The 2011 Comrades Marathon would be an ‘up-run’ starting at the City Hall in Durban at 05h30 and finishing at the Cricket Oval in Pietermaritzburg at 17h30. The official race distance this year was 86.96km (54 miles) – great news as I was mentally prepared for a 90km run….savings of 3km!!
The race is physically and mentally a tough test and - as in the past - the Comrades 2011 would once again prove to be just that. Out of the 19.523 entrants approximately 18.500 (best guess) runners would actually commence the race. However, only 60% would eventually succeed in finishing on time.
So, what makes the Comrades the most famous ultra-marathon in the world? There are many reasons and for sure the Comrades claims a remarkable history
The race was the idea of First World War veteran Vic Clapham, who wanted a living memorial to those South African soldiers killed in the war. Clapham, who had endured a 2 700-kilometre route march through sweltering German East Africa, wanted the memorial to be a unique test of the physical endurance of the entrants. Run between the capital of the Kwazulu-Natal province, Pietermaritzburg, and the coastal city of Durban, the race alternates annually between the "up run" from Durban and the "down run" from Pietermaritzburg. The Comrades Marathon has grown from its humble beginnings to be a world class professional organization and is a major feature on the local and International running calendars. On race day the CMA has in excess of 5.000 people working on the race. The set up for a race of this magnitude takes 11 months, as the race covers such a large distance and is hosted in two cities, (start and finish). The 2011 running of the Comrades Marathon will be celebrating its 86th with over 19.500 runners registered.
The Comrades Marathon first took place in 1921 and has been run every year since, except from 1941 to 1945 when it was stopped during the Second World War. Forty-eight runners entered the first race, but when the starting shot was fired, only 34 had the heart to tackle the daunting task - not surprising when one considers that the course was tarred only for the last few kilometers into Durban. Eventually, only 16 finished.
The history of the race is unique. The 2nd Comrades was the first to be staged as a “downhill” race and Arthur Newton, dominant runner of the 1920, finished the race in 6.56h. There were only a handful of spectators at the finish line because nobody expected that the race can be completed in such a time. Bill Payn, a Springbok rugby player, ran one of the most storied races in the history of the Comrades. After a number of stiff drinks, Payn was persuaded to enter the race the next morning. He arrived on time for the start, wearing his rugby boots. During the run he had breakfast of bacon and eggs and at half-way mark Payn celebrated by drinking a beer. He finished in 8th place. The next day he played in a Rugby match. As he could not fit into the rugby boots he chose running shoes instead.
In 1931, Noel Buree’s taxi that he had ordered to pick him up at Scottsville failed to arrive and he borrowed a bicycle to get to the start. However, en route he suffered a puncture, eventually arriving just in time for the start of the race. After a close race Buree came in second, just two meters after Phil Masterson-Smith who, only 19 at the time, remains the youngest winner in the history of the Comrades Marathon.
In 1948 another of many Comrades tradition was born when race official Max Trimborn, instead of firing the customary starter's gun, gave a loud imitation of a cock's crow. That tradition continues to the present day - with Trimborn's voice, recorded on tape, played over loudspeakers.
In 1950, a full 20 years after he won the race for the first time, Wally Hayward recorded his second victory and followed that up with wins in 1951, 1953 and 1954. Ironically, it was only in the year after Hayward retired from the Comrades - after establishing new records for both the up and down runs - that the effect of his wins on the public imagination was felt. The field more than doubled to 100 athletes. In 1958 another giant of the Comrades won the race for the first time as Jackie Mekler registered a comfortable victory and went on to win the Comrades Marathon five times. Mekler provided a milestone in 1960 when he became the first man to break the six-hour barrier, finishing in 5:56.32. The 1960s proved to be a significant time for the Comrades as the size of the field grew considerably, from 104 starters in 1960 to 703 starters in 1969.
