US this year) and many had done the race 20 or even 30 times. The number of finishes are listed on your bib. You get a green permanent number once you run it 10 times. I highly recommend this race and hope to do the “up” run someday in the future.
The Greatest Footrace on the Planet
To best explain Comrades, I feel that I have to first share a small history of the journey that led us there. Larissa and I had decided to run on … MORE
To best explain Comrades, I feel that I have to first share a small history of the journey that led us there. Larissa and I had decided to run on all seven continents and were clicking them off at a rate of one continent per year. It had been relatively easy to pick out great races across the globe. Some we picked because there were other things we wanted to see and do nearby and some we picked because the race itself was spectacular. Africa, however, presented a bit of a problem. Based on the information that we had at the time, there were two great races in Africa: Comrades and Two Oceans. The problem, of course, was that both of these races were longer than 26.2 miles (at that time, the farthest either of us had run).
Comrades intrigued me because of the stories. Initially, I had only heard about Comrades by reading about it in Runners World many years earlier. The featured runner in that article did not finish and, if memory serves, had the unhappy fate of watching the finish line close when she was literally feet away. I remember being fascinated by the story and the fact that there was absolutely no tolerance for being even one second late. I also remember thinking, “Who are these people that run these long distances?” With some disappointment, I pencilled the Cairo Marathon into our Africa slot.
Fast forward to 2009 where we met, Robert and Julie, who would become our dear friends. They were from Australia and all of us were paired together to run the Petra Marathon in Jordan. At some point during this trip, the topic of seven continents came up and they asked if we were going to do Comrades. They had done it a couple years before and we listened on the edge of our seat as they talked about the race, the traditions, the distance, the people, and the training. Robert and Julie’s excitement could not be contained. They were the first people that we had ever met that had done Comrades, but as time went on, we met more people and – every single time – the stories were told with an excitement and a magic that could not be ignored. This event was clearly more than a race; if these people were any indication, it was a life changing experience.
A year later, we were in Bordeaux, France with Robert and Julie to run the Marathon du Medoc. They were pushing us to do Comrades, but we had decided that we were going to pick a race that was a shorter distance. On a bus ride on the last night of the trip, the speaker at the front of the bus was going on and on about how the Boston Marathon was the greatest race on earth. Bart Yasso was also on the bus with us. Over the previous week (and since), I knew Bart to be somewhat soft spoken making what he did, in my mind, more dramatic. He stood up, took the microphone from the speaker, and said, “I’m going to have to disagree with you. The Boston Marathon is a great race, but Comrades is, without a doubt, the greatest footrace on the planet.” Then he quietly sat back down. The bus was still and, at that moment, I knew we were going to Comrades.
When the longest run you have ever completed is 26.2 miles, the prospect of completing something more than twice as long is a little daunting. We researched training plans and began to prepare. (For brevity, I am leaving the training details out, but if you are interested, let me know. They worked well for us and many others that have used them. I am happy to share them.)
Five of us signed up to run the race together. Each of us completed a race within the qualifying time limits and the day of departure arrived. We flew from London to Johannesburg on South African Airways. The reason I bring this up is because this is where some of the magic began. In Africa, running Comrades is a big deal. Many people on the flight were either going to run the race or to support someone who was running. The pilot announced on the PA that one of the flight attendants had run Comrades several times and suggested that anyone who was interested should seek him out and talk to him. We did that and, once again, that now familiar magic and excitement filled the narrative of his story.
We got settled in Durban and, two days before the race, took a bus tour of the course. It lasted all day and lunch was served in the middle! The tour guide was from South Africa and he not only talked about the rich history of the race, but also dispensed many pieces of humorous and sagely advice. For instance, “Start (the race) slow – and then – go slower.” He told us about the sag wagons and the siren song they would sing to get you to drop out of the race (this is true, by the way, but more on this later). He also advocated that, even if we were feeling great after the race, we should go home and feign being sore for two or three weeks – just so that we would have an opportunity to tell anyone interested in our pain about Comrades.
While on the tour, we saw people camping out and claiming their spots in which they would spectate the race. This was two days prior! We stopped by many famous landmarks along the course, such as Arthur’s Seat. Arthur Newton won Comrades five times back in the 1920s (the race started in 1921). Tradition holds that runners who leave a flower on the seat will have a strong second half of the race. We also saw the Wall of Honor, located at the half way point of the course overlooking the Valley of 1000 Hills. (You know that any race that passes through through or near the “Valley of 1000 Hills” is going to be difficult.) Here, runners who have completed the race can purchase a plaque with their name and bib number to have placed on the wall. One of the highlights of the tour was a stop at the Ethembeni School for Handicapped Children. This facility sits right on the course route and is one of the charities that the Comrades Foundation supports. Visiting them prior to the race was moving, but seeing these same children cheering everyone on on race day was very emotional.