In 1962 the race attracted foreign entries for the first time as the Road Runners Club of England sent over four of the best long-distance runners in Britain. One of the four, John Smith, won the race, an up run, in under six hours, missing out on the record by just 33 seconds. During the decade of the '70s, the Comrades continued to grow. In 1971 there were over 1.000 starters for the first time, and by the end of the decade in 1979 the 3.000 mark was topped. More significant, the race was opened to all athletes for the first time in 1975, thus allowing black athletes and women to take part officially for the first time. During the 1980s the Comrades continued to grow at a rapid rate. The decade began with a field of 4.207 in 1980 and topped 5.000 for the first time in 1983. By 1986 the magical 10.000 mark was bettered and just two years later over 10.000 athletes completed the race.
During the 1990s the size of the starting fields was in the region of 12.000 to 14.000 runners. In 1995 prize money was introduced for the first time, attracting more foreign competitors. In 2007, Bruce Fordyce's 21-year-old record for the down run finally fell - and it did so in spectacular fashion. Russia's Leonid Shvetsov shattered the mark by more than three minutes with a stunning time of five hours, 20 minutes and 49 seconds. A massive entry of 23.565 was received for the 85th edition of the race, which took place a little earlier than usual, to make allowance for the Fifa The history of the Comrades is just impressive and I felt reassured that the 2011 Comrades would prove to be a great sporting event. I was knocked back into present time when starting to read about the race itself during my fligth from Dubai to Durban. Not surprisingly, I was not the only runner on the plane. I was already looking forward to the weekend. Arriving on Friday evening would give me a full day of exploring Durban. Help was on the way. Grant McDade, one of adidas South Africa’s agents covering that province Kwazulu-Natal, would show me around and help me before and after the race. I would also meet up with Ragna and Kate from our adidas team who were in Durban for a market visit and also helped managing the adidas booth at the Running Expo.
Considering the importance and size of the Comrades it was not surprising that there were plenty of things to do that weekend. There was of course the Expo and registration at the Durban Exhibition Centre. The Comrades shop was located just outside the registration area. Here you could buy all manner of branded Comrades merchandise from clothing to wine and glasses. Conveniently positioned just outside the Comrades Reebok shop was an embroidery kiosk where you could have your newly purchased Comrades gear personalized with your number and/or name. Located to the left at the entrance was a quite a large physio area where you could go and have a rub down for free. All major running brands were present and also adidas showcased its product range at its booth. Runners World hosted the pre-race pasta party that is a pretty good evening for camaraderie. Unfortunately, I was not able to make it. Some runners also prefer the drive up the route and taste the finish line. Comrades House is HQ to all Comrades Runners and features nice displays and opportunities to learn more about the Comrades history
Prior to getting on the plane I had tried to avoid confronting the “Dragon”. However, with 8.5 hours of flight time there was plenty of opportunity to familiarize myself with the route details. Besides the approx. 90km uphill running the true challenge comes in the form of the “Big 5”. The uphill race starts in Durban at sea-level and finishes in Pietermaritzburg at an altitude of 650m. In between, however, the runners encounter 5 major hills, popularly known or feared as the Big Five - in sequence Cowies Hill, Fields Hill, Bothas Hill, Inchange (the monster) and finally Polly Shortts. The highest point of the race lies at 870m, about 19km from Pietermaritzburg. However, as I was to find out during the race, the complete course is continuous hill running. Not surprisingly, the old road between Durban and Pietermaritzburg winds its way through the “1000 Hills”.
Other than the Big Five the race promised some additional points of interest. Among them are 45th Cutting named after the British 45th Regiment as well as the Wall of Honor close to the half-point, commemorating the achievements of the runners. Arthur’s seat is a niche cut into the site of the Wall of Honor and is reputed to have been a favorite resting spot of the legendary Arthur Newton, 5 times winner of the Comrades. Little Pollys precedes the notorious Polly Shorts. Highest Point, ¾ into the race, marks the highest altitude at 870m. Camperdown and Catoridge are villages along the route with a strong crowd of spectators. Ethembeni School for Handicapped Children is situated near Inchanga and the children traditionally line the road cheering the runners on and shouting encouragement, and inspire many runners with their exuberance.
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