Our hotel was in Durban and, because we did a “down” year, we had to board the bus to the start line at about 1:30 in the morning on race day. The bus took us to Pietermaritzburg where we waited near our start corral for about an hour. I have heard the horror stories about hot, cold, and inclement weather during the race, but we could not have asked for better temperatures. It was a little cool while we were waiting at the start, but we were prepared. Indeed, each of the five of us were wearing sweatshirts, sweatpants, and gloves that we had brought specifically to discard during the race. During my entire running career (prior to Comrades), I have never discarded any clothing during a race. At Comrades, however, runners are encouraged to hand off unwanted clothing to spectators standing by the side of the road.
Throughout all of our training, the plan (for Larissa and I) had always been to complete the race in 11 hours and 20 minutes. One note about this: In the days leading up to the race, there were many people who told us that their goal was “just to finish the race.” Those people we talked to with that goal did not finish. I am a firm believer that you need to go into Comrades with a very definitive and well thought out plan. Comrades is a thinking man’s race. Be prepared.
The race starts at precisely 5:30 in the morning. A few minutes prior to the start, the South African anthem, Shosholoza, plays. It is awesome to hear 18,000 runners singing and knowing that all of you are all in the same position. Nothing is decided and no outcome is predetermined. This isn’t some marathon, this is something much, much bigger – not just in terms of distance and difficulty, but in terms of being a part of something that is so much bigger than yourself. After Shosholoza, the Chariots of Fire theme plays over the loudspeakers and you just get goosebumps thinking about the vast history of this race and enormity of what you are about to undertake. Next comes the famous rooster crow, started by a Comrades runner, Max Trimborn, in the late 1940s. Max repeated this call at the start of every Comrades for decades until his death. Today, he is still making the call via a recording played just prior to the gun going off.
Comrades is scored on gun time meaning, of course, that everyone’s time starts from the time the gun is fired. It took us eight minutes to reach the starting line, so we automatically “lost” eight minutes right from the start. As a group, we decided to literally walk off of the starting line. There were a couple of reasons we decided to do this. One, there were so many people clustered together and, two, we wanted to enjoy the start. I will tell you that it was so weird to be last across the finish and see the sweep cars right behind you just as you were getting started. We also wanted to stay together and it provided a way for each of us not to get sucked into all of the excitement and take off too fast.
The spectators are everywhere. During the whole length of the race, there are only a few times when spectators do not continuously line the road. This is impressive when you consider that it is truly a point to point race and there is no good way for spectators to leap frog down the course as they might in a normal race. As we started running, the first thing I noticed was the first mile marker. The race is delineated in kilometers and Comrades counts them down. So, the first marker you see says “89K to go”. This is not really encouraging as you are starting out as it reinforces that you have really gotten yourself into an all day commitment. I will say, however, that when we got close to the end of the race, it was super encouraging to see “5K to go, 4K to go,” and so on.
A lot of people have asked about support during the race and this is certainly something that we were concerned about. We did carry water bottles, but this race is so well supported that you do not need to bring anything with you. They serve water and Pepsi approximately every 2K. There are salted potatoes at certain points throughout the race that are to die for. (I’m not sure if this is because they were really good or my body just really needed them.) One note about the drinks – they are distributed in sachets. These are great because you can grab one or two and keep going. If you have never drank from these before, however, they can be quite challenging. Be patient. Once you get the hang of it, they are easy to use and drink from. Be careful for unopened ones that have been discarded on the course. When you step on them, they blow up and spray water or soda everywhere. If you are like me, you will do this exactly one time before you become more vigilant around the water stops.
During the course of the race, we talked to a lot of people. I am not necessarily an introvert during most races, but it seemed to me that people were much more willing to talk at Comrades. We talked to some people for as long as 30-45 minutes before breaking off. Take the opportunity to do this. We heard some great stories, got a lot of great advice, and met some really intriguing people. By the way, as an American, we were in the severe minority. Out of 18,000 plus runners, the UK and the US had the largest contingents of international runners with about 200 each. With the exception of South Africa, all other represented countries had fewer runners than the US and UK. One of my favorite comments during the race was with a Comrades green number veteran (more on number colors below). This particular old timer had run 19 Comrades. Larissa asked him if he had completed all of them and he responded, “Well, not all of them, but the ones you don’t finish are like your uncle in jail: you love them, but you don’t talk about them.”
The race bibs are all color coded and are also clearly labeled with your country. When you have successfully completed 10 Comrades races, you are given a green number. Green numbers are retired when you achieve them, so when you get one, it’s yours for life. Yellow numbers are given to runners attempting their 10th completed race. Whenever you see a runner with a yellow number, you are instructed not to congratulate them, but instead to tell them “good luck” since it is not certain they will complete the race. These and other traditions are well known and other runners, seeing that you are not natives, have no hesitation telling you about them.
The five of us wore USA/Comrades singlets. I highly recommend doing something like this as it makes it easier for the spectators to determine where you are from. We got literally hundreds of well wishing cheers from spectators shouting things like, “Go, USA!” and “Welcome to our country!” and “We love USA!” Without a doubt, more people cheered for me specifically than in any other race I have ever run. It was uplifting and emotional all at the same time.
Comrades isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Remember the siren song of the sag wagons we were warned about? I honestly thought our guide was joking, but he wasn’t. These vans would drive very slowly next to you and goad you to get on. More than once, a van pulled alongside me and said, “You don’t look so good. You should get in the van.” For the record (and I have photos to prove it), I felt great. Others, however, were not so lucky. We saw men and women in great physical shape sitting in the vans, some sobbing with their heads in their hands. When you get on the wagon, the first thing they do is draw a big black line through your number to prevent you from joining the race again.
Cutoffs are another way to thin the herd. There are five cutoffs during the race before you reach the stadium and the finish. These cutoffs are all based on time and there are no exceptions. Either you reach the cutoff before the time or you are out of the race. Period. This isn’t T-Ball. Not everyone is a winner. While this may seem harsh to those of us that have done races where the finish line doesn’t close until the last person crosses, this is part of what I think makes the race great.
We had a little drama in our race and were forced to leave one of our runners behind or risk not finishing in time. Now only four in number, we continued to the stadium and completed the race. When you enter the stadium, it is hard to explain the feeling. There are people everywhere and the spectators are cheering loudly. You literally come through a chute, running on the grass, as you make your way to the finish. When you cross the finish line, the race director himself shakes your hand and places the medal over your head (something I personally think should happen at every race, but I digress). This is a great honor and you just cannot comprehend that you actually completed the race. There is so much activity and so many things going through your head that it is truly overwhelming. We took some pictures and then made our way to the international tent.
Backing up a little bit, the second to last cutoff in the race (the finish line being the final one) is at the entrance to the stadium. The stadium doors are closed precisely at 11 hours and 58 minutes. If you are not inside by the time they are closed, you are not going to finish. Even if you beat the stadium doors closing, there are people inside that will not be able to reach the finish line in those two short minutes. This is perhaps the most heart wrenching thing to watch. At precisely 5:30 p.m. (exactly 12 hours after the starting gun was fired), the finish line is closed. We watched as one runner came through with literally one second to spare. There was an Asian lady right behind him (and I mean one or two steps behind him) that did not finish. The race officials put out their arms and hands and literally caught the female runner as she sprawled into the finish line, not allowing her to cross the finish. I cannot imagine completing all 56 miles and missing the cutoff by one second. On a happy note, the runner we left behind pulled it together and managed to finish with about two minutes to spare, but that is a story for another time.
I believe that, if you train properly, Comrades is achievable for “average” runners. Unlike marathons and shorter races, this is not a race that you can just show up for or do a couple of long runs in the weeks prior. You have to train and you have to have a plan. If you neglect one or both of these things, there is a very high likelihood you will not be successful.
I have run more than 200 different races and on all seven continents. At the end of the day, I have to agree with Bart Yasso. Comrades is unquestionably the greatest running event on earth. To this day, it is something that I am extremely proud of completing and I feel a special camaraderie with those friends that I ran it with. We did something truly incredible on that day. If you are a runner, you owe it to yourself to have this experience. This race will quite literally change your life.
The Ultimate Human Race
THE ULTIMATE HUMAN RACE It’s been called many things but never ‘easy’. And yet the Comrades Marathon is not beyond the reach of the average ‘weekend warrior’. Unlike the Tour … MORE
THE ULTIMATE HUMAN RACE
It’s been called many things but never ‘easy’. And yet the Comrades Marathon is not beyond the reach of the average ‘weekend warrior’. Unlike the Tour de France and similar elite professional races that are unavailable to anybody but a tiny (normally male only) minority at the very top of their sport, ‘Comrades’ is about so much more than just elite athletes.
If you consider the race’s origins (and it’s all there at http://www.comrades.com under the ‘History’ tab) they lie in honouring the sacrifice, endurance and fortitude of those ‘comrades in arms’ who fell in The Great War from 1914 to 1918. The race’s founder, Vic Clapham, wanted to establish a challenge that would be suitably tough so as not to trivialise the memory of those that paid such a high price for our freedom, yet remain possible to complete successfully. So he devised a footrace of almost 90km (that’s about 56 miles for the non-metrics among us!) run alternately each year between the coastal town of Durban and the provincial capital Pietermaritzburg in the Kwa-Zulu Natal province of South Africa. Because ‘Maritzburg as the locals call it, sits about 1 000m above sea level, the alternating directions are referred to as the “Up Run” and the “Down Run”. This is but one of the idiosyncrasies that makes Comrades the greatest footrace in the world. I say that unbiasedly and unashamedly. Running legend turned running writer Amby Burfoot agrees and wrote a superb article in Runner’s World on why that is so. Read it here: https://www.runnersworld.com/races/famous-comrades-marathon?page=single
The Up and Down Comrades are two very different yet similar races. At 90kg (202 pounds) I can assure you that I go down hills much faster and easier than I do up them; but I’ll take the Up Run any day! This is due to the second of the great Comrades traditions – the Big Five registered hills on the Comrades route. They are all named and just the sound of ‘Inchanga’ should terrify you! Have a look at the route profile to see what I mean! https://www.comrades.com/route-elevation Comrades has five major hills (but don’t be fooled, there are many more besides those five!) and four of the five are in one half of the race, either the first half or the second half depending on whether it’s Up or Down that particular year. Believe me, your quadriceps and calves are screaming at you in the last quarter of the Down and that is where any Comrades Down Run is won or lost – between Field’s Hill and the Finish. Some have said that if you take any 42km stretch of the Comrades route you’ll have the toughest marathon in South Africa. Well, you‘ve got to run two marathons on Comrades race day and then you’re not there yet! Still about 5 kays to go…
To me though the greatest of all Comrades traditions is its ‘gun-to-gun’ timing. Although modern-day Comrades runners run with timing chips affixed to their shoes, their official race time starts when the starter’s gun (actually it’s a cannon!) goes off and not when you cross the timing mat at the Start line; and it finishes when you cross the Finish line (obviously) with no adjustment made for your time across the Start. And that can take just over eight minutes if you start in H Batch at the back of the field! Making this beautiful tradition so dramatic are the various medal cut-off time guns that are fired by an official on the Finish line – the final 12-hour cut-off gun being the most gut-wrenching! Comrades cut-off is one of the most-watched pieces of live television annually in South Africa, as everyone tunes in shortly before 5:30 in the evening to see it. Once that gun is fired, marshals pull a tape across the Finish and the course is closed. There are many who run for just over 12 hours and go home with nothing! I personally ran 9:00:11 in 2003 and missed my Bill Rowan medal (half-bronze-half-silver) by 12 seconds and I watched that puff of smoke a mere six or seven meters from me in abject horror! I can only imagine how dreadful that must be for the poor souls who are ‘cut off’ at that final 12-hour gun. We’ve seen runners crawling on all-fours, cramping, vomiting and being carried by fellow comrades in those final few, agonising minutes before the final cut-off gun sounds the death-knell for another year. But Vic Clapham said it: we cannot trivialise Comrades and this tradition can never be changed, otherwise it won’t be ‘Comrades’!
Medals are another quirky Comrades thing – there are six of them, awarded as follows: Gold to the first ten men and women, the Wally Hayward medal (named after Comrades legend, race patriarch and five-time winner) to all runners between 11th place and 5:59:59, Silver between 6:00 and 7:29:59, the Bill Rowan medal (named after the first winner of Comrades in 1921 who won in a time of 8:59) from 7:30 to 8:59:59 (see my tale of woe above!), Bronze between 9:00 and 10:59:59 and finally the Vic Clapham medal named after the race’s founder, to those finishing in that last hour before the 12-hour cut-off. Illustrating the race’s availability to the average runner while still presenting a daunting challenge, is the fact that over half the field of anything from 16 to 23 000 runners will finish in that last hour and a half!
The last tradition that I’ll mention here is the Comrades permanent number or ‘Green Number’. If you are a Comrades Green Number, that number is yours for life. The Comrades Marathon Association retire that race number once you qualify for ‘Green’ and only you can ever run in it again, although I believe it’s possible to bequeath it to an heir in your last will and testament – it’s that special! There are three ways to earn a Green Number: win the race three times, win five Gold medals or complete ten Comrades under 12 hours. The last option is obviously the ‘easiest’(!) way for the average runner and Green Numbers are a special breed. Put that on your résumé and prospective employers will know you can pretty much stay any distance!
There is so much more to tell about Comrades, an incredible day spent in extraordinarily beautiful surroundings with massive crowd support all day long, 12 hours plus of live TV broadcasting and so much more drama and passion, but at the end of the day the only way you’ll know why it’s indeed the ‘Ultimate Human Race’ is to get down to the Zulu Kingdom and see for yourself. It’s difficult to call yourself a runner until you have done that…